An Overview of Service Learning: Building Bridges, Making Connections

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An Overview of Service Learning Building
Bridges, Making Connections

• Dr. Rosalyn M. King,
• Professor of Psychology and Chair,
• Center for Teaching Excellence
• Northern Virginia Community College-Loudoun
  Campus

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Building Bridges, Making Connections Colleges
and Communities Uniting in Partnership

• Welcome to the Symposium on Service Learning.
• This PowerPoint presentation provides you with an
  overview of the concept and structure of Service
  Learning.
• Please feel free to take a paper copy of this
  presentation with you. You will find it on the
  table with other handouts.

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What is Service Learning?

• A method by which students improve academic
  learning and develop personal skills through
  structured service projects that meet community
  needs.
• Service learning builds upon students service
  activities by providing them with opportunities
  to learn by preparing, leading, and reflecting
  upon their service experiences.

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What is Service Learning?

• Educators facilitate learning by creating
  opportunities for students to understand and
  analyze their service experiences in the context
  of their course work.
• Reciprocal learning learning flows from
  service activities those providing service and
  those who receive it learn from the experience.
  Student and organization benefit.

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What is Service Learning?

• Students active participation in thoughtfully
  organized service experiences that meet student
  needs.
• Extends student learning beyond the classroom and
  into the community.
• Service learning is related to but does not
  include cooperative education, practicum, or
  internship programs.

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What is Service Learning?

• Community colleges in more than 40 states
  currently offer service learning.
• Service Learning enhances education and gives
  students the opportunity to serve in their chosen
  field of study and increase their civic
  responsibility.

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Goals of Service Learning

• For students An opportunity to enrich and apply
  knowledge learned in the classroom in applied
  settings.
• For faculty and college Move from
  teacher-centered, to learning centered, to
  community-centered pedagogy.
• Shared Ownership Expanding the classroom into
  the community and vice versa.

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Service Learning Goals and Benefits for Students

• Learn social responsibility and citizenship
  skills.
• Develop an ethic of service.
• Develop civic awareness.
• Apply concepts learned in classroom.

• Connect course and competencies.
• Reconnect to get people to be civic and civil.
• Develop personality. Improve self esteem.
• Gain academically.
• Gain professionally.

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Service Learning Goals and Benefits for Students

• Enriched learning
• Documented experience.
• Skilled development.
• Transferable credit.
• Establish contacts and possible future employment.

• Experience first-hand a potential major field of
  study.
• Gain experience which is a prerequisite for many
  jobs.

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Components of .Effective Service Learning

• Sufficient Preparation.
• (Setting objectives for skills to be learned,
  issues to be considered planning projects so
  they contribute to learning.)
• Performing the Actual Service.
• Analysis of Experience, Lessons Learned, Sharing
  and Reflecting on Experience and Implications.

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Outcomes of Service Learning

• Connection of theory to practice.
• Puts concepts into concrete form and provides a
  context for understanding abstract matter.
• Provides an opportunity to test and refine
  theories and introduce new theories.

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Outcomes of Service Learning

• Appreciation and understanding of social,
  economic and environmental implications.
• Appreciation and understanding of moral and
  ethical ramifications of peoples actions.
• Learn communication, interpersonal and technical
  skills.

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Outcomes of Service Learning

• Self-directed learning inquiry, logical
  thinking, relationship of ideas and experience.
• Transference of learning from one context to
  another which allows for the opportunity to
  reflect, conceptualize and apply experience-based
  knowledge.

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Outcomes of Service Learning

• Improves critical thinking, information
  retrieval, technical, qualitative and
  quantitative reasoning, oral written
  communication skills.
• Improves understanding of self and community.

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Importance of Reflection

• Distinguishes SL from other forms of experiential
  education.
• Links service experience to course materials,
  readings and lectures.

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Reflective Tools

• Journals
• Small or large group discussions
• Portfolios
• Photographic Journals
• In-class presentations
• Symposiums

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Descriptions of Reflection

• A mirror in which you not only see yourself but
  the things that surround you.
• Critical thinking and introspection.
• A continuous and deliberate process involving
  analysis, synthesis, disciplined thinking.
• Involves turning inward, analyzing, fashioning
  new behaviors, attitudes and values from
  reflecting.

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Descriptions of Reflection

• Makes consistent and strong connections between
  service, course topics, content, and objectives.
• Makes consistent and strong connections between
  service and substantial affective impact and
  career understanding.
• Makes consistent and strong connections between
  service and understanding ones larger
  responsibilities to the community, nation and
  world.

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Evaluation and Assessment

• Can not be evaluated in the same manner as exams
  or research papers.
• Students and faculty assess the usefulness of
  service learning.
• Students assess how much they have learned and
  how their attitudes have changed due to the
  service experience.

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Evaluation and Assessment

• Relationship of setting and service to course and
  content.
• Skills developed from service.
• Extent of critical reflection.
• Format and presentation of final paper, project
  or presentation.
• Verification of time spent in setting.

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Evaluation and Assessment Products

• Case Studies
• Journals
• Portfolios
• Self-Assessment
• Team Based Learning
• Learning Communities
• Assessment from organization

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Guiding and Reflective Questions for Students

• What did you learn about the value of the service
  you performed?
• What community needs did your service address?
• Do you feel that your service helped or changed
  anything in the community? Why or Why not?

• What have you learned about working and
  collaborating with others in the community?
• Do you feel your service helped or changed
  anything in you? About your career aspirations?
• What skills did you develop from this experience?

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Guiding and Reflective Questions for Students

• What are the implications of your experience in
  this setting? Can you transfer this knowledge to
  your life and other professional experiences?
• What lessons did you learn? What did you
  contribute to the experience?
• Was service learning an effective way to make
  class material more meaningful?

• What specific course content from class or your
  readings relate to this service?
• What particular theories or concepts from the
  course apply to your service learning experience?
• What was the expressed or stated impact of your
  service on the organization?

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Models

• There are many models to choose from in the
  Service Learning Curriculum.