Constructivism and Service - Learning

Constructivist Pedagogy : Emphasizes knowledge gained through guided experience where the learner builds complex and interrelated understandings. Deep knowledge develops where information is a light on in the mind not a load on the mind. The Kolb-Fry experiential learning model is a spiral usually beginning at step one but can begin at any of the four steps in a repetitious cycle.

Why?What?How?What if?

Kolb and Fry Experiential Learning Model 1. concrete experience 2. observation and reflection on the experience 3. formation of abstract concepts based on reflection 4. testing abstract concepts

OSSPEECs modified learning strategy emphasizes: guided experience guided reflection cross-disciplinary learning a systems approach to understanding the environment unintended consequences of human interventions.

Definitions PowerPoint revised after Diane Nagy 2011 Academic service-learning is a strategy that integrates service in the community with academic study to meet specific learning goals for students. Faculty, in partnership with community agencies, design service projects that will Meet community-identified needs Advance students understanding of specific course content Promote civic engagement Critical reflective components are built into the course to help students consider relationships between their service, the course curriculum, current societal issues, and their professional goals. Experiential service-learning is different, only in that it does not involve a course for credit. OSSPEEC provides examples of both.

An Introduction Summer 2012 Service- Learning Initiative OSSPEEC involves internships and field education service-learning

Academic insight Values and expertise Service-Learning

Community Defined Off-campus populations underserved by our market economy Organizations whose primary purpose is the common good Agencies whose mission provides stewardship: public works, natural resources OSSPEEC and CU students collaborating on net-zero home for the Pine Ridge community

Essential Elements Emphasis on reciprocity Learning and service objectives are clearly identified and congruous Service is meaningful, challenging, and meets a real need Reflection is continuous, structured, and complex Fosters learning about larger social issues

Service Projects One-time group projects Cross-disciplinary projects Multi-semester projects Alternative Weekend Opportunities Alternative Breaks (immersion experiences) OSSPEEC students and faculty Lester Richards, Tyler Corbine, Shane Herrod and Dr. Damon Fick (SDSMT) at Wanblee Veterans Wall

Principles of Good Practice If academic credit is awarded, it is for learning, not for the service Includes set learning goals for students Criteria for the selection of service sites Kyle White presenting on summer 2011 surveying work at Piya Wiconi OSSPEEC / SDSMT field camp fieldtrip to drill a temporary monitoring well on Rapid Creek

Critical Reflection Links experience to course, or prior course, learning objectives Is guided and purposeful Challenges assumptions and complacency Occurs before, during, and after service Includes components that can be evaluated according to well-defined criteria Involves reading, writing, doing and telling Clarifies values and fosters civic responsibility Invites feedback Tinant, Means and Hansen measuring deflection

Benefits to Agencies Infusion of people power to meet needs More informed/involved citizenry Increased name recognition New ideas and energy Technical assistance Diversity enhancement Access to university resources Reinvigorate staff OLC students Jake Fergusson, Aaron Rasor and Delaine Peterson collecting PHAB data to be shared with OST Environmental Protection Agency

Benefits to Universities and Colleges Enhance student satisfaction, retention, and graduation rates Improve relationships with community Advance institutional goals: Service, Social Responsibility, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Diversity Enhancement Promote coherent collaborative curriculum OSSPEEC student and community member Oliver Covey relating academics and service under a cottonwood tree

Benefits to Faculty Enrich and enliven teaching Identify new areas for research and publication Develop projects that are simultaneously productive in research, service, and teaching More efficient use of available resources Foster cross-disciplinary learning communities Ale Higa (OLC faculty) and next generation at an OLC research meeting

Benefits to Students Personal – enhanced sense of efficacy, identity, morality Social – diversity, social responsibility, citizenship skills, commitment to service Academic – increased complexity of understanding, problem analysis, critical thinking, GPA, cognitive development, ability to apply learning to real world OLC Student Delaine Peterson enjoying the opportunity to research streams

Heavy Metals Areas of Focus on the PRIR and White River Watershed Traditionally Edible Plants Soils Surface Water Sediment Undergraduate and graduate student research Interfacial Research Engineering, Environmental Science, Biology

Heavy Metals Research We work in the Field and in the Lab.

Field and Lab Rough and Sophisticated

White River Project Area 2012

Our Theory Immediate participation of undergraduate students early in their plan of study in field and laboratory experiences initiates their precognition to the benefit of future classroom pursuits confirms their interest in science and technology helps them self identify as a member of another defined community gives them purpose in pursuing an academic degree and career fulfills their need to serve the community through their intellect and efforts

Our Experience Students have completed two summers of STEM, service – learning, sampling and analysis Presentations at OLC poster sessions last year and this year Abstracts submitted to AIGEP conference for this fall

Next Steps Presentation of this years undergrad results at selected conferences Completion of MS this year on White River sediment and water Defined research (sampling and analysis) program for next year Propagation of field/lab summer program Completion of Interfacial PhD during 2013

Charles Jason Tinant OSSPEEC Project Director – OLC PhD Candidate Earth Science MS Water Resources Engineering BS Geological Engineering

Community-Defined Needs in Surface Water Quality & Quantity Many community concerns on the Pine Ridge Reservation are centered around water – Questions of Sustainability Drinking Water Quality Is the water safe to drink? Stream Health How is the environment around me changing? Long-term Availability Mni Wiconi / Treaty Rights regarding the Missouri River Compact White River near Badlands Visitor Center – zero flow condition on July 23, 2012

OSSPEEC Partnerships with Community Agencies around Water OST Environmental Protection Program Non-point Source Monitoring / Analysis (Tinant, Benning – SDSMT, Kenner – SDSMT) Natural Resources Regulatory Agency Well-drilling (Schwalm – OLC) Hydrogeology (Sawyer - SDSMT, Sanovia - OLC) Water budget development (Tinant) OST Rural Water Existing relationship with SDSU in water distribution research (Beck – SDSU Civil Engineering) Thunder Valley Development Agency Floodplain modeling (Tinant) Design of net-zero water / wastewater treatment (Berdanier, Fick, Pyatt – UC Boulder) Dr. Schwalm (OLC), Calvin Cutschall, and James Means drilling core at an abandoned mine in Harding County, SD

Pine Ridge Aquatic Ecology Project (PREP) Engineering Need: Watershed health defined by analysis of chemical, biological, and physical parameters; Concrete Experience: Guided WQ and biotic sampling, laboratory analysis; Observation / Reflection: Analysis of macroinvertebrate data, field data, laboratory data, discussion on the bigger social picture; Abstract Thinking (cross-disciplinary learning): biogeochemical cycling, anthropogenic perturbation, stability; Testing Abstract Concepts: Best Management Practice (BMP) design using a systems approach; Jake Fergusson water quality sampling Delaine Peterson and Jake Fergusson sampling macroinvertebrates

Streamflow Event Sampling Engineering Need: Fecal coliform and sediment identified as impairments in Pine Ridge Reservation streams Concrete Experience: Storm- water sampling, stream flow measurement, Observation / Reflection: Capacity building with OST Environmental Protection Program, K-12 Outreach Vertical integration: Collaborative project with an MS candidate, SDSMT Senior, and OLC freshman Abstract Concepts: Best Management Practice (BMP) design; storm flows Shane Herrod teaching OLC Freshman Engineering and high school students how to measure stream flow.

Practical Irrigable Land Estimation for Pine Ridge Reservation Engineering Need: OST should quantify future agricultural water needs as part of treaty negotiations with Federal government; Concrete Experience: Joni Tobacco was formerly Water Director for OST Natural Resources Regulatory Agency; Abstract Thinking: Modeled PIA from effective rainfall in ArcGIS

July 11, :00PM F Jim Sanovia and students standing on White Clay Fault

OSSPEEC Geological Engineering / Geology projects near Pine Ridge, South Dakota Geology of the White Clay fault area 1:24k quads Structural geology of the White Clay fault area Stratigraphy of the White Clay fault area quads Baseflow analysis of White River streamflow : evidence of structural influence on ground water recharge? Student Outcomes

Evidence of structural influence on ground water recharge All pictures taken mid-July 2012 No stream flow recorded This image about 50 miles downstream from images to the right Various stream flow

Teaching hands on field methods for geologic mapping

Dr. Hannan LaGarry explains the fossiliferous Niobrara formation to the group Dr. Foster Sawyer demonstrates field sampling Instructors also teach students how to properly take field notes, field drawings, prepare their note books, field bags, equipment etc.

Field geologic mapping brought into ArcInfo and digitized to make the Tribes first ever 1:24k geologic maps Baseflow analysis of White River streamflow Intern learning GIS geodatabase management Field Work to Computer Work

Dr. LaGarry Jim Sanovia Interns Jim Sanovia Interns July 23, :30AM ~105 0 F Interns geologic mapping

Service Learning Opportunities Compile a more accurate geologic map for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation Provide critical hydrologic information for the surface water and ground water systems on the Reservation Better understand and protect water resources for the communities

Wind Energy 80 ft. 20kW turbine Pressure cells Strain gages Accelerometers Wind speed/direction 33 ft. Skystream turbine Three photovoltaic cells SDSMTs Renewable Energy Research Facility

Meteorological Tower at OLC 50 m. meteorological tower Lowered for meteorological repair Instrumentation 3 anemometers Humidity Temperature Objectives Wind data for OLC, Thunder Valley Community Development Potential wind turbine applications Meteorological tower at OLC

Outcomes Poster presentations SDSMT Undergraduate Research Symposium AIHEC SD Academy of Science Undergraduate Research credits Spring, 2012 – Shane Herrod Exposure to M.S. research

Structural Restoration Wanblee Memorial Wall Built in 1947 Wall settlement, deterioration of engraved names Public Input Grandson of original builder School and community Repair Strategies Replacement Repair Restoration

Outcomes Historical Perspective Relationship to Construction Materials course Soils Concrete Economics Repair comparisons Creative solutions

Comments Collaborations with existing programs (REU, NASA, NASHA, Pine Ridge DOT) Exposure to SDSMT Working with others Multidisciplinary component

Service – Learning First Year Assessment and Evaluation Bruce Berdanier, PhD, PE, LS Department Head Civil and Environmental Engineering South Dakota State University Joanita Kant, MS PhD Candidate South Dakota State University

Service - Learning :The First Year Students and Faculty completed pre – and post- assessment surveys Post survey included a question for participants to indicate the effort they had made for reflective journaling throughout the summer

Results

Faculty and students strongly favor hands – on versus traditional classroom learning Faculty and students both recognized precognition value of projects to benefit future coursework Coursework was applicable to summer projects

Results Project potential, and importance: student evaluation became less positive over the summer Faculty remained positive We believe that the first summer results indicate students were in data gathering and had not proceeded to design or experiment results, while faculty could see the long range benefits of pursuing the projects

Challenges Expected Challenges Distances between Institutions; Low math skills (OLC); Unexpected Challenges Long project maturation time; Project teams like ships passing in the night; Migration of OLC SEM students to natural science.

Opportunities 2012 student teams are exhibiting local stability and resilience as students take ownership as project stakeholders; OSSPEEC leadership learning flexibility in order to capitalize on new opportunities 2011 Visiting professors interested in uranium / arsenic; 2012 Tribal Agency Internships 2012 Thunder Valley Regenerative Community Interdisciplinary Learning OSSPEEC and UC students testing compaction at Thunder Valley

Serendipitous Outcomes Capacity Building at OLC Laboratory / Repository Water quality emphasis recruits new students and re- energizes OLC chemistry faculty; Metals research results in the start of the OLC botanical collection -> results in K-12 teachers increasing the collection by 50%; OLC tightly integrated into NSF EPSCoR sustainability planning proposal; Capacity building at SDSU OSSPEEC has dramatically increased throughput rate for IC-OES Image credit:

Tie-ins to Academics Construction Materials Veterans wall; DOT Internships Surveying Wind tower heights (Fa 2o11 Thunder Valley (Fa 2012) Statics / Mechanics Wind tower repair Veterans wall Engineering geology Geoprobe drilling projects Real world capstone design opportunity with Thunder Valley water sustainability project for SDSU & SDSMT Image Credit: Net zero applied to water reclamation

General Project Summary In its first two years OSSPEEC has achieved: A complete pre-engineering curriculum with OLC pre-engineering articulating to SDSU and SDSMT; Stronger partnerships between OSSPEEC institutions, Tribal Agencies, and the Thunder Valley NGO; Meaningful research/service opportunities in engineering for undergraduate and graduate students at three institutions that are based on community needs; Better support strategies for engineering students resulting in high retention at OLC, SDSMT and SDSU; Verification of a modified constructivist paradigm based on: Guided experience / reflection; Cross-disciplinary learning; A systems approach to understanding the environment; Respect for natural world through emphasizing unintended consequences of human interventions (e.g. wise engineering)

Moving Forward Continued capacity building of OLC, SDSU, and SDSMT faculty and staff in research and instruction; Constant improvement for pre-engineering / engineering coursework at OLC, SDSU, SDSMT through service- learning and continued instructional collaboration; Refocus of emphasis from engineering analysis to engineering design as projects mature; Greater pre-engineering student enrollment at OLC with greater matriculation success at SDSU and SDSMT; Continued research collaboration between OLC, SDSU and SDSMT beyond OSSPEEC