Transcript Service-Learning in Science and Technology: Project Design

Service-Learning in
Science and Technology :
Project Design for
Service to the
Community
Jan Shoemaker,
Academic Coordinator of
Service-Learning
[email protected]
578-4074
www.cas.lsu.edu
Questions for Discussion
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Do scientists have responsibilities to their
communities? If so, what are they?
Why do so few students think of those
responsibilities?
Under what circumstances could service to the
community actually be a disservice?
What does dissemination of knowledge mean?
Why are so few science grads choosing to work
in research Universities?
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
Service-Learning Definition
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A credit bearing educational experience…
in which students participate in an
organized service activity…
that meets identified community needs…
and reflect on course content…
with a broader appreciation of of the
discipline…
and an enhanced sense of civic
responsibility.
-Bringle and Hatcher 96 © LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
Service-Learning Examples
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ISDS student teams design, code,
test, document, and implement a
software development project for a
non-profit agency.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
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Architecture students work with MidCity
Redevelopment Alliance and Sweet Olive
Cemetery, Inc. to assist community
members in developing a strategic
vision and then prepare a preliminary
development plan and a web site for
community organizations to facilitate
community development and
communication.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
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ELRC students develop computerbased instructional materials for
Scotlandville Elementary teachers.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
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Veterinary Clinical Sciences students
contact practicing veterinarians and ask if
there is a problem they have encountered
with a surgical case or procedure that
they need help with. The student
presents the problem to his/her mentor,
researches the problem, and writes a
solution with appropriate references, after
presenting and discussing the solution
with mentor and classmates.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
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Interior design, English, and
landscape architecture students
work for Bluebonnet Swamp Nature
Center to design floor plans for
exhibit layout, demonstration
garden with native plants,
interpretive text and graphics for
trail stations, interaactive nature
exhibits, and scripts for audiotapes
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
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Oceanography students collaborate
with Baton Rouge Zoo and
Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center in
planning, instruction, stocking,
maintenance, and focus-group
testing of living educational displays
and associated educational tools of
living fish habitats.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
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Civil engineering students coach
area high school students for a
pasta bridge competition, then run
and judge the competition.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
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Microbiology students work with
elementary students to design and
construct environmentally
complementary playgrounds and
butterfly gardens. They also design
and construct animal environments
for Mike the Tiger and the Southern
mascot.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
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Civil engineering students work with
civic organizations to develop
solutions to traffic flow problems
that have contributed to
deterioration of a community. The
solutions are presented at public
meetings and recommendations are
made to traffic planners.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
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Civil engineering students provide
assessment of earthquake
vulnerability, assistance in upgrading
building codes, education and
research, and economic retrofit
prioritization to local governmental
agencies. They also help to
disseminate information such as
changes in codes.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
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Biology students develop and
provide in-service workshops in
human genetics for pre-college
biology teachers.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
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Chemistry students take paint
samples in a neighborhood and
then test them in the lab to
determine the prevalence of lead
metal in house paint. Information is
provided to health authorities as
well as to homeowners.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
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Mechanical engineering students
work with public schools to provide
resources to support hands-on
learning of sciences. Examples:
tools and activity packets to
investigate and demonstrate wind
energy, and the impacts of wind on
the energy consumption of air
travel.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
Student Learning Outcomes
Academic: discipline specific and/or
general education
 Career
 Civic
 Personal
 Ethical
 Social
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© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
Principles of Good Practice
Adapted from Jeffrey Howard. PRAXIS I: A Faculty
Casebook on community Service-Learning
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Assigns academic credit for quality of
learning, not quantity of service
Maintains academic rigor
Sets goals for synthesizing theory and
practice
Establishes criteria for selection of
service sites
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
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Plans educationally sound reflection
assignments.
Teaches skills for gleaning learning from
experience
Redirects faculty role, from dissemination
of information to facilitating learning
Allows more variation in student
outcomes
Cultivates corporate learning,
commitment to
community, and civic
© LSU Center for Community
responsibility Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
A Question of Rigor
Definition is Important (Palmer
Parker 1998)
Rigor arises from a willingness to
disagree, to engage in honest
questioning, to challenge current
thought, and in acknowledgement of
what one does not know
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© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
CAEL Recommendations
Experiential education programs which abide by
these standards can be confident of the quality of
their assessment practices. The Principles include
over 100 statements and commentary on each.
They include the following:
1.Students should be required to
differentiate clearly between learning and
experience. College credit is not
appropriate for an experience alone.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
2
Prior to the experience itself, students
should develop a learning plan that
specifies the principle tasks to be
performed, learning objectives, how
learning objectives will be pursued,
and the evidence required to
document the learning.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
3
There should be formative evaluation of
learning. Students should be encouraged to
negotiate new learning objectives if their
experiences so indicate.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
4
Care should be taken to discriminate
whether particular documentation describes
learning, or provides evidence of learning.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
5
Assessment itself should be a useful
learning experience.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership
Group Discussion
In your groups, brainstorm at least
three potential projects that might serve
the community and connect with
research interests of group members.
Begin by choosing someone to facilitate,
then someone to present your list to the
larger group.
© LSU Center for Community
Engagement, Learning, and
Leadership