Integrating the Community Into Community Service Learning Program Evaluations

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Meier ◽  
Bo Rin Kim ◽  
Lorraine Gutierrez
2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai-Kuen Leung ◽  
Wen-Jing Liu ◽  
Wei-Dan Wang ◽  
Ching-Yu Chen

Author(s):  
Megan Clark ◽  
Meredith McKague ◽  
Vivian R. Ramsden ◽  
Shari McKay

Abstract   Background  This Community Service-Learning Project (CSLP) at the University of Saskatchewan is designed to help students develop patient-centred care practices in urban underserved settings.  First-year medical and pharmacy students partner interprofessionally to both learn and serve, working with community-based organizations (CBOs) that primarily serve either low-income or newcomer residents of Saskatoon. Since the CSLP’s pilot year in 2005-2006, 98 first-year medical and pharmacy students have participated in the CSLP.       Methods and Findings  We evaluated the outcomes and processes of the CSLP since the 2006-2007 year, using mixed methods: end-of-project questionnaires; document analysis looking for key and recurrent themes; end-of-project semi-structured interviews with CBO coordinators and clients. We examined students’ experiences, including satisfaction, achievement of learning objectives, learning processes, and perceived outcomes. Students’ main learning outcomes related to client-centered approach, interprofessional attitudes and skills, and personal development. Various learnings related to program processes are reported.   Conclusions  Our evaluation reinforced findings from the literature on both interprofessional education and community service-learning, as well uncovering some new findings.   Students described a transformative learning experience that helped them begin to develop understanding and skills to work more effectively with clients in urban underserved settings.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Crystal K. Howell ◽  
Kelly R. Reveles ◽  
Leroy C. Knodel ◽  
Nancy R. Pattyn ◽  
Christopher R. Frei

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
Azmina Afzal ◽  
Nasreen Hussain

<p><em>Nowadays many high schools and universities are promoting community service-learning program by making it a part of the admission process; therefore, students participate in community service learning program to get admission in an institution of their choice. However, after completing the community service program, they see themselves as more socially responsible citizens. This qualitative study aimed to explore the impact of community service learning on the social skills of students. The study employed a qualitative method by randomly selecting twenty-five students for the focused group interviews from five different O- level schools situated in middle socio-economic locality. The results revealed that a community service-learning program has a positive impact on the social skills of O-level students.  Besides, students had also a positive learning experience. Findings of the study indicated that </em><em>the awareness to encourage community service in schools is grounded on the acceptance that it does not only give students extra credit points but serving others or one’s community also makes them better citizens. Based</em><em> on the advantages and positive experiences of students, the study recommends to include a more inclusive model of service-learning to a school curriculum.  </em></p>


Author(s):  
Brydie-Leigh Bartleet ◽  
Dawn Bennett ◽  
Anne Power ◽  
Naomi Sunderland

Community music educators worldwide face the challenge of preparing their students for working in increasingly diverse cultural contexts. These diverse contexts require distinctive approaches to community music-making that are respectful of, and responsive to, the customs and traditions of that cultural setting. The challenge for community music educators then becomes finding pedagogical approaches and strategies that both facilitate these sorts of intercultural learning experiences for their students and that engage with communities in culturally appropriate ways. This chapter unpacks these challenges and possibilities, and explores how the pedagogical strategy of community service learning can facilitate these sorts of dynamic intercultural learning opportunities. Specifically, it focuses on engaging with Australian First Peoples, and draws on eight years of community service learning in this field to inform the insights shared.


Author(s):  
Karen Ho ◽  
Boris S. Svidinskiy ◽  
Sahara R. Smith ◽  
Christopher C. Lovallo ◽  
Douglas B. Clark

Community Service Learning (CSL) is an experiential learning approach that integrates community service into student projects and provides diverse learning opportunities to reduce interdisciplinary barriers. A semester-long chemistry curriculum with an integrated CSL intervention was implemented in a Canadian university to analyze the potential for engagement and positive attitudes toward chemistry as a meaningful undertaking for 14 post-secondary students in the laboratory as well as for their 400 K-12 student partners in the community. Traditionally, introductory science experiments typically involve repeating a cookbook recipe from a lab book, but this CSL project allowed the post-secondary and K-12 students to work collaboratively to determine the physical and chemical properties and total dissolved solids in the water fountains from the K-12 students' schools. Post-instructional surveys were completed by all learners and were analyzed using a mixed methodological approach with both quantitative and qualitative methods. The expected audience that may be interested in this study are those involved in teaching chemistry in higher education and at the K-12 level as well as those interested in service learning, community and civic engagement, experiential learning, and development of transferable skills in chemistry. The results demonstrate that both groups of students report favorable engagement and attitudes towards learning chemistry and higher self-confidence levels on performing lab skills after the activity. Furthermore, both groups of students expressed interest in exploring future projects, which is indicative of the positive impact of CSL and the mutual benefits of the partnership.


Author(s):  
Victoria Calvert ◽  
Halia Valladares Montemayor

  In Mexico, the community service strategy and requirements for undergraduate students are both longstanding and mandated by the Mexican Constitution. Students undertake a minimum of 480 hours of service during their undergraduate degrees, which are coordinated through their universities’ Social Service (SS) departments. Many Canadian universities and colleges offer community service through courses and volunteer programs; however, the practice and adoption levels vary widely. Student involvement with community partners, as represented through community service-learning (CSL) and volunteerism in Canada, are sponsored by many post-secondary institutions but are not driven by a national agenda. While, in Mexico, community service is documented at a departmental and institutional level for reporting to stakeholders and the government, in Canada, documentation of community service varies with the institutional mandate and is often sporadic or non-existent; the imperative for systematic student engagement and citizenship development has not been recognized at the national level. This research paper provides an overview of the community engagement practices in both countries, with the national patterns represented through a summative review of selected Canadian and Mexican universities. Suggestions for processes and practices for Canada are proposed based upon the Mexican model.


Author(s):  
Jana Grekul ◽  
Wendy Aujla ◽  
Greg Eklics ◽  
Terra Manca ◽  
Ashley Elaine York ◽  
...  

This paper reports on a pilot project that involved the incorporation of Community Service-Learning (CSL) into a large Introductory Sociology class by drawing on the critical reflections of the six graduate student instructors and the primary instructor who taught the course. Graduate student instructors individually facilitated weekly seminars for about 30 undergraduate students, half of which participated in CSL, completing 20 hours of volunteer work with a local non-profit community organization. We discuss the benefits of incorporating CSL into a large Introductory Sociology class and speculate on the value of our particular course format for the professional development of graduate student instructors. A main finding was the critical importance to graduate students of formal and informal training and collaboration prior to and during the delivery of the course. Graduate students found useful exposure to CSL as pedagogical theory and practice, and appreciated the hands-on teaching experience. Challenges with this course structure include the difficulty of seamlessly incorporating CSL student experiences into the class, dealing with the “CSL”/ “non CSL” student division, and the nature of some of the CSL placements. We conclude by discussing possible methods for dealing with these challenges.  


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document