Service Learning

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Service Learning

• Mississippi Center for
• Community and Civic Engagement
• March 11, 2004

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Service Learning Versus Community Service

• Although many people speak of service-learning
  and community service in the same breath, these
  two are interchangeable. The concepts these
  words represent are related, but there are basic
  differences between the two.
• Community service fills a need in the community
  through volunteer efforts.
• Service-learning also fills that need, but it
  uses that need as a foundation to examine
  ourselves, our society, and our future.
  Service-learning uses community service as the
  vehicle for the attainment of students academic
  goals and objectives. Further, service-learning
  provides students with opportunities to use newly
  acquired skills and knowledge in real-life
  situations.

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What is Service Learning?

• Service Learning is an experiential instructional
  
• methodology that reinforces academic objectives
• of a course through meaningful and thoughtfully
• organized community service. It builds
• and reinforces curriculum-based academics
• while meeting community needs
• and/or promoting public good.

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Vision for Service Learning

• There are 3 components of effective service
  learning
• Sufficient preparation that includes setting
  objectives for skills to be learned and issues to
  be considered as well as planning projects so
  that contribute to learning while work gets done
• Putting in hours-getting the job done and
• Reflecting upon the work accomplished and drawing
  lessons through reflection and discussion

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Service Learning Is Used As An Educational
Method

• Under which students or participants learn and
  develop through active participation in
  thoughtfully organized service that is conducted
  in and meets the needs of a community.
• Which is coordinated within an elementary school,
  secondary school, institution of higher
  education, or community service program, and
  within the community.
• Which helps foster civic responsibility.
• Which is integrated into and enhances the
  academic curriculum of the students, or the
  educational components of the program in which
  the participants is enrolled and
• Which provides structured time for the students
  or participants to reflect on the service
  experience.

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The Benefits of Service Learning

• Improved Academic Performance
• Motivated Students
• Increased Service Impact
• Better-Developed Leadership and Teamwork Skills
• Increased Student Retention
• Enhanced Student Civic Responsibility
• Directed Vocational Decision-Making

Kennesaw State University Learn and Serve Center
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The Steps to Service Learning

• Step 1 Preparation
• Step 2 Action
• Step 3 Reflection
• Step 4 Celebration
• Step 5 Evaluation

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Preparation

• Includes planning service activities providing
  students with the knowledge skills needed to
  participate in and benefit the service activity.
  Depending on the nature of your planning process,
  preparation may include
• Identifying the community needs to be addressed
• Selecting planning the specific service to be
  addressed
• Identifying enlisting the assistance of
  appropriate service agencies
• Providing a content area instruction specific
  training students will need to conduct the
  service activity

Kennesaw State University Learn and Serve Center
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Action

• Action is the service activity. Service
• activities should include the following
• characteristics
• The service should be meaningful
• There should be clear links between the service
  activity and the objectives of the course
• Students should have a sense of ownership in the
  project
• There should be adequate supervision evaluation
  of student activities

Kennesaw State University Learn and Serve Center
10
Reflection

• Reflection offers the opportunity for students to
  critically think about his or her
  service-learning experience apply broader
  academic work with the service activities.
• Reflection activities also provide additional
  opportunities to link academic work with the
  service activities
• Reflection isnt just the third sequential step
  in the service-learning process, but should be an
  integral part of all the steps of
  service-learning.

Kennesaw State University Learn and Serve Center
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Celebration

• This step recognizes the contributions made by
  students, faculty, and members from the community
  and provides closure to the learning activity.
• The Community Agency, Faculty, and Students
  should
• Recognize the efforts of all involved (that
  includes those being served) making the service
  a worthwhile rewarding experience
• Share reflections with one another
• Have fun! Celebrate!

Kennesaw State University Learn and Serve Center
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Evaluation

• As with reflection, evaluation is a step that
  must be integrated throughout the process rather
  than be considered only as the last step.
  Evaluation should serve several purposes
  including
• Formative summative evaluation of the impact of
  the entire project on students, faculty,
  partnering agencies, the college and the
  community
• Evaluation of student performance
• Information to be combined with data from other
  service-learning projects to help assess the
  overall impact of service-learning at your
  institution
• Information to design future service-learning
  projects and to enhance the services at your
  college

Kennesaw State University Learn and Serve Center
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Integrating a Service Component Into a Course
Syllabus

• Course Objectives
• Service Activities/Assignments
• Reflective Activities
• Text and Other Assignments
• Grades/Assessment/Expectations

Service Learning At Gainesville College
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Course Objectives

• Academic/Learning Objectives
• What are the academic goals of the course?
• Does incorporation of service change the course
  goals in any way? How?
• Service Component Objectives
• What service objectives do you propose for the
  course?
• What purpose will service assignments have in
  achieving the academic/learning objectives for
  the course?

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Service Activities/Assignments

• Appropriate types service
• What kind of service activities best support the
  academic objectives of the class?
• How will they be identified?
• Will all students do the same service?
• How much service is expected?
• Faculty role in service activities
• How will the instructor be involved?

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Reflective Activities

• What types of activities will be assigned to
  encourage reflection on the service experience
  relative to the academic objectives of the class?

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Text Other Assignments

• Will reading or other assignments be changed to
  support the service work?

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Grades/Assessments/Expectations

• How will student learning be evaluated in the
  revised course?

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Meeting Community Need

• The most important service you and your students
  can provide to the community is to meet a
  community need.
• Remember to think locally and globally- a
  community can be your classroom, your campus, a
  local neighborhood, your town or
• city, the United States, or the global
  community!

Pennsylvania Service-Learning Alliance
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Ways to EffectivelyDetermine Community Need

• Invite a representative from the community or an
  organization to speak to your students about
  their needs.
• Create a survey for community members that will
  help identify needs
• Read local newspapers and identify social issues
  in your community

Pennsylvania Service-Learning Alliance
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CCCE Funding Opportunities

• Departmental
• Mini-Grants
• Faculty Fellowships
• Student Civic Engagement
• Mini-Grants

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Without community service, we would not have a
strong quality of life. Its important to the
person who serves as well as the recipient. It is
the way in which we ourselves grow and
develop.
Dr. Dorothy I. Height, President and CEO of the
National Council of Negro Women
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Contact Information

• The University of Southern Mississippi
• Center for Community and Civic Engagement
• 118 College Drive 5083
• Hattiesburg, MS 39406
• CCCE Main Phone [phone]
• Vickie Reeds Phone [phone]
• CCCE Web Address www.usm.edu/ccce
• Vickie Reeds E-mail vickie.reed_at_usm.edu