Academic Service - Learning 101 Service-Learning as a part of a Liberal Education Adapted from a presentation given by: Valerie L. Holmes, Assistant Director – Office of Student Life Dr. Jay Cooper, Assistant Professor of Education Sponsored by the Community Service Learning Center & Pew Faculty & Teaching Center

OUTLINE  Understanding the Spectrum of Service  Defining Service & Service-Learning (What does the literature say about service?)  Best Practices  what s-l is & what s-l is not!  Models of service-learning  Sharing Resources  The Community Service Learning Center as a Resource

Grand Valley’s Academic Service-Learning Goals  To introduce participants to pedagogy of service learning through definitions in the literature  To identify best practices of service learning and critical issues in developing service learning projects  To discuss service learning in the context of curriculum development and liberal education  To share resources with faculty wishing to further explore service learning as a pedagogy

Understanding the Spectrum of Service

Theoretical Roots Service learning has its theoretical roots in the work of Dewey and Kolb  John Dewey (Experiential Ed and Social Democracy)  David Kolb (Experiential learning model)  Many models are also grounded in the work of Chickering, Kohlberg, Perry & Astin (Delve)  Greenleaf, Palmer and Coles have also become important contributors to S.L.  Astin-Theory of involvement; power of faculty/student interaction

What is Service - Learning?

Defining Service-Learning –What is it? Robert Sigmon (1979): “Service learning is an experiential education approach that is premised on reciprocal learning.” Serving to learn, learning to serve.” Academic Service & Learning Typology

Defining Service-Learning –What is it? National Corporation for Service (1990): A method under which students learn and develop through active participation in...thoughtfully organized service experiences that meet actual community needs, that are integrated into students academic curriculum or provide structured (time for) reflection that enhances what is taught in school by extending student learning beyond classroom and into the community.”

Defining Service-Learning –What is it? NSEE (1994): Service learning is “any carefully monitored service experience in which a student has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what he or she is learning throughout the experience.” National Society for Experiential Education

Defining Service-Learning –What is it?  Service learning is “a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and development. Reflection and reciprocity are key concepts of service learning” (Jacoby, 1996, p. 5) Barbara Jacoby – Service Learning in Higher Education: Concepts & Practices

Defining Service-Learning –Laymen's Terms It is essentially a form of experiential education in which students use their knowledge gained in the classroom to learn from a practical experience in the community, from which the community benefits. It has also been referred to as “community-based learning” and “academic service learning.”

Components of Service-Learning Academic material Guided integrative reflection Relevant service

Fundamental Concepts of Service-Learning Pedagogy: The 3R’s RECIPROCITY  The student and person/group being served are considered co-learners and co-teachers REFLECTION  The pedagogical principle that learning occurs as a result of experience and guided reflection RELATIONSHIPS  The learning occurs over the course of the service experience with the community partner and through developing relationships: it is process-oriented

Goals of Service-Learning Personal growth Civic engagement Academic enhancement

Academic Benefits of Service-Learning  Promotes learning through active participation  Provides structured time for students to reflect  Provides an opportunity to use skills and knowledge in real-life situations  Extends learning beyond the classroom  Fosters a sense of caring for others Adapted from the National and Community Service Act of 1990

Personal Benefits of Service-Learning PERSONAL OUTCOMES  Personal efficacy  Personal identity  Spiritual growth  Moral dev.  Interpersonal dev.  Ability to work well with others  Leadership  Communication skills SOCIAL OUTCOMES  Reducing stereotypes  Facilitating cultural and racial understanding  Social responsibility  Citizenship skills  Commitment to service

Benefits of Service-Learning LEARNING OUTCOMES  Student learning  Ability to apply what learned to real world  Academic learning  Demonstrated complexity or understanding, problem analysis, critical thinking and cognitive development CAREER DEVELOPMENT  Contribution to career development RELATIONSHIP WITH INSTITUTION  Stronger faculty Relationships with students  student satisfaction with college  Students more likely to graduate Elyer, Giles, Jr. Stenson and Gray, (2003)

Best Practices

Aspects of Student Learning in Service-Learning Community-based Learning Experiences Learning About Service Connection Learning & Service through Reflection Learning About The Social Issue Classroom-based Learning Experiences Learning The Course Content Service Learning Civic Responsibility Academic Achievement

What Service-Learning IS NOT! An episodic volunteer program An add-on to an existing school or college curriculum Completing minimum service hours in order to graduate Service assigned as a form of punishment Only for high school or college students One-sided: benefiting only students or only the community

5 Critical Elements to Include in Service-Learning  Orientation & Training  Community Voice  Meaningful Action  Reflection: What, So What, Now What?  Evaluation

Partners in Service-Learning community Faculty/staffstudents

Principles of Good Practice for Combining Service & Learning ACADEMIC LEARNING  Principle 1: Academic credit is for learning, not for service  Principle 2: Do not compromise academic rigor  Principle 3: Establish learning objectives  Wingspread Special Report (1989). Principles of good practice for combining service and learning. Racine, WI: Johnson Foundation.

Principles of Good Practice for Combining Service & Learning COMMUNITY LEARNING  Principle 4: Establish criteria for selection of service placements  Principle 5: Provide educationally sound learning strategies to harvest community learning and realize course learning objectives  Principle 6: Prepare students for learning from the community

Principles of Good Practice for Combining Service & Learning ROLE OF THE STUDENT, FACULTY & COMMUNITY PARTNER  Principle 7: Minimize the distinction between the students’ community learning role and classroom learning role  Principle 8: Rethink the faculty instructional role  Principle 9: Be prepared for variation in, and some loss of control, with, student learning outcomes  Principle 10: Maximize the community responsibility orientation of the course

Models of Curriculum-Based Service-Learning 1.“Pure” Service-Learning 2.Discipline-Based Service-Learning 3.Problem-Based Service-Learning 4.Capstone Courses 5.Service Internships 6.Undergraduate Community-Based Action Research Hefferman & Cone (2003)

Exemplary Service-Learning Syllabi  Include service as an expressed goal  Clearly describe how the service experience will be measured and what will be measured  Describe the nature of the service placement and/or project  Specify the roles and responsibilities of students in the placement and/or service project  Define the need(s) the service placement meetings  Specify how student will be expected to demonstrate what they have learned in the placement/project  Present course assignments that link the service placement and the course content  Include a description of the reflective process Taken from Campus Compact website:

Resources   Campus Compact Brown University Box 1975 Providence, RI   Corporation for National and Community Service: Americorps/Senior Corps/Learn and Serve America th Street NW, Suite 452 Washington, DC,   National Service Learning Clearinghouse R290 Votech Building 1954 Buford Ave. St. Paul, MN

Resources  Service-Learning and Civic Engagement National Research Directory  National Review Board for the Scholarship of Engagement:

 As a Resource  Campus Wide Days of Service  Issues Education through Programming  Individual & Group Community Service  Co-Curricular Service-Learning  New Initiative - Academic Service-Learning What would you like to see from us? or call the Community Service Learning Center at: or Or stop by the CSLC – 110 B Kirkhof Center on the Allendale Campus Also, see our Website for more information: