8 Steps to Incorporating Service Learning Into Your Course

1. 8 Steps to Incorporating Service Learning Into Your Course Ed Laine Bowdoin College

2. Where I am Coming From

3. What is service-learning? • Students address a problem for a community partner • The process delivers part of the traditional content of a course • Two way street between school and community

4. Key Concepts • Community partner • Student learning and logistics • faculty responsibility • Problem statement jointly written • Course intent • Team work required(?) • Group work(?)

5. More • Outcomes are identified • Problems • Course centered • Promotes desired learning • Students prepare to solve problem • Reflection&Assessment provide feedback and support to all

6. Now that that’s off my chest • There are many styles of service learning and community based learning • They all enable students to become engaged in their communities • The needs of your students, your institution, and community will dictate exactly how you translate what you learn today into practice

7. Now that that’s off my chest • There are many styles of service learning and community based learning • They all enable students to become engaged in their communities • The needs of your students, your institution, and community will dictate exactly how you translate what you learn today into practice • Suzanne said exactly the same during her Plenary talk

8. The 8 Step/Block Model

9. The 8 Step/Block Model • Developed through the sponsorship of the Campus Compact of New Hampshire • Gordon, R. (1999). Problem Based Service Learning: A Fieldguide for Making a Difference in Higher Education. Bedford, NH: Campus Compact for New Hampshire

10. The 8 Step/Block Model • Project design • Community partners • Building community • Building capacity • Problem statement • Project management • Assessment • Reflection

11. Vote now, have you heard of or used the 8 Block Model Before?

12. You will be filling this out several times during the workshop

13. Project Design • What are your learning goals? • Which learning goals could be achieved through service learning? • Students’ levels of readiness? • What teaching needs to be done? • Logistics and management? • Assessment? • Resources?

14. Building Capacity • Building Capacity is “Teaching” • What skills are already there? • Realistic learning goals • Guarantee success at the start • Develop confidence and trust • Small groups • Chunking learning • Just in time teaching • Check ins • Evidence of learning

15. Community Partner • Partner’s needs must match your goals • Partner knows your goals • Partner understands student competencies • Roles and responsibilities • Outcomes/Deliverables • Student supervision • Evaluation • Time frame • Letters/contracts • Problem statement

16. Problem Statement • Letterhead • One page • Problem stated • Outcomes clear • Roles stated • Time line • Solves a problem • Followed by meetings

17. Vote - Needs more discussion • A-Project design • B-Community partner • C-Building capacity • D-Problem statement

18. Project Management • Manage logistics • Manage anxiety • Provide appropriate support • Keep students on track • To assure students own their work • Motivate students through ups and downs

19. Assessment of Learning • Appropriate to your discipline/department • Exams, quizzes, papers, reflections, portfolios, performances, exhibitions, etc • Prepared for the project? • Met your learning goals? • Clarifies objectives • Set quality criteria • Motivation to persevere

20. Building Community in the Classroom • Safe place where students can take risks • Model new behaviors • Engage students • Explain why the class will be different • Monitor and sustain community • Completion and celebration

21. Reflection and Connections • Gallery Walk/Carousels • Sweeps • Debrief • Guided with questions • Journals • Write in the Rain • Reflection is good science • Interviews • Free writing

22. Vote - Needs more discussion • A-Project Management • B-Assessment • C-Building community • D-Reflection

23. The 8 Step/Block Model • Project design • Community partners • Building community • Building capacity • Problem statement • Project management • Assessment • Reflection

25. Advice

26. How Much SL? • Course goals • Resources and support • Experience • Community partners

27. Styles of Integration • Mandatory • Optional • Traditional paper • Paired optional project • Extra credit • 4th credit

28. SL in Place of? • Traditional assessment tools • Papers • Presentations • Lectures • Discussions • Problem sets

29. For Starters • 5-10% of grade • One paper or presentation • Optional or 4th credit (more work) • One course the first year

30. Going Slow Isn’t Bad • New faculty need to get to know community • Institutional/divisional/departmental understanding and acceptance • Develop resources

31. Be Sure to Document…. • Course planning and preparation • Integration into learning goals • Evaluation of student learning • Integration and contribution to teaching in your discipline All good practices in any case

32. So, what’s next?

33. The 8 Block

34. Proceeding to the Activity • Analyze one of the three earlier presentations in terms of the 8 Block model for activity design • Jennifer Houghton, Pam Gore, Stephanie Maes • Fill out an 8 Block • Share any ideas, issues, problems, or thoughts at “Using the 8 Block Model” on the Discussion Pages • http://serc.carleton.edu/dev/NAGTWorkshops/servicelearning/workshop10/discussions.html

35. Then, for your activity • Analyze your own activity as it stands now in terms of the 8 Block • Yes, it may be incomplete • Add to the threaded discussion • Complete an 8 Block for your activity • By next Tuesday

36. Let us know if this exercise leaves you feeling adrift

37. We will be there to buoy you up!