Faculty Introduction to Service-learning/community-based research

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Faculty Introduction to Service-learning/communi
ty-based research

• Morgridge Center for Public Service
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• June 2008

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Sources used for this presentation

• Morgridge Center for Public Service, UW-Madison
• http//morgridge.wisc.edu/faculty/documents/manual
  .pdf
• College of Letters Science Office of
  Service-Learning and Community-Based Research,
  UW-Madison
• http//www.ls.wisc.edu/oslcbr/
• Office of Academic Excellence and Assessment,
  Creighton University
• http//www2.creighton.edu/aea/service-learning/tut
  orial1/index.php
• Marquette University Service-Learning Program
• http//www.marquette.edu/servicelearning/index.htm
  l

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Rationale

• The four directions that bring service- learning
  to the university
• Service-learning for enhancing academic learning
• Promoting skills and knowledge needed for
  leadership
• Civic engagement
• and potentially political engagement
• Whichever is your motivation, Morgridge Center
  and OSLCBR stand to serve you!

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Four myths about academic s-l

• Myth of Terminology academic s-l is the same as
  student community service Myth of
  Conceptualization academic s-l is just a new
  name for internships
• Myth of Synonymy experience, such as in the
  community, is synonymous with learning
• Myth of Marginality academic s-l is the addition
  of community service to a traditional course
• - Howard (2000)

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Foundations of s-l/cbr, Part I

• Academic service-learning definition, key
  components, principles, best practices
• Community-based research same
• Exploring benefits
• Course design overview
• Reflection overview

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Foundations of s-l/cbr, Part I

• Service-learning
• Community-based research
• Benefits
• Course design
• Reflection

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Morgridge Center definition academic
service-learning (s-l)

• Service-learning is a credit-bearing,
  educational experience in which students
  participate in an organized service activity that
  meets identified community needs and reflect on
  the service activity in such a way as to gain
  further understanding of course content, a
  broader appreciation of the discipline and an
  enhanced sense of civic responsibility.
• Bringle Hatcher (1995)

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Forms of community involvement
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Key components of s-l

• Relevant and meaningful service with the
  community
• Enhanced academic learning
• Purposeful civic learning
• -Service-Learning Course
• Design Workbook (2001)
• University of Michigan

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Principles of good practice for s-l pedagogy

• Academic credit is for learning, not for service
• Do not compromise academic rigor
• Establish learning objectives
• Establish criteria for the selection of s-l/cbr
  placements
• Tie community and academic learning together
  through reflection

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Principles of good practice for s-l pedagogy,
(contd)

• Prepare students for learning from the community
• Minimize the distinction between the students
  community learning role and classroom learning
  role
• Rethink the faculty instructional role
• Be prepared for variation in, and some loss of
  control with, student learning outcomes
• Utilize community as co-educator
• -Adapted from Howard (1993), Praxis I A faculty
  casebook on community service-learning

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Foundations of s-l/cbr, Part I

• Service-learning
• Community-based research
• Benefits
• Course design
• Reflection

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II. Definition community-based research (cbr)

• Morgridge Center definition
• A partnership of students, faculty/instructional
  staff and community who collaboratively engage in
  research with the purpose of solving a pressing
  community problem and /or effecting social
  change.
• -Strand et al. (2003)
• Also known as
• participatory research
• action research
• participatory action research
• community-based participatory research

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Key components of cbr

• A comprehensive and participatory approach to
  research
• A collaborative enterprise between researchers
  (faculty and/or students) and community members
• Begins with a research topic of importance to the
  community

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Key components of cbr, (contd)

• Validates multiple sources of knowledge and
  promotes the use of multiple methods of discovery
  and of dissemination of the knowledge produced
• Has as its goal social/political action and
  change for the purpose of enhancing justice
• Focus can be local, regional, national, or
  international
• -Morgridge Center (2003)

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Principles of good practice for cbr pedagogy

• Recognizes specific identities within a community
  (gays, race/ethnic groups) vs. recognizing a
  specific geographic region.
• Builds on strengths and resources within the
  community
• Responds to needs identified by the community
  itself
• Facilitates collaborative, equitable involvement
  of all partners in all phases of research

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Principles of good practice for cbr pedagogy,
(contd)

• Integrates knowledge and intervention for mutual
  benefits of all partners
• Promotes a co-learning and empowering process
  that attends to social inequalities
• Involves a cyclical and iterative process
• Disseminates findings and knowledge gained to all
  partners
• Involves a long-term commitment by all partners
• -Morgridge Center (2005)

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Foundations of s-l/cbr, Part I

• Service-learning
• Community-based research
• Benefits
• Course design
• Reflection

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III. S-l/cbr campus benefits

• Benefits for students
• Connects theory and practice
• Helps students gain a sense of community and
  responsibility for others
• Strengthens/promotes active analytical,
  problem-solving and critical thinking skills
• Promotes value of diversity/reduces stereotyping
  and facilitates intercultural understanding

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S-l/cbr campus benefits (contd)

• Benefits for students
• Student learning is deeper understand course
  concepts better
• Academic content of course comes to life through
  the practical application of learning in the
  community.
• Requires students to assume more responsibility
  for their learning
• Strengthens interpersonal and communication
  skills
• -Adapted from Conville Weintraub (2002)
• Morgridge Center (2005)
• Pawlowski (2007)

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S-l/cbr campus benefits

• Benefits for faculty/instructional staff
• Builds stronger relationships between
  faculty/instructional staff and students
• Facilitates interdisciplinary and collaborative
  projects
• Broadens outlets for presentations and
  publications of research
• Demonstrates faculty/instructors commitment to
  the community by awarding academic credit for
  learning through service or community research.
• -Morgridge Center (2005)
• Pawlowski (2007)

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S-l/cbr campus benefits (contd)

• Benefits for faculty/instructional staff
• Extends the classroom into community for the
  development of mutually-beneficial knowledge
• Increases opportunities for professional
  recognition and rewards
• Student evaluations of s-l/cbr courses are more
  favorable than traditional courses
• Teaching is enhanced through students real-world
  service experiences
• Places faculty in alignment with the Wisconsin
  Idea
• -Morgridge Center (2005)

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S-l/cbr community benefits

• Benefits for community agency
• Supports the work of agencies which are often
  understaffed and under-budgeted by providing
  resources and time given by students, faculty,
  and staff
• Creates new alliances and partnerships with the
  University demystifies a large and complex
  institution
• Creates opportunities to learn about the latest
  research on practical questions for staff and
  clients

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S-l/cbr community benefits (contd)

• Benefits for community agency
• Infuses agencies with the excitement, enthusiasm,
  and energy of young college students, as well as
  older and more experienced students who can hit
  the ground running based on their previous
  educational and employment history
• Garners wider support for the work performed by
  agencies
• Allows agencies to work with students and
  identify prospective employees.

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S-l/cbr community benefits (contd)

• Benefits for community agencys clients
• Provides clients with direct or indirect services
  which might not otherwise be available to them
• Gives clients the opportunity to teach students
  about the many aspects of their lives
• Clients can provide direct feedback about the
  services and the research being done in the
  agencies
• -Morgridge Center (2003)

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Foundations of s-l/cbr, Part I

• Service-learning
• Community-based research
• Benefits
• Course design
• Reflection

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IV. Course design academic s-l/cbr course models

• Discipline-based
• Project-based/consulting
• Capstone
• Service internship
• Community-based research
• -Adapted from Heffernan (2001)

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Model 1 - Discipline-based s-l

• Course is directly related to a discipline
  academic study
• Students work regularly in a community with a
  particular project that meets needs of community
  while meeting course objectives
• Students complete a minimum of 20-25 service
  hours over the semester for best learning
  outcomes.
• Reflect on experiences throughout the semester
  journals, papers, projects
• -Adapted from Pawlowski (2007)
• UW-Madison example RPSE 300 Individuals with
  Disabilities

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Course design academic s-l/cbr course models

• Discipline-based
• Project-based/consulting
• Capstone
• Service internship
• Community-based research
• -Adapted from Heffernan (2001)

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Model 2 - Project-based/consulting s-l

• Students work with community as consultants to
  help the community with a particular problem or
  need
• Assumes the students have appropriate knowledge
  for project
• Students can draw upon what they learn from
  community and classroom to make recommendations
  to community or to help develop a solution
• Product is the major outcome project completion
  determines length of time commitment.
• Project can be done in groups
• -Adapted from Pawlowski (2007)
• UW-Madison example InterEgr 160 Engineering
  Professional Development

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Course design academic s-l/cbr course models

• Discipline-based
• Project-based/consulting
• Capstone
• Service internship
• Community-based research
• -Adapted from Heffernan (2001)

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Model 3 - Capstone courses

• Typically designed for majors or minors in a
  discipline and for students in final year
• For students to draw upon knowledge obtained
  throughout academic career and combine it with
  community experience
• Students may produce portfolio or particular
  senior project as a result of community
  experiences
• -Adapted from Pawlowski (2007)
• UW-Madison example Integrated Liberal Studies
  400 Education, Leadership, Character

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Course design academic s-l/cbr course models

• Discipline-based
• Project-based/consulting
• Capstone
• Service internship
• Community-based research
• -Adapted from Heffernan (2001)

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Model 4 - Service internships

• Different than other internships in that they
  have regular and on-going reflections linking
  community experiences with discipline-based
  theories
• Project usually with a non-profit organization
• Reciprocal in nature community members and
  student benefit equally
• Many times interns are unpaid
• -Adapted from Pawlowski (2007)
• UW-Madison example Womens Studies 660
  Internship in Womens Studies

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Course design academic s-l/cbr course models

• Discipline-based
• Project-based/consulting
• Capstone
• Service internship
• Community-based research
• -Adapted from Heffernan (2001)

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Model 5 - Community-based research

• Students work closely with faculty/instructional
  staff to learn research methodologies while
  serving as advocates for a community
• May be done with small group of students
• Project must be performed in coordination with
  community results shared with the community
• -Adapted from Pawlowski (2007)
• UW Example Rural Sociology 955/Sociology 755
  Seminar in Qualitative Methodology

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S-l/cbr course design things to keep in mind

• For all involved parties (faculty/instructional
  staff, students, agency staff
• acknowledge expertise and contributions
• recognize time commitments
• establish clear guidelines expectations
• Maintain ongoing, clear communication
• Discuss liability issues use University Risk
  Management Office
• Recognize s-l/cbr pedagogies can be applied to
  new OR existing courses

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S-l/cbr course design things to keep in mind,
(contd)

• Adjust homework reading to make room for
  service- learning work at site and reflection
  work
• Acknowledge that s-l/cbr may not be appropriate
  for all courses
• Are there any costs for s-l/cbr project?
• If yes, negotiate with agency to determine who
  will cover costs
• (hint apply for OLSCBR Special Needs Grant)

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Course design UW-Madison s-l/cbr recommendations

• Minimum 20-25 total service hours per semester
• Intentional reflection component
• Contact Timetable Rep, indicate Footnote 0014
  (s-l) or 0015 (cbr)
• Contact Morgridge Center to list your course(s)
  in master s-l/cbr course list used by students
• Post examples of student reflection on course
  website

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Foundations of s-l/cbr, Part I

• Service-learning
• Community-based research
• Benefits
• Course design
• Reflection

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V. Role of reflection

• What is reflection?
• Reflection is the intentional, structured,
  systematic process created by the instructor to
  facilitate student learning
• It is the mechanism of organizing the sometimes
  unstructured nature of s-l
• Reflection has been called the hyphen that
  links service with learning in s-l/cbr
• Helps to achieve learning outcomes
• Increases probability that students will retain
  knowledge in the future
• - Adapted from Pawlowski, 2007
  www.servicelearning.org

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What is the faculty/instructional staff role in
reflection?

• Responsible for
• Designing reflection
• Explaining the role of reflection
• Guiding students during reflection
• Monitoring reflection and providing feedback
• Pawlowski (2007)

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• When should reflection occur?
• Once the outcomes are established and service
  activities are appropriately structured,
  instructors need to design reflection activities
  for before, during and after the service
  experience
• Pawlowski (2007)

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• Why is reflection important?
• Provides an opportunity for students to
• address emotions related to service experiences
• show their progress and concerns
• connect service with academic content of course
• Enhances critical thinking skills
• Strengthens student competencies
• Prevents the reinforcement of existing prejudices
  and learning inaccurate concepts
• Arrives at a new understanding of community needs
  and assets
• -Seifer and Connors (2007)
• Pawlowski (2007)

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Core elements of reflection 4 Cs

• Continuous
• before, during, and after
• Connected
• directly linked to learning objectives
• Challenging
• moving from surface learning to deeper,
• critical thinking
• Contextualized
• corresponding to course content
• in a meaningful way
• -Eyler Giles, 1999

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Types of reflections - before

• Prepares students for their service experience
• community partner comes to class to talk about
  their organization, services, clients
• examine a case study related to appropriate
  populations or topic
• in-class group sharingrelated to concerns,
  apprehensions, strengths about the service site
  and its programs and clients
• Adapted from Pawlowski (2007)

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Types of reflections - during

• These models address different learning styles
• Journaling (see hand outs)
• needs to stimulate critical thinkingnot just
  show and tell
• What - So what - Now what model
• In-class discussions
• Create video/photo collage
• Letter writing to self or family member
• -Adapted from Pawlowski (2007)

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Types of reflections - after

• Should be designed to help students to
  culminate their s-l/cbr experiences in the
  course
• Final paper examining initial concepts from
  lectures, readings, and research making links to
  their service experience
• Presentation (in-class or public) of product or
  outcome (eg research findings)
• Video production
• Portfolio
• Interview/focus groups with community partner
• Celebration event with community partner
• Pawlowski (2007)

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Keys to guiding/grading reflection

• Should challenge students to go beyond simply
  describing what happened at service site
• analyze consider implications draw conclusions
  push personal boundaries
• Challenge for instructors
• how to grade reflections to avoid simply grading
  students feelingsrather, examine critical
  thought processes and links to learning outcomes
  and/or course content

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Guiding/grading reflection, (contd)

• Sometimes reflection is used as a way to also
  assess service-learningit can be used to
  determine whether the learning outcomes are being
  achieved, and to assure that students are
  connecting with and understanding the academic
  course content
• Regardless of the type of reflection, remember to
  make it planned and purposeful
• - Pawlowski (2007)

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Foundations of s-l/cbr, Part II

• -Community as partner
• -Elements of a good syllabus
• -Resources

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VI. Community as partner in s-l/cbr

• Thinking about sending your students to any
  community is like picking any text for your
  course
• Important and thoughtful process of course
  preparation
• Important for faculty involvement in site
  selection
• -Howard (2001)

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• Who is the community?
• Community-based organizations
• eg neighborhood association
• Non-profit agencies
• eg homeless shelter, food pantry, youth program
• Educational institutions
• eg school, daycare center
• Groups of people who may not share a geographical
  association but share a cultural, social,
  political, health, or economic interest
• eg unions, LGBT community, ethnic groups

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• How to identify potential community partners?
• many faculty/instructional staff already have
  contacts in the community
• ask your colleagues
• meet with Morgridge Center staff
• www.VolunteerYourTime.org website
• www.CommunityShares.com website

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The selection process

• Begin early finding the right match for your
  learning objectives takes time
• Visit potential community partner sites
• Meet with the director and/or volunteer
  coordinator
• Negotiatecan your course help them meet an
  important need? Can they help educate your
  students?
• Do the service experiences at the site match your
  course content and learning objectives (both
  academic and civic)?

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The selection process (contd)

• Will your students help them meet a real need?
  Will your students enhance their work?
• Does the site have the personnel and resources to
  provide your students with a good learning
  experience?
• What can your students accomplish in a semester?
  Be realistic.
• How much time will your students devote to the
  service component of the course?

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Community partners and liability

• Discuss liability issues with your prospective
  community partner
• examine the risk issue for your students
• what will the site cover?
• If questions arise, contact University Risk
  Management
• Jeanine Critchley
• jcritchley_at_bussvc.wisc.edu
• 608-262-8925

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Mutual understanding and trust

• Faculty/instructional staff need to work with
  sites so the community partner understands the
  nature of service-learning and the course
• Faculty/instructional staff need to know that the
  students will have guidance and oversight at the
  site.
• Develop a contract identifying the roles and
  expectations of each partner
• students
• faculty/instructional staff
• community partner
• -Adapted from Pawlowski (2007)

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Preparing your students to serve orientation

• Prepare students for the population theyll be
  working with
• Make sure students understand the mission of the
  site prior to working with the community
• Cover liability issues with studentsthey must
  have their own health insurance
• General rule of thumbif the s-l/cbr course is
  part of a required degree program, University
  liability insurance will apply.
• If unsure, check with University Risk
  Management-Jeanine Critchley, jcritchley_at_bussvc.wi
  sc.edu , 262-8925
• -Adapted from Pawlowski (2007)

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Preparing your students to serve training

• How many hours of training will students need at
  the site, if any?
• Is a training by service site supervisor/director
  provided?
• Find out if students need background check
• Who pays? What is the clearance level?
• Particularly important if working with young or
  elderly populations

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Supervision at community site

• Can students be on their own or do they need
  supervision?
• Can they be with community members on their own?
• Sometimes when working with children a
  supervisor/teacher must be on-site at all times
• line-of-sight rule
• Sometimes with the elderly, students cannot be in
  someones apartment but can be in a common area,
  depending on the facility
• -Adapted from Pawlowski (2007)

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Communication with community partner

• Establish and maintain consistent communication
  with site(s) during the project
• Regularly obtain feedback and assessments during
  the project timeline in order to make changes if
  necessary
• As faculty/instructional staff, visit site on
  occasion to see first-hand what students are
  doing and meet with supervisor
• -Adapted from Pawlowski (2007)

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Relationship building

• View the relationship as reciprocal and keep ties
  with your community partners
• Celebrate the successes at the end of the
  semester
• Invite community to campus
• Equally share in the success of the project
• -Adapted from Pawlowski (2007)

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Follow up with community partners

• Conduct a post-assessment with your partners
• Find out what went well during the semester
• What could be improved upon for the next project?
• Encourage your students to continue to visit the
  site on their own time to keep the relationship
  with the community partners
• -Adapted from Pawlowski (2007)

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Some final thoughts on campus-community
partnerships

• Building effective community partnership takes
  timestart planning early
• Maintain open lines of communication
• Be patient
• View community partner as a co-educator
• A great resource
• Community standards for service-learning
• www.comm-org.wisc.edu/sl
• Adapted from Pawlowski (2007)

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Foundations of s-l/cbr, Part II

• -Community as partner
• -Elements of a good syllabus
• -Resources

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VII. Elements of academic s-l/cbr syllabi

• General syllabus information
• General explanation of s-l/cbr and its
  relationship to course
• Learning objectives
• Scope of service project(s)
• Expectations for/communication between community
  agency and student relationship
• process for reporting site issues

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Elements of academic s-l/cbr syllabi (contd)

• Community sites address contact info
• Resources
• transportation
• Service-Learning Fellows
• Role of reflection
• Grading process
• S-l/cbr contract
• Liabilities/waivers/college clearances
• Tracking hours/visits
• -Adapted from Pawlowski (2007)

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Foundations of s-l/cbr, Part II

• -Community as partner
• -Elements of a good syllabus
• -Resources

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VIII. Resources UW-Madison

• Service-Learning Fellows
• Available funding sources
• Morgridge Course Development Grant 1500
• OSLCBR Special Needs Grant 650
• OSLCBR Planning Grant 500-2000
• S-l/cbr faculty roundtable discussions-Morgridge
  Center
• Staff/faculty consultation via Morgridge Center
• S-l/cbr orientations- Morgridge Center
• www.VolunteerYourTime.org
• Morgridge Volunteer Transportation Program
• Morgridge s-l/cbr Resource Library

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Local web resources

• Morgridge Center for Public Service
• www.morgridge.wisc.edu
• UW-Madison College of Letters and Science Office
  of Service Learning and Community Based Research
• http//www.ls.wisc.edu/oslcbr/
• The Community Side of Service-Learning
• http//comm-org.wisc.edu/sl/
• Wisconsin Campus Compact
• www.wicampuscompact.uwp.edu

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Additional web resources

• Campus Compact
• www.campuscompact.org
• Learn Serve Americas National Service-Learning
  Clearinghouse
• http//www.servicelearning.org/
• Haas Center (Stanford)
• http//haas-fmp.stanford.edu/
• Ginsberg Center (Michigan)
• http//ginsberg.umich.edu/
• Bennion Center (Utah)
• http//bennioncenter.org/