Service-Learning: Improving Learning and Our Communities

1. Service-Learning: Improving Learning and Our Communities William Oakes EPICSProgram Purdue University

2. Educational Needs • What are educational challenges or issues related to students and student learning on your campuses?

3. Equipping graduates to address global grand challenges Students need more than disciplinary knowledge to succeed: teamwork, communication, customer-awareness, project management, leadership, ethics, societal context, professionalism Opportunities Both local and global communities need access to disciplinary expertise that is normally prohibitively expensive: improved, enhanced, new capabilities Universities/colleges will be engaged in their communities and in the world

4. Calls to Action • U.S. National Academy of Engineering Studies: • The Engineer of 2020:Visions of Engineering inthe New Century • Educating the Engineer of 2020: Adapting Engineering Education to the New Century • What skills are needed in disciplines to address the challenges in today’s global economy • How People Learn

5. Service-Learning Definition We define service learning as a type of experiential education in which students participate in service in the community and reflect on their involvement in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content and of the discipline and its relationship to social needs and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility. - Hatcher and Bringle, 1997

6. Context: Learning Pedagogies • Experiential education • Active learning, • Problem-based learning • Inquiry-guided learning • Design education • Service learning • Engagement in the community • Tied to academic learning outcomes • Reciprocity • Reflection

7. Characteristics of Service-Learning • Service – part of the service-learning experience involves service opportunities for students for the underserved in the local, regional or global community. • Academically-based - the service being performed by the students must provide reinforcement and connection with the subject material of the academic course. • Students given credit for mastery of course content, not simply for the service they perform

8. EPICS Course Outcomes (Design)

9. Characteristics of Service-Learning • Partnerships – • partnerships between those who serving and those being served. • Meeting needs together • Doing work WITH, not for • The students and community members are partners addressing community need • Adding capacity to the community • The community, students and faculty benefit from the service learning

10. Characteristics of Service-Learning • Reflection (Analysis or Metacognition) • Participants are intentionally guided through activities to analyze and reflect upon the work that is being performed and the larger social issues.. • Metacognitive activities including reflection improve learning • Metacognition can help students understand academic material covered by the course • Activities for analysis and reflection can take several forms

11. servicelearning Service and learning goals are separate SERVICE-learning Service outcomes are primary; learning goals are secondary service- LEARNING Learning goals are primary; service outcomes are secondary SERVICE-LEARNING Service and learning goals have equal weight; each enhances the other for all participants Service vs Learning

12. New Context A similar phenomenon occurs when students are able to marshal a body of knowledge to solve problems presented in class but fail even to see a problem, much less the relevance of what has been learned, in a different setting. The new situation does not provide the cues associated with what has been learned; the “key words” from the classroom are not present in the wider environment. A service-learning student will have more ways to access this understanding. – Eyler and Giles

13. Benefits to Learning Learners of all ages are more motivated when they can see the usefulness of what they are learning and when they can use that information to do something that has an impact on others –especially in their local community –Bransford et al., How People Learn

14. Kolb’s Learning Cycle Allows diverse students to contribute and be valued. Reflection connects learning and experiences Concrete Experience to experience Active Experimentation Reflective Observation to examine to apply to explain Abstract Conceptualization

15. Multi-Level Learning • Students learn • communication skills • Teamwork, leadership • Project planning • Resourcefulness • life-long learning • About themselves • Their place as professionals and as citizens • About others • Communities

16. Service-Learning and Diversity • Research on science education suggests that “context” is important to students. • “Image” is increasingly being cited as a deterrent to attracting women in the U.S. • What are the diversity issues facing your institutions? • Gender • Ethnicity • Cultural • Socio-economically

17. Accreditation and S-L • Service Learning projects provide opportunities for students to demonstrate that they have achieved outcomes (e.g. ABET Criterion 3 ) • apply knowledge • design/analyze/interpret • design system/component/process • techniques/skills/tools • problem solving • professional/ethical responsibility • multidisciplinary teams • communication • societal context • contemporary issues • life-long learning

18. Industry: Boeing List • A good understanding of engineering science fundamentals. • Mathematics (including statistics)  • Physical and life sciences  • Information technology (far more than "computer literacy") • A good understanding of design and manufacturing processes. • (i.e., understands engineering) • A multi-disciplinary, systems perspective. • A basic understanding of the context in which engineering is practiced. • Economics (including business practices)  • History  • The environment  • Customer and societal needs • Good communication skills. • Written, oral, graphic and listening  • High ethical standards. • An ability to think both critically and creatively - independently and cooperatively. • Flexibility. The ability and self-confidence to adapt to rapid or major change.  • Curiosity and a desire to learn for life. • A profound understanding of the importance of teamwork.

19. Design Process Traditional Course Teaching Design • The Design Process As a Full Cycle • Traditional courses use a piece of the design cycle • Problem Definition phase is often skipped • S-L provides an opportunity for start-to-finish design • Problem definition • Working designs for fielded projects • Support for fielded projects • redesign opportunities • Design for x-ability

20. Real Contexts • Compelling Context for Classroom Material • Kinematics course – analyze playground safety • Active exercises to engage students • Diversity of learning styles • Answers “When would I ever have to use this”

21. Educating Citizens • Engineering’s responsibility to educate the “whole person” • Educating future professionals • Educating future community members • Engaged/educated citizens • Future neighbors • Lifelong impact • Career choices • Outside interests or activities

22. Real projects:start-to-finish design – problem definition, specifications,version control, sustainability,design/coding standards,rigorous testing, reliability,maintainability, safety,satisfying a customer,accountability,pride A different view of engineering and computing The university as citizen Why Community Projects?

23. Integrating the Curriculum innovation design resourcefulness ethics teamwork communication problem solving analysis engineering fundamentals science mathematics EPICS has the potential to realize new efficiencies in the engineering curriculum

24. Examples • Four models • Co-curricular • ProCEED – U. of Michigan • U. de Sherbrooke • International • Integrated within a course • U. Massachusetts-Lowell • U. of Utah • Separate courses • Freshman courses – U. of South Alabama, CWRU • Senior design • Programs or series of courses • EPICS Service Learning works in engineering

25. Co-Curricular Service-Learning • Programs incorporate co-curricular activities with engineering-based projects in the community • ProCEED – U. of Michigan • ME Honorary Society + Senior design course • Ohio State • ECOS – Student organization doing international work • Universite’ de Sherbrooke • Contest to design toys for autistic children • Follow-on to freshman ECE design course

26. Integrated in Specific Courses • ME Kinematics – analyze playground safety and write report to responsible entity • Measurements Laboratory – data acquired in community (e.g. environmental data) • What to do with the data? • CE – Hydrology – hydrological analysis of local wet lands or lakes • Biology in Engineering – play ground design for local schools • First-Year Projects • Projects for the community • Present projects to schools or hospital

27. Service-Learning Courses • Institutions have created separate courses for Service Learning • Capstone courses • UML – Assistive Technology Capstone for electrical engineers • First-Year –Design or Introduction to Major Courses (Improves retention) • Case Western Reserve Univ. • University of Colorado • Columbia • General Elective • University of Pretoria – course partnering witharea townships

28. EPICS EPICS develops long-term partnerships in the local community Engineering Projects in Community Service Purdue undergraduates are learning real-world skills by defining, designing, building, testing, deploying, and supporting engineering solutions in a unique academic program that assists local community service and education organizations. EPICS successes: • 1995-2008: 2500+ Purdue students to date • Over 250 projects deployed • 2007-2008: 500+ students from 30 Purdue departments on 30 teams • A growing Purdue-community-industry partnership: 11 industry advisors • $13+M total from grants, industry, Purdue, and alumni • Support for national expansion from NSF, Corporation for National & Community Service, Microsoft, HP; • 19 EPICS universities, ~35 High Schools

29. EPICS Programs

30. EPICS teams can tackle projects of significant size, scope, and impact EPICS Characteristics • Long term projects: • Long-term partnerships with community organizations • Vertically-integrated teams: firstyear+sophomores+juniors+seniors • Extended design experience: academic credit throughout the student’s undergraduate career, 1-2 credits/semester • Large-team experience: teams of 8-18 students • Broadly multidisciplinary teams: EE, CmpE, CS, ME, CE, IE, Sociology, Education, Biology, Audiology, Child Development, Visual Design, Technical Writing, Natural Resources, … • Open-ended design:define-design-build-test-deploy-support

31. EPICS Decouples Timescales Student Learning Student Learning Semester/Quarter Semester/Quarter Semester/Quarter Project Project Community Receives Long-Term Support They Need

32. Needs, Ideas Ideas, Products EPICS The Community Entrepreneurship and EPICS • Goals of the Initiative • Spread benefits of Products • Learn about entrepreneurship • Protect IP developed by teams and partners • I2P Competition • 2007, Princeton University • 2008, Georgia Tech

33. Examples of Scope • International Projects • Local Projects • All four models are used • Advantage is that students can see need and results • Integrates them into the local community • Regional or national projects • Example: EPICS and Habitat for Humanity

34. International • Students from “here” go “there” • John Duffy - U. Mass.-Lowell • http://faculty.uml.edu/jduffy/PerUML • Students work on projects for remote villages in Peru and deliver/install on trips. • Water purification, solar and hydro-electrical power systems • Engineers without Borders students chapters and professionals • http://www.ewb-usa • Projects in Indiahttp://www.ewb-usa.org/project_search.php?country=India • Water and electrification

35. Local EPICS Projects Access & Abilities Education & Outreach Human Services Environment

36. EPICS Projects: Human Services • Design chemical sensing equipment to help and protect local law enforcement in their work to inhibit drug making laboratories. • Develop database system to assist the Tippecanoe and Jasper County Probation Departments to track and supervise offenders. • Develop scheduling software to assist local crisis center to schedule volunteers 24/7. • Complete analysis of sustainability and energy efficiency techniques for HFH homes.   

37. EPICS Projects:Environment • Waiheke Island, New Zealand • Processing waste glass into construction materials • bio-diesel fuel processing • Purdue • Constructed Wetlands and Water quality • Sustainability on campus

38. EPICS Projects: Access & Abilities • Reducing barriers on campus • Students with disabilities • Classroom learning • Campus barriers • Interactive play environments for young children with disabilities • Walking swing • Remote controlled bowling ramp • Develop devices to increase safety and efficiency of employees with disabilities

39. EPICS Projects: Education • Outreach projects for research centers • Nano-technology • Partnerships with local K-12 schools • Hands-on science projects • Technology-assisted job training • Projects with local museums and zoos

40. (Inter)National-Scale Project Habitat for Humanity - EPICS • Teams from multiple universities • Projects • Multimedia volunteer tutorials • Data collection of homeowner assessment • Global disaster relief home designs • Community Partner is the HFHI staff in Americus, GA • Students coordinate work betweencampuses and with partners at HFHI

41. Topic %A+B ability to work on a team 88% communication skills 83% awareness of the customer 81% understanding of design process 80% resourcefulness 79% organizational skills 77% awareness of the community 73% technical skills 71% awareness of ethical issues 68% OVERALL EVALUATION 84% Impact: Meeting Students’ Needs • 15 semesters of data, 2385 responses • Impact of EPICS on your Topic • % of students giving “A” or “B” rating

42. Impact: Meeting Students’ Needs “What are the 3 most valuable things you have learned from being a part of the EPICS program”: Responses from 9 semesters, 2044 respondents

43. Student Quotes • “(S-L) completely changed my opinion of engineering.” • “Working on this project has helped me guide the rest ofmy course work and ideas for a future profession.” • “Other engineering courses only directly benefit me.(S-L) benefits everyone involved.” • “I have learned that engineering includes more than theory, it includes teamwork, communication, organization and leadership.” • “It made me understand how every aspect of engineering (design, implementation, team work, documentation) come together.” • “No longer is engineering just a bunch of equations,now I see it as a means to help mankind.” • “Opened my heart.”

44. Service-Learning Definition We define service learning as a type of experiential education in which students participate in service in the community and reflect on their involvement in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content and of the discipline and its relationship to social needs and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility. - Hatcher and Bringle, 1997

45. Reflection in Service-Learning • Reflection (and Analysis) • Participants are intentionally guided through activities to analyze and reflect upon the work that is being performed and the larger social issues.. • Metacognitive activities including reflection improve learning • Metacognition can help students understand academic material covered by the course • Activities for analysis and reflection can take several forms

46. Why do we need reflection? • Connect service to academic learning • Metacognitive activity • Students compartimentalize experiences and learning • Draw out learning • Students may miss learning opportunities if not pointed out • Address student reaction and/or experience from service • Were stereotypes challenged or reinforced? • Was there unintended learning?

47. Methods for Reflection • Written questions • Notebooks (journals) • Essays – collect in Blackboard • Small group discussions • Class discussions • Readings • Combinations

48. Reflection Model Technical Level or Discipline Specific Personal Values Social Systems and Issues Developed by Edward Zlotkowski

49. How much is enough? • Janet Eyler (Vanderbilt) studied reflection • Amount of reflection was not a significant factor in effectiveness • Key elements were intentional (targeted at learning objectives) and frequent

50. Reflection (Analysis) • What strategies will you use to have students process (reflect on) the many aspects of the service experience and connect these aspects to the rest of the course? • Academic context and learning objectives • Personal experience • Connection to and implications for the profession/discipline • Social/community issues