tutorial 2

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TUTORIAL 2

Identifying Goals

and Objectives for

Service-Learning/CBL

Courses

Office of Academic Excellence and Assessment Creighton University

© 2007 Donna R. Pawlowski, Ph.D. Associate Professor

Department of Communication Studies

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Tutorial Goals At the end of this tutorial, you will have an understanding

of: The differences between goals and objectives The criteria and objectives specific for service-learning courses The pedagogical models of service-learning courses




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Tutorial Objectives At the end of this tutorial you will be able to:

Determine if your course is appropriate for service-learning Identify specific goals and objectives for your

service-learning course Choose the appropriate model for your potential course




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General Explanation of Goals Goal – general statement that provides some direction

for student and instructor of what is to be accomplished in the course Think of it as a state of being

For example: I want the students to understand

concepts of family communication; I want to encourage students to think critically about current welfare policies To know… To realize…




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General Explanation of Objectives

Objective – something that is measurable and achievable Follows goals – ways to achieve the goals, demonstrate the goals Think of it as an action of doing

For example: Students will articulate the types of family configurations; Students will critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of arguments in welfare policies

Many times it is good to make the following statement: “At the end of the semester, you (or students) will be able to…

Define Integrate


© 2007Donna R. Pawlowski, Ph.D. Associate Professor


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Categories/Criteria for Service-Learning




Relevant and MeaningfulService With the

Community

EnhancedAcademicLearning

PurposefulCivic

LearningAcademic

S-L

Howard, 2001

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Relevant and Meaningful Service With the Community Service is reciprocal for all parties Service must comply with what community defines as

important and what instructor defines as important Relevant Meaningful

Developed and formulated with community NOT “service to” or “service for” BUT “service with” the

community




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Enhanced Academic Learning Goals and Objectives Service-learning complements the classroom experiences Real-world experience enhances learning opportunities

unavailable in more traditional pedagogies




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Categories GeneralDescription

Goals Objectives

Course-Specific Academic Learning

Knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors particular to course

Understand differences between family types

Compare and contrast communication structures within family types

Generic Academic Learning

Knowledge and skills instrumental for all courses

Learn critical thinking and problem-solving skills

Demonstrate effective decision-making in family scenario situations

Learning How to Learn

Knowledge and skills that build learning capacity

Understand theory and how to apply academic knowledge to real world

Critique family policies and their effects on student’s own lives

Enhanced Academic Learning

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Goals Objectives

Community Learning

Knowledge and skills that can only be learned in the community

Learn about a particular population; understand social issues

Evaluate how community agencies work with elders to increase the quality of life

Inter- and Intra-Personal Learning

Knowledge and skills critical to develop of whole; valued by liberal arts education

Work collaboratively with others; learn about other groups/cultures

Identify group members’ role contributions to projects; Examine and conduct personal assessment of values and ethics; reflect upon experiences

Enhanced Academic Learning

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Purposeful Civic Learning Goals and Objectives Contributes to students preparation for community or

public involvement in diverse democratic society Seeks to prepare students with knowledge-skills-values

for active involvement in future communities Allows one to realize one’s local community and beyond




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Categories General Description

Knowledge Skills/Objectives Values/realized internally

AcademicLearning(as related to community)

Helps student understand and be prepared for community involvement

Understand root causes of social problems

Develop active learning skills

That important knowledge is only found in community

DemocraticCitizenship

Preparecitizenship involvement in community

Know differentconceptualizations of citizenship

Develop competency in identifying community assets

Communities depend on active citizenry

DiversityLearning

Preparestudents forinvolvement in cultural and diverse communities

Understand individual vs. institutional “isms”

Develop and usecross-cultural communication skills

Variety of minority voices needed to make sound community decisions

Purposeful Civic Learning

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Knowledge Skills/Objectives Values/realized internally

Political Learning

Related to political arena

Learn about howcitizen groups affect change in communities

Develop and utilize advocacy skills

Citizenship more than voting and paying taxes

Leadership Learning

Prepare students for community accomplishments

Understand social change model of leadership

Develop skills that facilitate sharing leadership roles

Leadership is process; and not just a role

Inter & Intra-Personal Learning

Learn about self & others to prepare students to work better with other citizens

Understand one’s social identities

Enhance problem-solving and listening skills

Ethic of care

SocialResponsibilityLearning

Teach people their personal and professional responsibility to others

Learn how individuals in particular professions act in socially responsibly ways

Determine how to apply one’s professional skills to better society

Responsibility to others applies to all kinds of

careers

Purposeful Civic Learning

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Choosing Appropriate Objectives Not all the aforementioned objectives will be appropriate

for your course Look through the objectives and decide which are best

suited for your course However if you cannot see how your course fits

somewhere within all three areas, your course may not be appropriate for service-learning as it does not fulfill the criteria for service-learning (community-based learning).




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6 Models of Service-Learning/CBL




Action Research

ServiceInternships

Capstone Courses

Problem-Based

Discipline-Based

“Pure” S-L

Heffernan, 2001

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1 - “Pure” Service-LearningModel 1 - “Pure” Service-Learning:

Courses specifically set up to send students out into the community to serve

The core of the course is to provide service to a community and not based within a particular discipline

Prepares students for active and responsible community participation

There may be some interdisciplinary aspects to the course; but primary goal is to provide service

Students have readings…related to population they serve

Example: “Introduction to VISTA Preparation;” training students to be service-learning, or nonprofit coordinators; OR “Introduction to Service in Sudanese Communities”




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“Pure” Service-LearningBenefits and Cautions with “Pure” service-learning: Students learn direct skills, knowledge and

competencies for this type of participation and service Content IS service-learning, volunteerism, or civic

engagement; thus intellectual elements are challenged by others

Others may view these courses as “lightweight” because they may not see the multi-disciplinary approach to the course (i.e., philosophical, social, historical… underpinnings related to the population or course)




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2 - Discipline-Based Service-Learning

Model 2 - Discipline-Based service-learning: 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

Reflect on experiences throughout the semester; journals, papers, projects…

How most service-learning courses are created (via discipline)

Example: Creative Writing; Evidence-Based Nursing Care Management




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Discipline-Based Service-Learning

Benefits and Cautions with Discipline-Specific service-learning:

Easier to defend intellectually Link between community experience and course content

must be made explicit Placement monitoring is critical The argument that the service is part of the class; but

remember the site is another text for the course and an assignment like all others in the course




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3 - Problem-Based Service-Learning

Model 3 - Problem-Based service-learning: Students work with community as “consultants” to help

the community with a particular problem or need Assumes the students have appropriate knowledge for

project They can draw upon what they learn from community and

classroom to make recommendations to community or to help develop a solution

Example: Business web-design course; Science course that identifies appropriate plants for neighborhood; Dentistry class determines best dental care needed in neighborhood




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Problem-Based Service-LearningBenefits and Cautions with Problem-Based service-learning: Students take on responsibility and really own the project

and work together to identify the community’s needs Due to the limited time in the community (i.e., one

semester), students may not be able to resolve the whole problem; however, part is still better than nothing

Be careful not to promote that students are “experts” and the community becomes a “client” with the project; remember the reciprocal relationship of service-learning and community-based service




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4 - Capstone CoursesModel 4 - 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

Example: Communication students working with Girls, Inc. to produce publications and promotional materials via focus groups and interviews with teens – students learn about young women in the community and produce materials for the community through the eyes of the young women




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Capstone CoursesBenefits and Cautions with Capstone Courses: Helps students transition from world of theory to practice

via professional and personal experiences Students are sometimes responsible for placement as

part of the experience is to highlight their skills Communities are offered specific skill sets via students

who can invest significant time in research and practice Danger is that when students graduate and leave the

community they take with them valuable knowledge not easily replaced




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5 - Service InternshipsModel 5 - Service Internships: Different than other internships in that they have regular

and on-going reflections linking community experiences with discipline-based theories

Set in site that is typical for service-learning; more nonprofit in nature

Reciprocal in nature; community members and student benefit equally

Many times non-paid in natureExample: student serving at Red Cross; student serving at

Guadalupe Center; student working with after school children at Kiewit Middle School; pharmacy student working at a Native American reservation




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Service InternshipsBenefits and Cautions with Service Internships: Can have more connection with faculty member and

students as reflections are discussed in groups or with continued feedback and communication

Students typically create a body of work of value to the community or community site

Oversight/supervision by community partner may be taxing if not coordinated appropriately in advance

Like capstone courses, students knowledge and insight is difficult to replace




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6 - Community-Based Action ResearchModel 6 - Community-Based Action Research: Reserved for students who are highly involved in

community work Students work closely with faculty to learn research

methodologies while service as advocates for a community; may be similar to independent studies

May be done with small group of students Project needs to be in coordination with community;

results given to communityExample: Medical student and science student working

together to advocate for community that has high levels of lead; political science student working with a community to determine if they are unfairly harmed by a particular law




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Community-Based Action ResearchBenefits and Cautions with Action Research: Many faculty act favorably as it reflects disciplinary work

in the field Values the analysis and synthesis of information in a

tangible project Assumes students have time management skills and are

self-directed, which may or may not always be the case Complications with the research itself can impact the

community overall




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Choosing the Appropriate ModelAs you can see, various decisions to be made prior to

creating a service-learning course and the most appropriate model:

What are your course objectives? Important to let the objectives guide the course

What are the needs of the community (if you know that yet)?

What model works best for your course?




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Final Thoughts Hope you now have a better understanding of creating

goals and objectives for your course

Based upon your particular objectives, you will now be able to determine the type of service-learning course you want you students to experience

Proceed to completing the post-tutorial exercises




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ReferencesGelmon, S. B., Holland, B. A., Driscoll, A. Spring, A., & Kerrigan, S. (2001). Assessing

service-learning and civic engagement: Principles and techniques. Providence, RI: Campus Compact.

Heffernan, K. (Ed.), (2001). Fundamentals of service-learning course construction. Providence, RI: Campus Compact.

Howard, J. (Ed.). (2001). Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning: Service-learning course design workbook. Ann Arbor, MI: Regents of the University of Michigan, OCSL Press.




tutorial 2

Documents

servicelearning coursechoose

meaningful service

communitynot service

pure servicelearningmodel

students preparation

objectives specific

aforementioned objectives

ones local community