service learning © 2010 nancy steinberg warren, ms, cgc, all rights reserved

SERVICE LEARNING

© 2010 Nancy Steinberg Warren, MS, CGC, all rights reserved

Service Learning

A teaching methodology that combines community service with explicit academic learning objectives, preparation and reflection

A form of experiential learning

Serves the community and meets well-defined academic learning objectives

© 2010 Nancy Steinberg Warren, MS, CGC, all rights reserved.

Service Learning Defined

A reflective educational experience in which students earn academic credit by participating in meaningful service activities.

Service learning experiences are designed to foster deeper understanding of course content and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility.

Structured opportunities for students to reflect on experiences, including writing, reading, speaking, listening and group discussions.

Presents an opportunity for students to use newly acquired skills and knowledge in community settings.


Service Learning is Not….

Volunteerism Community Service Internship Practicum Clinical Rotation


Benefits to Participating Partners Students: learn from personnel and clients

of community agencies; enhance critical thinking skills; increase understanding of multicultural values and traditions

Faculty: build new ways to encourage students’ academic progress; generate relationships and support in the community

Community: opportunity for collaboration and increased awareness of community needs; may generate strategies or create solutions


Essential Elements of Service LearningUniversity of Cincinnati Manual Reciprocal: the service and the learning should

be worthwhile and valuable for both the student and the community

Reflective: intentional, systematic reflection about the experience takes place to facilitate critical thinking and introspection

Developmental: service learning occurs in stages-serving leads to enabling and then to empowerment; observation leads to experience and then leadership

Meaningful: worthwhile and challenging service tasks strengthen students’ critical thinking

Diversity: a cross-section of students working in diverse settings with diverse populations in the community


Service Learning

Emphasizes reciprocal learning reflective practice developing citizenship skills achieving social change

Learning Objective + Service Objective = Service Learning Objective


Malcolm Knowles’ Principles of Adult Learning

Adults become increasingly independent and self-directed in their learning

Adults are more motivated by internal needs rather than external pressure to learn

Learning is problem-centered Learning is related to readiness to learn Life experiences are resources for learning


Learning Objectives: Cognitive

(in order of difficulty) Knowledge: define, describe, identify, label, list,

match, recognize, name Comprehension: translate, distinguish, estimate,

explain, generalize, give examples Application: change, compute, demonstrate,

discover, manipulate, modify, operate, prepare, show, predict

Analysis: diagram, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, identify, illustrate, infer, outline, relate, select

Synthesis: categorize, combine, compile, compose, create, design, devise, summarize

Evaluation: appraise, compare, conclude, contrast, criticize, describe, explain, justify, interpret, relate, support


Learning Objectives: Psychomotor

Imitation: align, balance, follow, grasp, hold, place, repeat

Manipulation: construct, assemble, form, put together

Precision: accurately, errorless, independently, proficiently, with control, with balance

Articulation: confidence, coordination, harmony, integration, proportion, smoothly, quickly

Naturalization: automatically, effortlessly, naturally, professionally, routinely, spontaneously, with ease, with perfection, with poise


Learning Objectives: Affective

Receiving: attend, be aware, control, discern, hear, listen, look, notice, share

Responding: applaud, comply, discuss, follow, obey, participate, play, practice, volunteer

Valuing: act, argue, convince, debate, display, express, help, organize, prefer

Organization: abstract, balance, compare, decide, define, formulate, select, systematize, theorize

Characterization: avoid, display, exhibit, internalize, manage, require, resist, resolve, revise


Adult LearnersLook for the teachable moment. Put the learner in the picture.

If there are no specific requests for content, use relevant examples to put adults in a mindset/situation to make them interested (framing)

Want active participation

Decide for themselves what is important to learn

Want learning to be useful now

Use or build on individual experiences

Need to validate information based on own beliefs and experiences


Planning for Service LearningAssess Needs

Reflect upon past experiences

Make observations of present need

Collect data regarding the need

Ask your students and target group for input!Find out before launching the service

learning endeavor.


Steps in the Service Learning Process

Be clear about the needs of your target group Establish educational goals and learning

objectives that will help your students achieve them Learning objectives should be measurable:

participants will be able to list, describe, compute, explain, apply, demonstrate, predict

Plan the service learning experience keeping in mind the characteristics of adult learners Do you want to impact cognitive, psychomotor,

domains? Evaluate your program

Seek evaluation from both the students and the community agency


Evaluation and Reflection

Evaluation involves gathering formal feedback and collecting data from students, teacher, yourself, others

What did your students learn? How did their learning compare to the learning outcomes you anticipated? Assessment criteria may include factors related to knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

What feedback was obtained from the community agency?

Reflection: What value did the service learning endeavor provide to each member of the service learning team? What is the future of this service learning activity? What, if anything, will be done differently?


Learning Objective

Identify who the learner is and what the learner should acquire as a result of the activity.

Genetic counseling students will plan and present community talks to gain formal experience in public speaking and increase their appreciation of the educational needs of various student and groups.


Service Objective

Identify the community agency and the needs to be met or the services to be provided.

Walnut Hills High School 9th grade biology students want more information about ethical issues in genetics and genetic counseling.


Service Learning Objective

Two genetic counseling graduate students will plan and deliver a community outreach education presentation involving lecture and role playing on the Ethical Issues in Genetic Counseling for 9th grade biology students at Walnut Hills HS during the fall semester.


Teaching Formats to meet Learning Objectives

Cognitive: lectures, group discussions, case studies, write and/or answer questions

Psychomotor: demonstrations, taking a pedigree, clinical experiences

Affective: small group ethics discussions, role playing, dyads, video and discussions, debates


Evaluation and Reflection

Evaluation involves formal feedback and data collection from students, teacher, yourself, others

Did the students learn what you wanted them to? How do you know? Do you assess knowledge, skills, attitudes, participation, # questions asked, eye contact, # sleeping students, etc?

What feedback did the teacher have for you?

Reflection: What would you do differently? What did you learn?


How Students Learn


service learning © 2010 nancy steinberg warren, ms, cgc, all rights reserved

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