Finding the Buried Treasure: Research Opportunities Using
Service-Learning
Finding the Buried Treasure: Research Opportunities Using
Service-LearningDr. April HeiseltAssociate Professor and
DirectorCenter for the Advancement of Service-Learning Excellence
(CASLE)Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology
Center for Teaching and Learning WorkshopFebruary 27, 2013
1IntroductionsDr. April HeiseltAssociate Professor & Student
Affairs Program CoordinatorDirector of the Center for the
Advancement of Service-Learning Excellence (CASLE) Courses taught
with service-learning pedagogy:Introduction to Assessment,
Administration of Student Personnel Services, Student Affairs in
Higher Education, Literature of Student Affairs, Internship in
Student Affairs, Day One Leadership Community
Brief Program OverviewCASLE DescriptionWhat is
service-learning?Research and service-learningPeer-reviewed
journalsPreflection ExperienceGrant Opportunities Examples of
service-learning researchQuestion and Answer Period
Center for the Advancement of Service-Learning ExcellenceLearn,
Serve, Become. Learn. The Light BulbStudents are able to learn
more, with more depth, and critical thinking than in a typical
classroom settingServe. The HandStudents give their time to help,
assist, provide knowledge, and to in essence give a hand to an
entity who needs it.
Become. The Infinite ArrowStudents will take this knowledge with
them throughout their experience at MSU and into the future as
independent, critical thinkers, who (ideally) will want to become
civically engaged, active citizens.
References/AdaptationsLearn and Serve
Americahttp://www.learnandserve.org
Service-Learning Research Primer
http://www.servicelearning.org/service-learning-research-primer/service-learning-research-primer
National Service Learning Clearinghouse
(Research)http://www.servicelearning.org
National Service Learning
Partnershiphttp://www.service-learningpartnership.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ABT_index
Service-learning is NOT One-time volunteering experience
One sided (only the student or community benefits)
Logging community service hours in order to graduate
Service assigned as a form of punishment
An add-on to other assignments
What is Service-Learning? Service-learning is a pedagogy . .
.
A method of teaching and learning linking meaningful community
service with instruction and reflection to
Meet the needs of a community organizationEnrich the learning
experience and enhance student understanding of course materialTo
teach civic responsibility and critical thinking Strengthen
communities
77What types of research could I conduct?Each discipline is
unique; but, there are common possibilities
Study of the service-learning pedagogy in a specific field or
discipline
Impact studies on students, the community partner
Adapted from: Bringle & Hatcher, 2000
Research and Service-LearningWhat types of research are counted
here at Mississippi State University?
Peer-reviewed Journal Articles 100s of opportunitiesNote: There
are other opportunities for publication (non-peer reviewed
articles), but these are not typically used for tenure and
promotion
Research Presentations
Obtaining of grant funds to support research
Peer-Reviewed WritingThere is no peer-reviewed journal in my
field that would print this type of research.
Illustration of efforts that bring about new concepts in your
field.
Highlight the impact your research is having on other fields
The stimulation of knowledge can build your reputation as a
researcher
Peer-Reviewed S-L JournalsService-Learning Research theoretical
Michigan Journal of Community Service
Learningwww.umich.edu/~mjcsl/
Article Examples: Service-Learning and Critical Emotion Studies:
On the Perils of Empathy and the Politics of Compassion
Revitalizing South Memphis through an Interdisciplinary
Community-University Development Partnership
International Service Learning: Conceptual Frameworks and
Research
Peer-Reviewed S-L JournalsJournal of Community Engagement and
Scholarshipwww.jces.ua.edu
Article Examples:Fostering a Listening Community Through
Testimony: Learning with Orphans of the Genocide in Rwanda
Including Latino Communities in the Learning Process: Curricular
and Pedagogical Reforms in Undergraduate Spanish Programs
Publishing Opportunities Resource ListPublished by The Center
for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement
(CIRCLE)
www.civicyouth.org/PopUps/SR_Homana.pdf
Journals for Scholarship of Teaching and LearningJournal of the
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning www.iupui.edu/~josotl
Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education
www.indstate.edu/jcehe
Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement
openjournals.libs.uga.edu/index.php/jheoe/
Common Problems in S-L ResearchSmall sample sizesDrawing
conclusions about all service-learning students by interviewing
eight seniors about one class
Correlation CausationCorrelating hours of service at a site to
attitudes about diversity, and then concluding, "serving more hours
at a homeless shelter caused students to have more open attitudes
about diversity." Without additional evidence, a more appropriate
inference would be something like, "students who served more hours
at a homeless shelter had higher scores on the diversity
scale."
Self-selection bias (non-random assignment)
Common Problems in S-L ResearchSocial desirability biasWhen the
behaviors and attitudes that the researcher wants to measure are
"socially desirable" (i.e. social responsibility), students are
inclined to make themselves look good when they give responses.
Creaming the crop Overgeneralization of results to draw
conclusions about another group of students (i.e. all students in
college vs. students in a particular first-year course).
What type of research could you conduct?PreflectionUsed to
enhance the overall reflection process In preflection students are
asked to:Imagine what the experience will be like and express any
feelings they anticipate their involvementComments are reviewed
after the service has been completedLooking back on these
thoughts/feelings provides for some comparative analysis and brings
about focused discussion and deepening insights
Service-Learning and Research Preflection ExperienceWhat were
your thoughts about coming to this workshop on service-learning
research?
What did you think you might learn?
What ideas did you have (publication, presentation, grant idea)
that you thought you could create based on this discussion
today?Keep these thoughts in mind as we continuePresentation
VenuesDepending on your discipline the sky is the
limit!International Association for Research on Service-Learning
and Community Engagement ConferenceNational Association for Student
Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Gulf-South Summit on
Service-Learning and Civic Engagement National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Math Administrators Conference American Library Association
National Conference (ALA)First-Year Experience and Students in
Transition Conference
Grant Opportunities Federal
Regional
Local
FoundationGrant OpportunitiesFederal GrantsNational Institutes
of Health
National Endowment for the Arts
US Department of Education
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grants-apply.html
Federal Grant Opportunities www.grants.gov
Federal Grant ExampleDepartment of Health and Human Services
*Support for Economic Development Projects to Help Low-Income
Individuals
The Job Opportunity for Low Income Individuals Projects program
provides support for new business ventures, business expansion, and
self-employment and micro-enterprise projects designed to address
the economic needs of low-income individuals and families. The
application deadline is March 29, 2013.
Regional Grant ExampleDelta Rural Health Network Development
GrantWebsite: http://1.usa.gov/Viv4rP
Information: Funds organizations located in the eight Delta
states to address unmet local health care needs and prevalent
health disparities in rural Delta communities.
Grant OpportunitiesFoundations Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
(Education)http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Grants/
Ebay Foundation Community Grants
(Technology)http://pages.ebay.com/community/aboutebay/foundation/
Ben and Jerrys Foundation
(Environment)http://www.benjerry.com/foundation/index.html
Community Foundation
Locatorhttp://www.communityfoundationlocator.org/search/inex.cfm
Grant ExampleLocal Grants MSU has campus grants
too!Cross-college Research Grants
http://www.research.msstate.edu/funds/
Starting small with matching funds is a great indicator of
success
Teaching grant Schillig Special Teaching Grant
Examples of Service-Learning Research (involving a class)ARC
4990: Habitat Prototype, Professor Gregory
MSU IRB Approval
Purpose of the project is to gather information on the
perceptions of service-learning by architecture students to better
understand the impact of service-learning on architecture
education.
Thinking back to your initial research ideawhat thoughts do you
have now?ReferencesAsh, S. L., Clayton, P. H., & Atkinson, M.
P. (2005). Integrating reflection and assessment to capture and
improve student learning. Michigan Journal of Community Service
Learning, 11(2), 49-60.Astin, A. W., & Sax, L. J. (1998). How
undergraduates are affected by service participation. Journal of
College Student Development, 39, 251-263.Bringle, R. G. (2003).
Enhancing theory-based research on service-learning. In S. H.
Billig & J. Eyler (Eds.), Deconstructing service-learning:
Research exploring context, participation, and impacts (pp. 3-21).
Greenwich, CN: Information Age Publishing.Bringle, R. G., &
Hatcher, J. A. (1995). A service-learning curriculum for faculty.
Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 2, 112-122.Bringle,
R. G., & Hatcher, J. A. (2000, Fall). Meaningful measurement of
theory-based service learning outcomes: Making the case with
quantitative research. Michigan Journal of Community Service
Learning, 68-75.Eyler, J. (2002). Stretching to meet the challenge:
Improving the quality of research to improve the quality of
service-learning. In S. H. Billig & A. Furco (Eds.),
Service-learning: Through a multidisciplinary lens. Advances in
service-learning research series (pp. 3- 14). Greenwich, CT:
Information Age.Eyler, J. & Giles, D.(1999). Where's the
learning in service-learning? San Francisco, CA : Jossey-Bass
Publishers Furco, A., & Billig, S. (2002). Service-learning:
The essence of the pedagogy. Greenwich, CT: Information Age
Publishing, Inc.