Service-Learning: A Practical Introduction

Dr. Maureen RubinCalifornia State University, Northridge

Innovative Educators WebinarMarch 10, 2010

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Service is hotter than ever – and college students are leading the way

President Barack Obama shakes hands with people before giving out meals in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day during a volunteer work project at the So Others Might Eat dining room for the homeless in Washington Monday. January 18

Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

There’s a new national focus on service and volunteerism

Serve America ActOn April 21, 2009 President Barack Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act at an elementary school in Washington DC. The Serve America Act reauthorizes and expands national service programs administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service by amending the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA) and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (DVSA).

Service Timeline: 23 Years Plus!American colleges and universities have long

been criticized for being disconnected ivory towers marked by an aloof lack of concern with or interest in the communities where they are located.

The Carnagie Foundation’s 1987 report College: The Undergraduate Experience in America decries the lack of connection between campuses and the real world by noting a pervasive sense of parochialism and intellectual and social isolation that “reduces the effectiveness of the college and limits the vision of the student.” (Boyer)

Service-Learning Fosters Meaningful Connections

Helps the academy become a more vigorous partner in the search for answers to our most pressing social, civic, economic and moral problems, and must reaffirm its historic commitment to the scholarship of engagement (Boyer, 1966)

Research Shows it Works Personal Outcomes Social Outcomes Career Outcomes

Positive Effect on Personal Outcomes

Efficacy, identity, spiritual growth and moral development

Interpersonal development, ability to work with other, leadership and communication skills (Eyler and Giles, 2001)

Positive Effect on Social Outcomes

Reducing stereotypes Facilitating cultural and racial understanding Social responsibility and citizenship skills Commitment to service Involvement in community service after graduation

Impact on Career Development

Contributes to career development Contributes to choice of majors, which

aids in student retention

Service-Learning 101 Definitions

Volunteerism Community Service Internships/Practicum Field Work Community Service-Learning Civic Engagement

Volunteerism – Describes people, who of their own free will and without pay, perform service or do good work. This can be done on a regular or sporadic basis with community groups, faith-based organizations, political parties, etc.

Community Service- Organized volunteering designed to meet the needs of the community. Most often through non-profit organizations, schools or public agencies. Can be court-ordered, so some may think it’s a punishment.

Internships/Practicum – Capstone academic experience through which

students implement material covered in a series of classes. Field Work- Depending on discipline, refers to class-related experiences in

clinical or natural settings. Often required for licensing or credential.

Civic Engagement - a commitment to active-learning, developing student awareness of civic responsibility, and addressing social and economic needs defined by the larger community. Adding the questions: Why is it this way? And what can be done to change it?

Community Service-Learning Academic study linked to community

service through structured reflection so that each reinforces the other. The academic study may be in any discipline or combination of fields. The community service may be direct service to people in need community outreach and education, research or policy analysis.

Pick One or Combine Them What are your desired student learning

outcomes? What level class are you teaching? How does your goal fit into the

department’s sequence of courses? There are no rules.

But First, Does it Work?Impact on Academic Learning

Mixed impact on student academic learning as measured by course grades or GPA

Improved students’ ability to apply learning in “the real world.”

Positive impact on complexity of understanding, problem analysis, critical thinking and cognitive development

http://www.servicelearning.org/ will give you the latest research

Impact of Students’ Relationship with the Institution

Develops stronger faculty relationships Improves satisfaction with college Increases likelihood of graduation Service-learning aids in retention (Tinto (1987)

and Mundy and Eyler, (2001).

Sound good? Let’s design a course!

7 simple steps Define student learning outcomes Define scholarship outcomes Plan community collaboration Design the course Prepare logistics and forms Reflect, analyze, deliver Assess your results

Define Student Learning Outcomes Primary Goal

Understanding of Course Content Value Added Goals

Understanding Related Societal/Professional Issues Awareness of and Involvement with Community Commitment to Service Career Development Self-awareness, Sensitivity to Diversity, Sense of Ownership Improved Communication and Critical Thinking Skills Leadership, Values, Taking Responsibility, Perseverance

Let’s try one Primary Goal

Understanding of Course Content – service-learning project always advances this same goal, but the pedagogy and service experiences change depending on the other value-added student learning outcomes

Example - Understanding Related Societal/Professional Issues. Let’s use the Federal or State budget and their tax policies

What you teach will define the experience

How will it work for different disciplines? Accounting, finance and business students can help

seniors and low-income community members fill out tax forms. Analyze effect of bills on clients and make voices heard.

Social science students can analyze effects of varying tax policies on the non-profit agencies they serve and help them prepare materials for their constituents.

Art, music and theatre students can research effects of government budgets on donations and write fundraising appeals.

Science students can compare grant guidelines and help write grants

Define Scholarship Outcomes What messages are being sent about how your

institution values service? Developmental Model – Junior faculty should devote

early years to establishing teaching and research expertise that will become the basis for service later in their careers.

Perpetual model – Service is valued and expected throughout the professional career and is a responsibility equal to research and teaching (Stanton, Giles and Cruz, 1999).

Are non-traditional teaching and learning practices valued at your institution?

Are there proper evaluation tools for non-traditional practices? (Vesserly et. al, 1995)

What types of service-learning related research will be acceptable? Only discipline-based? Pedagogical? Both?

What other forms of the “scholarship of service” will be rewarded?

BOTTOM LINE: You might have to protect yourself.

A Scholarship Example

Plan Community Collaboration

What makes a good partnership? Designing the partnership Complete legal forms

What makes a good partnership? Honoring the role of the community as co-educator. Collaborating on all aspects of course design. Having all parties understand the desired student

learning outcomes and have a clear role in guiding students toward achieving them.

Recognizing community voices in defining needs, faculty expertise in developing projects to address defined needs, and students' voices in implementing community learning projects.

Cal State Northridge Center for Community Engagementhttp://www.csun.edu/csl/

Designing the PartnershipGather basic information in

database/or interactive website Logistics Mission Main Interest Population Served Organizational Structure Budgets

Provide specifics

Community Partner What do you see as the potential benefit for the

community from students performing these service activities?

What are the most important lessons your organization can teach college students?

List three service outcomes (representative activities that you would like students to perform) at your organization and describe them to the students and faculty members.

Gather Basic Information from Faculty

Faculty Members Describe the course in which community-

service learning will be used. List your top three student learning outcomes

(the three most important things you want to learn or have your students learn during the service learning experience) and describe them to your community partner.

Put it all togetherBoth Partners Find at least three intersections where the

faculty and student goals and the community partner goals can coalesce. Keep talking and negotiating until this is accomplished.

Figure Out Logistics Scheduling

Start and end dates Hours available Number of students site can accommodate Total hours required Any necessary tests?

Clarify Site Procedures Where to the students check in? How do they track their hours? Where do they park? Cost? Public transportation? Who does orientation? Who does on-going training? Special

training? Who is the supervisor?

More Procedures What happens on first day of service? How will communication be maintained? Keep information near student Company car and insurance What should students bring? Reimbursement of expenses Safety first

Orientation Site needs a welcoming plan Schedule a tour Detail all relevant policies – safety,

confidentiality, accident procedures, attendance, wardrobe, risks, harassment

Be clear on expectations Provide copy of job description Describe evaluation

Design the Course

Successful Courses Blend service and academic content Do not treat service-learning as an add-on,

but as an integral part of each class Cross-fertilize assignments

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Some Things to Consider Developmental appropriateness Group or individual work? Who selects community partner? What skills do students need/have? Everyone at same site at same time? Students choose from several options?

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Include Service-Learning Assignments in the Syllabus

Content of Lecture Service Learning Lecture Link Reading – Subject and Service-Learning Assignment, i.e. plan icebreaker Reflection Exam- include question on how service

reinforced class material

Pedagogical Tools (Reflection, Analysis, Deliverable and Display) Carefully design pedagogical tools that

will truly link the service to the academic coursework

Variety of methods to employ: diaries, problem-solving exercises, creative

activities, making deliverables, incorporating community displays

What Is Reflection? Planned activities designed to help students

process their service experience in a thoughtful manner

Integrates service into the heart of the course to promote desired learning outcomes

The “glue” that ties the learning to the service Dynamic process that involves critical thinking,

analysis, evaluation, problem solving, mediation and reasoning

Why Is It Done? Helps students understand the “big picture re:

Proper role of the university Their own lives Understanding others Understanding their roles as citizens Professional requirement for adaptability in the

workplace Lifelong learning and openness to new information Without reflection, it’s not service-learning

When Is It Done? Must be continuous (before, during and after

service), connected, and challenging (ask the HARD questions- challenge beliefs, assumptions and expectations) (Eyler 2001)

Must permeate the service experience Must be extensive - modest levels don’t work Must be guided by professor, but students can help

design Must receive feedback (Bringle and Hatcher)

throughout the semster, not just at the end.

How Is It Done? Through specific activities designed to assist the

student in processing the service-learning experience Many, many paths

Journals (email is more convenient) Think pieces and creative expression Role playing Writing assignments Assignments that link to learning styles (Gardner)

Structured Reflection Journals Journals that pose different questions

throughout the semester (Eyler 2001)

Journals that pose the same questions after each session

Journals mixed with mini-analysis papers (Azusa-Pacific Univrsity, 1999)

Journals tied to lecture and reading Interactive journals with classmates or

community partners Groups journals in accessible places (Jacoby, 1996)

Not the same as the deliverable Write a play Write a letter to yourself, seal it, leave it with

instructor. At semester’s end reread it and write about change

Make a video Write a poem or song Compose a travelogue Write a letter to the editor Take photos Draw or paint a scene

Think Pieces and Creative Expression

Role Play Bring a community partner to class and have

them create or reenact a typical or challenging service experience

Divide students into groups and have each one act out a different roles played by various populations involved in service experience (i.e. service-recipients, agency staff, professor, government agency, student etc.)

Writing Assignments Community commentary

Describe a scene in the community What story does it tell? What does it say about the community? What does this scene mean to you and why? If the scene were a painting, what title would you give it?

Interpret quotes “A cynical young person is almost the saddest sight to

see because it means that he or she has gone from knowing nothing to believing in nothing.”

--Maya Angelou

Integrating Reflection and Research Reflection tools ARE data collection

instruments So are interviews, surveys, participant

observations, document analyses and analyses of visuals

Software can analyze qualitative data by searching for keywords and developing themes. (McCracken, 1988)

Particularly useful when writing for pedagogical journals.

Assessment and Evaluation

Each stakeholder should evaluate all others. Students evaluate agency Agency supervisor evaluates student Community partner evaluates experience Students evaluate faculty Faculty evaluate students

Risk Management Follow your University policies and legal

requirements Cal State Northridge’s sample forms are

online at www.csun.edu/csl