Transcript Transforming Learning through Service

Award-Winning Service-Learning
Proposals
Jan Shoemaker
Director, Louisiana State University
Service-Learning Program
[email protected]
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……
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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
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Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
Service-Learning Connects
Civic and Academic Goals
SERVICE-LEARNING
Pure Service
Pure Learning
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
(page 12, faculty manual)
Reflection Activities and
Strategies
Eyler, et.al. 96
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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
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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.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
How fully is service component integrated with course learning
objectives?
To what extent is community partner involved in project planning and
implementation?
How challenging are reflection strategies and how significantly do
they impact students’ grades?
How well developed and clear are the service component objectives
and criteria for evaluation?
How will the project impact students, community, and university in
numbers of participants, scope of project, and plans for
dissemination?
How will the applicant’s department support integration of servicelearning into the unit’s curriculum and strategic plan?
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
How can I learn more?
• www.cas.lsu.edu
Click “Service-Learning” and
“Faculty Resources” for
Faculty Manual and links
and “Faculty Grants” for rfp
• www.compact.org
Click “Resources” and
“Syllabi Project”
• Gulf South Summit
http://www.tulane.edu/~ServL
rng/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 [email protected])
© 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
Technical Writing Project
Student proposals
resulted in $50,000
grant to build
playgrounds for
physically
challenged children.
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)
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership