Award-Winning Service-Learning Proposals Jan Shoemaker Director, Louisiana State University Service-Learning Program

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Key Question How can we structure courses that most effectively accomplish our learning goals)? (and win a stipend for our work)

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Service-Learning Is Not…… Not community service Not add-on Not just ‘feel good” experience Not internship or practicum

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership What is Service-Learning? A credit bearing educational experience in which students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and reflect on the service activities 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. Bringle and Hatcher 96

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Service-Learning Connects Civic and Academic Goals SERVICE-LEARNING Pure Service Pure Learning

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Service-Learning Should Accomplish Academic and Civic Goals Course-specific skills and knowledge Critical thinking skills Problem Solving skills Learning how to learn ( active learning, application, collaboration,etc.) Citizenship and social responsibility Diversity Leadership Root causes of social problems Ethical issues connected with discipline

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership What Kinds of Service-learning Courses Are Offered? Placements or projects in 32 departments For winning projects see blackboard.community.lsu.edu Logon as guest

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Spanish and Math Placements Students tutor reading, writing, and math in public schools. Spanish students provide conversation practice for Spanish immersion elementary students.

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Architecture Project Architecture students get feedback from community members after creating a development plan and a web site for community organizations to facilitate community development and communication.

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Advanced Composition Placement and Project Advanced Comp students spend time weekly with residents of nursing home and prepared written histories for residents and their families.

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership What is Reflection? Examination and interpretation of experience Process by which students think critically about experience Analyzing concepts, evaluating experience, postulating theory Putting facts, ideas, experiences together to derive new meaning and understanding. It’s where the meaning is! (page 12, faculty manual)

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Reflection Activities and Strategies Eyler, et.al. 96 Written Exercises Literature and Reading Assignments Projects and Activities Oral and Electronic Exercises and Discussions See page 14 faculty manual

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Reflection as Assessment Established benchmarks Formative; not just summative purpose Credit for learning; not just for service Link to learning goals in syllabus Clearly articulated criteria (rubrics) Including all the stakeholders

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Criteria for Grants A.How fully is service component integrated with course learning objectives? B.To what extent is community partner involved in project planning and implementation? C.How challenging are reflection strategies and how significantly do they impact students’ grades? D.How well developed and clear are the service component objectives and criteria for evaluation? E.How will the project impact students, community, and university in numbers of participants, scope of project, and plans for dissemination? F.How will the applicant’s department support integration of service- learning into the unit’s curriculum and strategic plan?

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership How can I learn more? Click “Service-Learning” and “Faculty Resources” for Faculty Manual and links and “Faculty Grants” for rfp Click “Resources” and “Syllabi Project” Gulf South Summit Lrng/2004gss.htm AAHE monographs in B-29 or library

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Let’s Reflect/Assess Now What have you realized during this process? What do you still need to know? (contact

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership “When reflection activities engage the learner in dialogue and other forms of communication about the relationship between relevant, meaningful service and the interpretative template of a discipline, there is enormous potential for learning to broaden and deepen along academic, social, moral, and civic dimensions.” Bringle and Hatcher

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Stuart Feilden, Engineering Student

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Student proposals resulted in $50,000 grant to build playgrounds for physically challenged children. Technical Writing Project Normand won Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Service-Learning and Learning Goals

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Biological Engineering Project Students design and build playgrounds to accommodate human and environmental constraints. (Lima won $1,000 TIAA-CREF Award)