Service-Learning 101

Service-Learning 101 (What to expect) Purposeful Civic Learning Approximately 10 minutes Dynamic Presentation Style Key Concepts Pedagogy Theory Misconceptions Critical Components of Curriculum Integration Additional Considerations Civic Learning characteristics Distinguishes academic service-learning from other service programs Has tremendous flexibility Is not widely understood What is Civic Learning? What is Civic Participation? Civil Learning Goal Categories An array of knowledge, skills, and values that should be aimed for Academic Learning Democratic Learning Diversity Learning Political Learning Leadership Learning Inter- and Intra-Personal Learning Social Responsibility Learning Relevant and Meaningful Service with the Community Enhanced Academic Learning What is Service-Learning? What it's not... Academic service-learning is NOT the same as other types of service Academic service-learning is NOT an internship, which focuses more on student benefits and academic learning. Experience is needed for learning, but is NOT enough in itself. Reflection activities connect the two. A community service requirement to a course does NOT fulfill the academic service-learning model. “What students do during college generally matters more to what they learn and whether they persist to graduation than who they are or even where they go to college.” (Kuh et al, 2005b, p. 3) A teaching tool... How do you integrate service-learning into your course? "GOSA!" Identify Learning oals Identify Learning bjectives Identify Learning tratagies Identify Learning ssessment Methods Learning assessment methods provide feedback to the instructor(and the student) on the alignment between these components *Also modified from the Michigan Journal workbook Example.... Civic learning: The University of Massachusetts at Lowell has received a $100,000 National Science Foundation grant to develop service learning projects in its college of engineering — one of only 10 awards nationwide, according to the university. The one-year planning grant will incorporate service learning — which connects a project to the academic curriculum — into core engineering courses. The program is optional but successful thus far. For example, a trio of mechanical engineering students recently constructed a prosthetic leg for a 14-year-old amputee in Peru. (Then had to go through the process of getting the leg to the child.) What were the civic learning objectives? Academic learning Democratic citizenship learning Diversity learning Political learning Leadership learning Inter- and Intra-personal learning Social responsibility learning Quote: "Our goal is to reach every student in every semester with a service-learning component,” said John Ting, dean of engineering. “We have an excellent track record. Now, we face the challenge of developing an integrated, college wide program in which students from different disciplines work in teams to solve problems presented by community groups locally or overseas.” Finishing the story... During the planning year, the engineering faculty will pilot-test program options and prepare a full proposal for a $1 million, five-year implementation grant to fund a college wide, service learning initiative to reach every engineering student. *Modified from a publication of the Edward Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning at the University of Michigan with support from Campus Compact Proper Service-Learning addresses a REAL community need. But first, to ensure we're on the same page... "Service-learning combines service objectives with learning objectives with the intent that the activity changes both the recipient and the provider of the service. This is accomplished by combining service tasks with structured opportunities that link the task to reflection, discovery, and the acquisition and comprehension of values, skills, and knowledge content." *Furco Model that reinforces SPECIFIC CLASSROOM LEARNING, meets community needs, and fosters civic responsibility.  A service project will be used as a part of a class assignment to help students DISPLAY ACHIEVED LEARNING as part of their grade. How Should Colleges Prepare Students to Succeed In Today’s Global Economy? Course Specific Academic Learning Generic Academic Learning Learning how to learn Community Learning Inter- and Intra- personal learning consider how Service-Learning can strengthen or allow new learning objectives skills learned in and instrumental to all courses skills that build learning capacity skills which are important to the course that can only be acquired in the community objectives critical to developing the whole learner and that are valued in a broad liberal arts education. The "soft" skills. Examples: “Classroom” Strategies – small group discussions, one-minute reflection papers, simulations Student Assignments – integrative papers, structured journals, reflective interviews But if you're a definition person... Back to the Service-Learning visual Here's a visual When all three are equally together that's Service-Learning Let's begin with... So, why is relevant and meaningful Service-Learning important? Take a look at this quote.... Now let's focus on... Let's look back for a second... Here are five general academic learning goal categories that can be enhanced by service-learning. Lastly, let's focus on... Along with these are... So Here's a good place to start There are two ways that the incorporation of a service assignment can enhance academic learning in a course: 1. Service-Learning complements traditional classroom, and book-based learning. Example International students serving in the community can better strengthen their English speaking skills beyond what they might achieve in the course....or even on campus. 2. It provides "real-world experience and exposure to the subject matter that enables learning possibilities that can enhance the goals of the course. Those same international students now have an authentic opportunity not only to improve their language skills but learn about American culture...which may be a part of the course learning goals but may be limited to just the campus. "Any learning that contributes to student preparation for community of public involvement in a diverse democratic society." "...more than just activities such as voting and obeying the law...but also aspiring to and realizing concrete contributions to one's local community and beyond." Here's a visual (*Furco, 1996) Altruistic, primary focus is on the recipient More structured, semester or year long, usually focused on community themes. Student is the primary beneficiary, provides hands-on experience and enhanced learning in an particular area of study Co-curricular service opportunites not fully intergrated in students' course or program. EX. Student teaching, Practicums. Service-Learning's intention is to equally benefit the provider and the recipient as well as focus on the service and the learning Don't forget the one thing that holds all three categories together Reflection! an essential ingredient to the pedagogy that ensures the connection between the meaningful service, the academic learning and the civil learning Here are the"4 Cs" to effective reflection Continuous Connected Challenging Contextualized (*Eyler, Giles, and Schemiede 1996) Reflection activities throughout the service-learning course Reflection that is structured and directly related to the learning objectives. Reflection that sets high expectations, demands high quality student effort, and facilitates instructor feedback that stimulates further student learning. Reflection that is appropriate to the particular course and commensurate with and complementary to the level and type of other course learning activities. These should be general and provide direction These should be achievable and measurable Ways of achieving one or more of the learning objectives EX. "Students will understand and apply basic physics concepts to problems in astronomy." Now... G O S A "qwop64" Please email Ryan Rogers, (ryan@floridacompact.org) at Florida Campus Compact your name and the code above upon completing this module. Thank you! Before you go off and start your service-learning course Here are some additional considerations and things to think about How can service be bad to the community? Should service be Optional or Manadory? Should service be Direct or Indirect? Assisting an after school program with their day-to-day operations OR Assisting an after school program with their marketing campaign How much should service be weighted grade-wise? Liability issues The duration of the Service-Learning component Semester long? One time, two time event? 15 hours? 40 hours? How will you motivate students? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each? One community partner or several? Freshmen Experience, Senior capstones, "Service Internships" or independent studies, CBPR, Learning Communities Strategic and Quality Community Partnerships Here are some resources to help research and address these considerations www.servicelearning.org www.compact.org Us Florida Campus Compact Thank you for your time and if you have any questions concerning this presentation feel free to contact us. 1801 Miccosukkee Commons Drive Tallahassee, FL 32308 850-488-7782 www.floridacompact.org It's not "service for" or "service to" the community. It's "service WITH" the community. There may be less control, but many teachable moments There should be a sense of reciprocity and accountability on both ends Assessment should be used throughout to enhance future service Here are some other traits of Relevant and Meaningful service to think about: Service must be relevant to the community AND to the course objectives Service must be meaningful to the community AND to the students Students should find the activities meaningful. Menial and inconsequential activities run the risk of undermining academic and civic learning. The community should see how the students' work will contribute to the improvement of some social/community issue. The instructor and students should see how the service is relevant to the course. and should not make a "lab" out of the community. Also (focus on the red) Try doing a line of GOSA when creating a new service-learning course OR when retooling a course to include service-learning. Be intentional, when designing these activities/projects EX. Students will be able to predict outcomes of mono and dyhybrid crosses using Mendelian genetics theory. and how can you prevent this from happening?