The Ins and Outs of Service-Learning: An Interactive Primer

The Ins and Outs of Service-Learning:An Interactive Primer

28 March 2012Fort Hays State University

Matt LindseyExecutive Director, Kansas Campus Compact

Today’s topics

A. Overview of Kansas Campus Compact

B. What is Service-Learning?

C. Why is Service-Learning Valuable?

D. How Do I Use Service-Learning?

What is Campus Compact?

o Founded in 1985 by presidents of Brown, Georgetown, and Stanford universities

o 35 state Campus Compacts

o 1,200 colleges and universities• 2 and 4 year• Public and private

o 6 million+ students

Mission

Kansas Campus Compact builds and strengthens the collective commitment and capacity of those who teach, study at, work with, and lead Kansas colleges and universities to integrate a commitment to civic engagement and responsibility into the higher educational learning environment.

What does KsCC do?

o Service and Research Programs• Serve 2 Succeed Corps (AmeriCorps)• Engaged Faculty Fellows• Other grants

o Training and Convening• Webinars• Heartland Conference (KS-MO-OK)• Kansas Hunger Dialogue

o Syllabi Database

o On-Site Training

Value of the

Network

What is Service-Learning?

Kolb’s ExperientialLearning Theory

Concrete Experience

Reflective Observation

ActiveExperimentation

Abstract Conceptualization

Experiencing

ReflectingDoing

Thinking

Adapted from Kolb (1984)

A Useful Definition

“a course-based, credit-bearing educational experience in which

students:

a) participate in an organized service activity that meets

identified community needs, and

b) reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further

understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of

the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility.”

Source: Robert G. Bringle and Julie A. Hatcher, “A Service-Learning Curriculum for Faculty.” Michigan Journal of Community Service. (2) (1995): 112

Four Basic Principles

1. Engagement – Does the service component meet a public good?

2. Reflection – Is there a mechanism that encourages student to link their service experience to course content and broader social development?

3. Reciprocity – Are all participants perceived as colleagues rather than recipients and providers?

4. Dissemination – Is the service work presented to the public for dialogue and public advantage?

Myths AboutService-Learning

• Myth #1 - TerminologyService-learning is the same as student community service.

Lost in theSea of Definitions

• Volunteerism

• Community Service

• Community-Based (Participatory) Research

• Civic/Political Engagement

• Service-Learning

Myths AboutService-Learning

• Myth #1 - TerminologyService-learning is the same as student community service.

• Myth #2 – ConceptualizationInternships, practica, and other experiential educational practices re the same as service-learning.

Crucial Distinction

Service-Learning

Source: Furco, A. (2003). Service-Learning: A Balanced approach to experiential education. In Campus Compact, Introduction to Service-Learning Toolkit. (pp. 11-14). Providence, RI. Campus Compact. p. 12.

Community Service Field Education

Volunteerism Internship

Civic Engagement Experiential Education

Service FOCUSLearning

Recipient BENEFICIARYProvider

Myths AboutService-Learning

• Myth #1 - TerminologyService-learning is the same as student community service.

• Myth #2 – ConceptualizationService-learning is just a new name for internships.

• Myth #3 – SynonymyExperience in the community is synonymous with learning.

Reflection

Service Learning–

Myths AboutService-Learning

• Myth #1 - TerminologyService-learning is the same as student community service.

• Myth #2 – ConceptualizationService-learning is just a new name for internships.

• Myth #3 – SynonymyExperience in the community is synonymous with learning.

• Myth #4 – MarginalityService-learning is the addition of community service to a traditional course.

• Myth #5 – Student OverloadStudents already have busy schedules and do not have time to fit in service-learning.

Service-learning is not an add-on

Six Models

1. “Pure” Service-Learning

• Courses that send students out to the community to serve• Not typically lodged in any one discipline• Intellectual core of the course is the idea of service to

communities by students

Challenges:• Content of the course can be perceived as lightweight• May marginalize service-learning due to (perceived) lack of

academic rigor

Six Models

2. Discipline-Based Service-Learning

• Courses that send students out to the community to serve• Use course content as the basis for understanding of service• Intellectual core of the course is the idea of service to

communities by students

Challenges:• Need very explicit link between course content and service• Explicit link can limit community experiences and create

difficult problems with logistics and monitoring

Six Models

3. Problem-Based Service-Learning

• Students serve as community ‘consultants” to understand and address a particular community need

• Presumes basic student knowledge of field

Challenges:• Assumes students can grasp magnitude of problem with

limited exposure to community• Presents students as “experts” and communities as

“clients”

Six Models

4. Capstone Courses

• Final year course in specific discipline• Apply all learning in discipline accumulated over collegiate

career

Challenges:• Presents students as “experts” and communities as

“clients”• Student graduation may hamstring community

organizations due to loss of valuable knowledge

Six Models

5. Service Internships

• Similar to traditional internships• Regular and ongoing reflective activities• Emphasis on reciprocity

Challenges:• Level of oversight required by community site may be very

high• Student graduation may hamstring community

organizations due to loss of valuable knowledge

Six Models

6. Undergraduate Community Based Research

• Students work closely with faculty members to learn research methodology while serving as community advocates

Challenges:• Similar challenges to traditional undergraduate research

courses• Assumes students are competent and self-directed

Diffusing “Authority”

• Disrupts students’ traditional expectations of what “class” should be like

• Requires them to share ownership in the creation and acquisition of their own knowledge

• Requires instructor patience and comfort– With outcome variation– With process variation

Why Do Service-Learning?

S-L Outcomes

• Improved Academic Achievement

• Improved Student Engagement in Learning

• Enhanced Social Responsibility and Competence

• Enhanced Personal and Social Skills

Academic Impact

o Increased discipline-specific knowledge and skillso Improved higher order thinking skills

o Analysiso Critical Thinking

o Expanded career connectionso Awareness of optionso Clarity of choiceo Resume strengtho Networks

Motivational Impact

• Student Motivation comes from– Autonomy– Competence– Connectedness

Social Responsibility Impacts

o Increased likelihood to register to vote and actually vote

o Increased likelihood to volunteer after graduationo Improved appreciation for social diversity and

toleranceo Understanding of conflict resolution and problem

solving through participation in “messy” world

Social Development Impacts

o Increased self-esteemo Increased feeling of empowermento Reduction in risky behaviorso Connection with campus as “home”

o Improved persistence to graduationo Especially for:

o Low-Incomeo Minorityo First-Generation

Alignment withFHSU Learning Goals

• Effective service-learning has direct alignment with 10 out of 20 FHSU student learning objectives

• Depending on discipline, class, and structure, service-learning could touch on several additional objectives

Designing aService-Learning Course

(1) Preparation

(2) Action

(3) Reflection

(4) Evaluation

PARE Model

Categories ofLearning Objectives

CivicEngagement

AcademicEnhancement

PersonalGrowth

Source: Ash, Clayton & Moses. Learning through critical reflection: A tutorial for service-learning students. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing. chpt.2, p. 1.

Pre-Professional Training

ServiceLearning

Service AssignmentExamples

o Personal Contact tutoring, disaster relief, health services, adult ESL

o Problem-Solving housing needs survey, pollution abatement plan, website design

o Research asset mapping, recipient interviews

o Advocacy position papers, lobby days

The 4C’s of Reflection

o Continuous in time frame

o Connected to the intellectual and academic needs of those involved

o Challenging to assumptions and complacency

o Contextualized in terms of design and setting

Source: Eyler, Janet, & D.E. Giles. A Practitioner’s Guide to Reflection in Service-Learning. Nashville: Vanderbilt University, (1996)

Question Promptsfor Reflection

• What? Describe. The objective reporting or identification of the events surrounding the experience

• So What? Examine. The development of deeper understanding of the meaning of experience

• Interpret: Connect. Interpret the experience within the context of class readings, lectures, research in the field etc.

• Now What? Extend learning. The further re-consideration and re-framing of the learning to address both its broader as well as its experience-specific implication, producing a reasoned judgment based on sound arguments.

Gallery Experience

A series of statements are posed on butcher-size paper throughout the room. Students (and community partners) quietly work their way around the room writing their responses. Read the responses to each statement out loud and discuss.

Examples: 1.Hungry people are…

2.The social justice issues evident in this community are…

3.My feelings about working with this community are …

4.People are hungry because…

5.Society should…

Everyday Ethical Dilemma

Select a current news article or video clip that addresses the course content. Ask students to identify the conflicting values at play and how their experiences in service-learning and the other course readings help them understand the issue and its complexities.

Recent articles:1. Washington Post, 12/14/10 – “Wootan: Hunger-Free Kids Act

will have big impact”2. NPR, 12/30/10 – “USDA To Require Nutrition Labels On Meat”3. LA Times, 12/20/10 – “Holistic nutrition is weak on science,

strong on selling supplements”

Invented Dialogue

Encourage students to integrate perspectives and knowledge from various sources through role-playing or written assignments.

Example: Craft a dialogue about a proposed state pesticide law. Participants: governor, legislators, small business owners likely to be harmed or helped, local farmers, and an author from course text. Have a role-playing debate to explore the multiple benefits and losses (and for whom), conflicting values, and pathways to economic and human development?

3-Minute Speeches

Pose a common question to the entire group and give students 15 minutes to prepare 3-minute speeches. Each student then delivers his/her speech; another student is the timer. Facilitator provides closing remarks.

Examples:1. What is one key reason you are involved in work on alleviating

hunger?2. What would you say to [author] about his/her thoughts on [topic]?3. What has this course taught you about science?4. What have the people at [service site] taught you?

3-2-1 Exit Poll

In-class exercise. An exit poll at the end of a particular class or service experience gives the instructor fast feedback about what is/is not working.

Give this as a handout or a note-card. It should take less than five minutes for each student to complete before leaving.

Example: After completing your first day at the service site, please tell me:– 3 things you learned today– 2 things that are still confusing– 1 thing you enjoyed about today

One-Word Journal

In-class exercise. First ask students to answer a question with just one word. Then, ask them to write a paragraph or two about why they chose the word. Students share their answers in pairs or small groups.

Examples: 1. What one word describes how you felt after your first day of

service?2. What one word represents why it is difficult to ensure quality

food for everyone?3. What one word captures why you want to work in the sciences?

Concept Map

Helps students create visual representations of linkages and connections between a major concept and other knowledge students have learned.

The topic for the concept map should grow from the major question that the course seeks to explore.

Students work in small groups and draw concept maps on large butcher paper. After 20-30 minutes, each group presents their work. The faculty member provides feedback and correction (if needed); ask students to do the same for their peers.

Letter to the Editor

As a short form argumentative essay, this reflection asks students to translate their experience and knowledge into the public square.

Ask students to pick a topic that clearly links the course and a public issue. Ask students to write letters either for or against this issue.

Example: A local referendum asks voters to assess an additional parcel tax to help pay for renovations to a facility that houses the local farmers’ market.

A Better Essay

Original: Write a 2-page essay about your experience with the Flint Hills Bread Basket.

Revised (Add): In one paragraph describe your particular service activities. In a second paragraph, connect your service to a nutrition policy issue. Then, spend the remainder of the reflection on the following: Pick one of the theories of nutrition we have studied and show how it applies to the work of FHBB.

o Beyond reflection, students have an opportunity to demonstrate their learning and their experience.

o Invite community partners to participate in the evaluation process

o Don’t forget to celebrate accomplishments!

Evaluation

Other Questions

• Who should do the service work?– Full-class?– Small groups?– Individuals?– Include instructor?

• Should it be optional or required?

• How do I handle liability issues?

For Further Information…..

Kansas Campus Compact www.k-state.edu/kscc

National Campus Compact www.compact.org

National Service-Learning Clearinghouse www.servicelearning.org

Matthew LindseyExecutive Director

Kansas Campus Compact(785) 532-6896

[email protected]

Thank You

Selected Sources

Adams, M.A., et al. (1997). Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice, a Source Book.

Angelo, T and Cross, K. (1993). Using Classroom Assessment Techniques.

Heffernan, J. (17 September 2009). Service-Learning 101. Webinar for Kansas Campus Compact.

Jacoby, B. and Mutascio, P., eds. (2010). Looking In, Reaching Out: A Reflective Guide for Community Service Professionals.

Pigza, J. (21 October 2010). Critical Reflection Toolbox: Enhancing Student Learning and Development. Webinar for Kansas Campus Compact.

Reed, J. and Koliba, C. (2003). Facilitating Reflection: A Manual for Leaders and Educators.

Welch, M. (1999). “ABCs of reflection: A template for students and instructors to implement written reflection in service learning.” NSEE Quarterly, 25(2), 23-25.