Introduction to academic service-learning

INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC SERVICE-LEARNINGNik SushkaService-Learning [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


Session One

Introductions• Who am I?

• Master’s in English Language and Literature from Central Michigan University

• 10 years experience in education and community work

• 7 years experience as an Alternative Breaks facilitator

• 5 years experience as service-learning coordinator

• 4 years experience teaching (Composition & Rhetoric and Women’s Studies)

• 4.0 helpfulness, 3.0 easiness on the Rate My Professor Scale

• Introductions• Each other• Workshops goals• Service-learning

• Montgomery College’s resources

• The PARE service-learning model

• Kinds of service-learning models for your course and discipline

Session One

Introductions• Who’s in the room?

• Name• Discipline• Courses Taught• Familiarity with service-learning (1-4)

• 1-Not familiar at all• 4-Used service-learning several times

before





Session One

Workshop Goals

At the end of this 3-session workshop, participants will be familiar with academic service-learning as a teaching model and have the background and tools needed to begin developing an academic service-learning course.

• Familiarity: service-learning as a movement and pedagogy

• Background: basic theories and models• Tools: sample projects and assignments,

campus processes, community partners





Session One

Session One

By the end of Session 1, participants will be able to:• Describe Montgomery College’s resources for

developing service-learning courses• Explain the PARE service-learning model and

how it can be tailored to any discipline• Consider which kinds of service-learning

assignments would integrate well with their course design and teaching styles





Session One

Service-Learning

“Service-learning combines community service with academic instruction [or other educational method], focusing on critical reflection, and personal and civic responsibility. It involves students in activities that address community-identified needs, while developing skills and their commitment to the community.”

-American Association of Community Colleges





Session One

Service-Learning

When designed and implemented thoughtfully, service-learning:• enables students to achieve learning goals• engages students in active learning• integrates knowledge and disciplinary theory

with practice• deepens understanding of the complex causes

of social problems• creates new knowledge• Empowers our students to use their skills and

knowledge to create positive social change• Strengthens our community by meeting critical

needs





Why Service-Learning?

Civic Mission of Community Colleges“We [higher education] educate a large proportion of the citizens who bother to vote, not to mention most of the politicians, journalists, and news commentators. We also educate all the school administrators and teachers, who in turn educate everyone at the pre-college level. And we do much to shape the pre-college curriculum through what we require of our college applicants. In short, not only have we helped create the problems that plague American democracy, but we are also in a position to begin doing something about them. If higher education doesn’t start giving citizenship and democracy much greater priority, who will?”

-Alexander Astin

Activity: Break into groups of 3. With Astin’s quotation in mind, discuss the following questions:• Do you agree that there is a civic mission for community colleges? Why or

why not?• Do you think our educational institutions are preparing students for a life of

engaged, democratic citizenship or careers that can positively support our communities?

• Will involvement in service-learning necessarily help us to do this?

Session One

Montgomery College’s Service-Learning Program helps students meet new people, learn new skills, and make a difference in our community. We offer opportunities on and off campus, including:

• One day programs that build community, empower students to serve again, and engage students in community issues:

• Smart Sacks Packing: on campus, every Wednesday at 2pm, CC015

• Spirit of Service Days: at least once/month• Special events like our Help the Homeless Walk, campus blood

drives, and Hunger Banquet





Session One

Montgomery College’s Service-Learning Program

Week-long programs that build community, develop leadership skills, engage students in community issues and critical reflection, help meet community-identified needs, and empower students to serve again

• Alternative Breaks, next trip will be January 9-12, 2014

Semester-long opportunities that develop leadership skills, engage students in community issues and critical reflection, meet community-identified needs, encourage career exploration, and develop new skills

• Service-Learning Leaders Program• Service-Learning Courses





Session One

Resources for Academic Service-LearningFor faculty or academic departments interested in incorporating service-learning into a course, the campus coordinators offer support:

A semester or more in advance:• Forming community partnerships• Applying for project funding • (Re)designing curriculum• Developing assignments• Planning logistics• Managing risk and liability• Training for faculty and support staff• Publicizing the course/program in the Schedule of Classes and

through advisors

During and after the course semester:• Orienting students to service-learning• Supporting students and community partners• Assessing and sharing outcomes and impact





Session One

Resources for Academic Service-LearningThe campus coordinators also coordinate:• Volunteer Fairs each semester, with a Faculty/Partner

networking lunch• Professional development opportunities through the Center for

Teaching & Learning• Workshops with the MD-DC Campus Compact• Participation in the MD Service-Learning and Civic Engagement

Conference (April 5, 2014)





Session One

Resources for Academic Service-Learning

Information can be found on the college wide service-learning site: www.montgomerycollege.edu/servicelearning





http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/edu/plain.aspx?id=8041

Session One

PARE Service-Learning ModelThe PARE (Preparation, Action, Reflection and Evaluation) Model is a useful tool for ensuring quality service-learning experiences. It can aid in explaining to students the unique features of service-learning courses and can show how service-learning as a pedagogy differs from other course methods to which students are more accustomed.

The PARE Model encompasses KOLB’s founding theory of experiential education, to which service-learning has very close ties.

KOLB’S EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CYCLE





Session One

PREPARATION It’s crucial to prepare your students for their service experiences to increase the likelihood that there will be positive outcomes for both them and community members.

Preparation should be integrated into the course explicitly and include at a minimum the following elements :

• Overview of the Assignment, Expectations, and Learning Outcomes

• Service-Learning Process (Optional, Required, Group, Individual)

• Broader Concepts Relating to the Project• Students' Expectations and Assumptions• Training Related to the Project





Session One

ACTIONAction, the second phase of the PARE model, refers to the service activity itself. Depending on your learning goals, you might ask students to employ different types of service within your service-learning course. Types of service differ in terms of setting, task, and level of contact with clients. Types of Service1. Direct: Providing service directly to individuals at the agency

site or in the community. Examples include tutoring youth, assisting with tax preparation, or building a house.

2. Indirect: Indirectly serving clients by building capacity through an agency. Examples include sorting food in a food distribution center or creating a flyer for a nonprofit’s event.

3. Community-based research: Service that uses research to address community issues or makes the results of that research accessible to the community

4. Advocacy: Action on behalf of an issue, population, or community of concern. Examples could include researching or writing position papers, advocating for or against policies to decision makers , or education to raise awareness of a larger effort to create social change.





Session One

REFLECTIONIf not given the opportunity to reflect on the experience, students will miss out on significant learning. The systematic examination of an experience; its comparison to other experiences, ideas, and theories; and the practice of making appropriate generalizations from it constitute productive reflection on that experience. (Recall the stages of reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation in the Kolb Learning Cycle)

Reflection allows students in a service-learning course to do the following:• Think critically about their service experience.• Understand the complexity of the need for the service in a large

context.• Examine their own attitudes, beliefs, assumptions, and

stereotypes.• Relate their service experience to the course concepts.• Test theories in practical settings.• Formulate their own theories based on their service experience.• Use the classroom knowledge to provide more effective service.





Session One

EVALUATIONEvaluation, the fourth stage in the PARE Model, helps determine whether or not the student’s learning and our community outcomes were met. As students evaluate their service-learning experience, it also allows them to consciously enter the active experimentation stage described in the Kolb Learning Cycle.

Service-learning projects should be evaluated from several perspectives:• To what extent did the students achieve the learning objectives?• To what extent were service goals met?• How successful was the project for each student?• How successful was the project for your class as a whole?• How successful was the project for the agency or agencies?• How successful was the project for the people served by the

agency or agencies?





Session One

Service-Learning ExampleCourse: Business 211: Personal FinanceModel: Small Group Project, On and Off Campus OptionsPartners: Junior Achievement(JA)’s Economics for Success Program, First-Year Experience Program Preparation: Action:

Reflection: Evaluation:





Session One

Service-Learning ExampleCourse: Psychology 203: Human Growth & DevelopmentModel: Service-Learning In Lieu of Equivalent AssignmentPartners: Housing Opportunities Commission, Rockville Senior CenterPreparation: Action:

Reflection: Evaluation:





Session One

Service-Learning ExampleCourse: Biology 207: Ecology Model: Exposure Project, Class Day of Service Partner: Chesapeake Bay Foundation Preparation: • Studying population growth and regulation, interspecific

relationships (e.g., competition, predation)• Reading about the Chesapeake Bay and the importance of

oysters Action: • Helping the Chesapeake Bay Foundation construct artificial reef

barriers for oysters Reflection: • Conversation at the end of the service day among participants of

observations• Short research and response assignment about oyster policies

and the health of the Chesapeake Bay Evalution • Instructor evaluates short writing assignment and test questions

related to specific course concepts observed during service• CBF monitors oyster health in the Bay





BREAK

Take a 5 minute break!

Evaluation Please complete the evaluation form.

See you Friday, November 1st!

• By the end of Session 2, participants will be able to:• Create measurable learning outcomes that could be

achieved with a service-learning assignment• Develop a list of at least 3 community organizations to

potentially partner with• Create a service-learning assignment using the PARE

model that could be used in a course

SESSION TWONik SushkaService-Learning [email protected]


Session Two

Session Two Outcomes• By the end of Session 2, participants will be

able to:• Create measurable learning outcomes that

could be achieved with a service-learning assignment

• Develop a list of at least 3 community organizations to potentially partner with

• Create a service-learning assignment using the PARE model that could be used in a course

• Session Two Outcomes

• Session One Review• Introductions• MC Resources• PARE Model• Developmental

Models• Partnerships• Learning outcomes• Applying the PARE

Model

Session Two

Review of Session One• Introductions• Montgomery College’s resources• The PARE service-learning model• Kinds of service-learning models for your

course and discipline




Model

Session Two

MC Resources• Service-Learning Coordinators

• Kris Borcherding, Germantown• Lucy Vitaliti, Takoma Park/Silver Spring

• Connections to Existing Partnerships• Example Projects & Assignments• Process to Support Faculty, Students, and

Partners • Contact coordinator at least one semester before• Collaborate to create partners and projects• Clarify and integrate the process into course

documents • Communicate before the course to potential students

in the schedule of classes and throughout the course with the coordinator, students, and possibly partners




Model

Session Two

MC Resources, cont’d• Limited Project Funding

• Program fees• Supplies

• Transportation• Assistance Reserving College Vans• Metro Cards (Ride-on accessible locations

preferred) • Documentation

• Forms• Photo/video• Campus Photographer• Media Relations

• Recognition • Students serving 100 or more hours may be

recognized at Annual Awards Banquet with a President’s Volunteer Service Award




Model

Session Two

PARE Model:

Where does it fit into the larger model of student and community development?

Service-learning coordinators/College determine community assets, resources, needs, and potential partnerships and projects.

Coordinators establish partnerships and processes.

Faculty/coordinator help students Prepare, Act, and Reflect.

Faculty Evaluate student outcomes.

Partners and coordinators evaluate community outcomes.

Coordinator/Partners/College demonstrate and celebrate student and community outcomes

Coordinators sustain projects and partnerships.



Models• Partnerships• Learning Outcomes• Applying the PARE

Model

Session One

Service-Learning in the Curriculum: A Three-Phase Developmental Model

Service-learning courses and partnerships can be more successful for all stakeholders if they are designed to align with and build student capacity over time.

Consider designing your service-learning course or program to align with the following three phases:• Exposure• Capacity• Responsibility




Model

Session One


Three factors to consider when choosing a model:

What skills and experience will your service-learning students be bringing to the course?

Introductory coursesAdvanced coursesCohorts or sequenced experiences

How much in-class time will be spent on preparation and reflection?

Don’t overcommit underprepared students

How much of the service will be assessed throughout the course?

Don’t over-assign what you’ll under-assess!




Model

Session One


Determining where you want to start on the spectrum—and how much your course will directly attempt to move a student along the spectrum—should be a big factor in deciding what model you will choose.

http://niksushka.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/sl_and_student_development_handout_uvm_2009.pdf




Model




Session Two

Partnerships

The Service-Learning Program strives to support and sustain partnerships that:

-Engage students in meaningful learning connected to curricular or student development outcomes

-Enhance community strengths through collaboration

-Strengthen our community through issue- and group-based civic and community programs and service projects

To be “of service” we establish mutually beneficial commitments designed to attain identified community and student outcomes.




Model

Session Two

Partnerships

Mutually beneficial commitments:

-”Do No Harm”

-Identify areas where students can make a measurable contribution that will benefit the “public good”

-Collaborate with organizations and community members that can support and apply student service

-Ensure partnerships serve student and community needs




Model

Session Two

Partnerships vs. Approved Sites

In addition to partnerships, the service-learning program vets organizations with requests for volunteers and compiles a list of pre-approved sites for students in service-learning courses.

Examples of Approved Sites




Model

http://niksushka.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=66

Session Two

Developing Assignments to Serve Community and Student Needs

Activity:

Take 20 minutes to practice making connections between:

-community-identified needs-course and student development outcomes

Reflection Questions: -What did you find most hard to do for this activity? -What did you find easiest? -Why?




Model

Session One

Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes

Principles of Integrating Service-Learning into the Curriculum:

http://niksushka.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/service-learning-curriculum-integration-principles.pdf




Model

Session One

Incorporating Service-Learning as an Option

Discussion:

What are some of the potential pros and cons to incorporating service-learning as an option in your course?

Where are you leaning, right now?




Model

Take a 5 Minute Break!

Session Two

Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes

Reviewing Course Development Worksheets:

Working with a partner, complete the following additional questions on the worksheet: -What type of service would be appropriate for the course?-How many hours of service will you require your students to complete?-How will you incorporate service into your course?(Required or Optional with an alternative assignment)




Model

Session Two

Applying the PARE Model Choices to make or begin making: 1. What course? 2. What course objectives? 3. What developmental model?4. What potential projects or partners?

Pick at least 3! 5. Optional or required?6. Instructional methods?

Start by viewing example syllabi, reviewing the models offered, approved sites, and potential projects. By the end of the rest of today’s session, you should either have answered these questions for yourself or identified which questions you need to reflect on more.




Model

EvaluationPlease complete the evaluation form.

See you Friday, December 6th!

• By the end of Session 3, participants will be able to:• By the end of Session 3, participants will be able to:• Create or modify an existing syllabus that fully integrates

the PARE service-learning model• Describe ways to deal with common issues encountered

when using academic service-learning• Create a timeline for developing their own service-

learning course

Session Three

Session Three Outcomes• Discuss the 4 critical components of reflection

assignments• Review strategies for optional vs. required

assignments in courses• Identify likely challenges with assignment design

and resources to address • Create a timeline for developing a service-learning

course for the following Spring, Summer, or Fall

• Session Three Outcomes

• Sessions Ones & Two Review

• MC Resources• PARE Model• Developmental

Models• Partnerships• Learning

Outcomes• Session Three

• Reflection & Evaluation

• Next Steps• Lessons Learned

Session Three

Session One & Two Review


Models• Partnerships• Learning Outcomes








Session Three

Reflection & Evaluation Guided reflection ensures that a student can critically connect and understand their service in the context of academic, personal, and civic outcomes.

4 Cs of Reflection:

-Continuous -Connected-Challenging-Contextualized








Session Three

Reflection & Evaluation • Continuous Reflection: It occurs before the

service-learning experience, during it, and afterward.

• Examples: • Pre-service discussion in class about the skills and

issues related to their project.• Pre-service research assignment about the

organization’s mission or the students personal learning goals for their project

• Mid-term reflection journal with prompts connecting theory to observations at the site

• Post-service presentation about project outcomes or research questions identified through the project








Session Three

Reflection & Evaluation • Connected Reflection: This type of critical

reflection builds bridges between learning content, personal reflections, and firsthand experiences. It makes theories real, turns statistics into people and situations, and raises questions that, were it not for the service experience, might not be raised.

• Example: • Short writing assignments with prompts:

For SOC101: “How would a conflict theorist analyze the underlying issue or problem that necessitates your organization’s existence? Does social inequality play a part in this phenomenon?”








Session Three

Reflection & Evaluation • Challenging Reflection: Challenging reflection

means reflecting so old questions are seen in new ways, new perspectives are revealed, and new questions are raised. It avoids simplistic, one-dimensional conclusions. It examines causality. And as the service-learning course goes on, it raises deeper and deeper questions.

• Example: • Research paper with student-identified topic related

to the site/project: “Should organizations use concentrated herbicide applications or only non-chemical methods to halt the spread of invasive species?”








Session Three

Reflection & Evaluation • Contextualized Reflection: Place the service in a

larger context by reflection on the root causes of the social issue students are working on, the organization’s larger mission and how they are supporting it, and how academic, personal, and civic outcomes relate to the work they are doing.

• Example: • Research local news coverage of the issue in our

community and present in class on the connections to your service project or organization

• Identify a piece of local, state, or federal legislation related to the issues addressed at your organization and draft a letter to your legislator identifying whether or not you agree with the legislation.








Session Three

Evaluation • Use methods you’re familiar with to evaluate

students’ reflection assignments. If needed, the coordinators can provide you with sample rubrics for evaluating presentations, written assignments, and in-class discussions.

• Clearly incorporate the service and assignments into the course’s grade structure, so that learning from the service is the focus.








Session Three

Optional vs Required Assignments Optional Assignment Suggestions:• Optional Assignment Curriculum Models • Offer both on and off-campus opportunities• Assign clear deadlines for both assignment options

on your syllabus• Use small group activities and classroom

presentations to bring reflection into the classroom








http://niksushka.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/service-learning-curricular-models.pdf

Session Three

Optional vs Required Assignments Required Assignment Suggestions:• Coordinate a group project with time in class for

work • Coordinate group days of service with the

coordinator (usually offered during class)• Offer both on and off-campus opportunities• Offer both directed and self-guided opportunities

• E.g. 12 hours with a pre-approved organization or an on-campus issue investigation

• Offer both pre-vetted sites and options for students to get their own sites pre-approved

• Require successful placement early in the semester, with frequent deadlines and check-ins








Session Three

Next Steps1. Notify your campus coordinator of your intent to offer a service-learning course by early January2. Schedule a check-in to review your course design, community contacts, and need for support, like orientations and project design/site selection3. Incorporate deadlines and links to form into your syllabus/course site:• Service-Learning Orientation (1st or 2nd Week)• Campus Volunteer Fair • Deadline to Contact Site• Deadline to Submit Placement Agreement• Deadlines for Reflection Assignments• Deadline to Complete Project/Hours• Deadline to Submit Timesheet/Completed Project4. Provide copies of syllabus and forms as they are completed








Take a 5 Minute Break!

Lessons Learned: Q&A with Experienced

Service-Learning Faculty

THANK YOU!

Documents

Introduction to academic service-learning