scholarly journals 336 Integration of teaching and extension of companion animal biology and nutrition

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 67-68
Author(s):  
Lisa Karr
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Extension Programs ◽  
Outreach Programs ◽  
Service Learning Projects

Abstract Students have a strong desire for hands on experiences during their undergraduate careers. This can be accomplished through combining teaching with extension to provide students with new experiences. Many students chose Animal Science because they had experiences with extension programs when younger and they have a desire to help animals. Utilizing undergraduate students in community outreach programs provides an opportunity for students to develop critical skills required for employment, but also provides a broader reach of companion animal extension programs. A variety of creative activities can be utilized to improve student learning and gain experiences outside of the classroom. Extension or outreach programs allow for opportunities for students to develop leadership skills. Undergraduate students serving as instructors in 4-H and other youth programs can provide both an impact on the education of the youth involved, but also develop a deeper understanding of materials. Undergraduate students can be involved in teaching health care, nutrition, and other topics related to companion animals to youth audiences. Examples of successful programs include student organized dog training courses, service-learning projects through humane societies or animal rescues, student involvement in feral cat control programs, and student assistance with spay/neuter programs. These activities can support student-learning outcomes as well as provide a valuable community service. During the process, the Kolb’s experiential learning cycle should be used to promote student development. This cycle includes a concrete experience, reflection, conceptualization, and active experimentation. Students must reflect on their experiences, consider how it could be improved, how it relates to their future careers and educational experience, and propose areas of improvement to gain the most from their experiences. Measuring the impacts of these activities on student learning and life skills, as well as community implications, will be critical to evaluation of the success of the programs.

Ethnographic Service Learning: An Approach for Transformational Learning

Journal ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie A. Medeiros ◽  
Jennifer Guzmán
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Transformational Learning ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
The United States ◽  
Field Methods ◽  
The Social ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
Transformational Experiences ◽  
Learning Projects

Trends in higher education pedagogy increasingly point to the importance of transformational experiences as the capstone of liberal arts education. Practitioners of ethnography, the quintessential transformational experience of the social sciences, are well-positioned to take the lead in designing courses and term projects that afford undergraduate students opportunities to fundamentally reshape their understanding of the social world and their own involvement within it. Furthermore, in the United States, colleges and universities have become proponents of service learning as a critical component of a holistic educational experience. In this article, we describe how service learning can be incorporated into training students in ethnographic field methods as a means to transformational learning and to give them skills they can use beyond the classroom in a longer trajectory of civic participation. We discuss strategies, opportunities, and challenges associated with incorporating service learning into courses and programs training students in ethnographic field methods and propose five key components for successful ethnographic service learning projects. We share student insights about the transformational value of their experiences as well as introduce some ethical concerns that arise in ethnographic service-learning projects.

scholarly journals Ujamaa and Universal Design: Developing Sustainable Tactile Curricular Materials in Rural Tanzania

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-136
Author(s):  
Alisha M. B. Braun ◽  
Betty Okwako-Riekkola
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
International Development ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Plastic Bags ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
Curricular Materials

Purpose: This article illustrates the power of collaboration in the spirit of Ujamaa to build curricular materials that can engage and support the learning of a diverse group of students in under-resourced environments. The authors reflect on their personal experience overseeing collaborative service learning projects with Tanzanian partners through a study abroad programme.Method: The service learning project took place in a rural primary school in northern Tanzania, characterised by large class sizes and the unavailability of teaching and learning materials.Tactile curricular materials were collaboratively developed by Tanzanian student teachers, practising teachers, and American undergraduate students. Locally available and recyclable materials were used, such as plastic water bottles, tubing, plastic bags and cardboard boxes.Results: Examples of curricular materials that were developed are presented, and lessons learned through the experience are shared.Conclusion: The use of locally available, recyclable materials enhanced sustainability. Having sustainable curricular materials that are accessible to a diverse range of students in under-resourced educational settings has the potential to foster learning for all. The underlying cultural concept of interconnectedness or Ujamaa strengthened the collaborative relationship between participating teachers and students, and can be drawn upon to enhance future service learning and international development efforts in education.

scholarly journals Community Psychology at a Regional University: On Engaging Undergraduate Students in Applied Research

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amie R McKibban ◽  
Crystal Nicole Steltenpohl
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Community Psychology ◽  
Applied Research ◽  
Community Partners ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
Regional University ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Service Learning Projects

Engaging students in service learning projects grounded in community psychology values and practices when working in a rural, conservative area provides several challenges and opportunities for faculty members. The authors share processes and outcomes from three case examples taking place between 2010 and 2013: (1) running focus groups and survey development with a local YMCA branch that predominantly serves people of color in low income housing, (2) the development of a strategic plan for the implementation of an art crawl in the local downtown community, and (3) the development and execution of an asset map evaluating supportive resources and spaces available to the local LGBTQA community. The authors reflect on feedback from students and community partners. These case examples highlight the complexity of balancing students’ skillsets, work and other life obligations, and desire to use classroom knowledge in community settings. It also highlights the importance of preparing community partners for working on applied research. We provide recommendations based on each project’s challenges and successes for universities and communities of similar demographics. Working in rural, conservative settings provide their own challenges and opportunities, but are well worth it if implemented in an intentional way, and more research is needed to strengthen our understanding of how best to engage students from a variety of social and political backgrounds.

scholarly journals The Traditional Non-Traditional Landscape Architecture Studio: Education Through Service Learning In Miami, OK

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leehu Loon
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Landscape Architecture ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
City Council ◽  
Final Report ◽  
Design Team ◽  
Educational Approach ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
Tangible Asset ◽  
The City

This research will illustrate the importance of a recent service learning project that was conducted for Miami, Oklahoma, by landscape architecture graduate students and faculty of the University of Oklahoma. Students and faculty partnered with the community to form the studio design team. Education in the landscape architecture studio at the graduate level provides an excellent opportunity to engage communities through service learning projects. Service learning is a unique, dynamic, and powerful framework for student learning and landscape architecture is a diverse profession which requires a multi-faceted educational approach, including community based outreach projects.  Miami, Oklahoma, was the site of a recent community outreach project where service learning provided the basic framework for this course. For the duration of an entire semester, students and faculty became entrenched in the community. The service learning project included an initial site visit for students to meet city staff that served as the community contacts for the project. Additionally, the studio design team made other site visits/ trips to Miami to present the findings throughout the project to the mayor, city council, and interested citizens.  Throughout the project, the product that the design team produced and presented to the community was two-fold. First, written reports were created that described the ideas behind the design, and secondly, traditional designs, in graphic form, were produced, illustrating the ideas of the project further. At the conclusion of the project, the studio design team presented the city with a final report that detailed the entire project process throughout the semester. This report serves not only as a written record of the project, but it also will assist the city in increasing support for the projects and programs that were illustrated by the design team so that the city can become more competitive as they seek state and federal funding for the projects. This research proves that service learning is not only beneficial to the students and faculty teams that work on the projects, but that these projects also offer a tangible asset to the community, strengthening the community from within.

Facilitating Age-Conscious Student Development through Lecture-Based Courses on Aging

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Russell ◽  
Éric R. Thériault ◽  
Amber Colibaba
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Attitude Change ◽  
Aging Process ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Personal Connection ◽  
Students Attitudes

Abstract Ageism is pervasive and socially normalized, and population aging has created a need to understand how views of aging and of older people, typically considered to be people over the age of 65, can be improved. This study sought to understand how undergraduate students’ attitudes towards older adults and the aging process may be influenced after completing a typical, lecture-based undergraduate course on aging that lacked service-learning components. Two undergraduate student cohorts (n = 40) at two Canadian universities participated in semi-structured focus groups/interviews, describing how the course may have impacted their perceptions of the aging process and of older adults. An iterative collaborative qualitative analysis demonstrated that course content stimulated a deeper understanding of the aging process, prompting a reduction in and increased awareness of ageism, and enhanced personal connection with aging, ultimately facilitating the development of an age-conscious student. Lecture-based courses focused on aging may be sufficient to facilitate positive attitude change among undergraduate students towards older adults and the aging process.

A Companion Animal in a Work Simulation: The Roles of Task Difficulty and Prior Companion-Animal Guardianship in State Anxiety

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Stewart ◽  
Oriel Strickland
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
State Anxiety ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
High Stress ◽  
The United States ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Lower State ◽  
Difficulty Level ◽  
Human Animal

Abstract Human-animal interactions often have positive physiological and psychological outcomes for humans. The current study extended research in this area by studying three variables that have never directly been examined together within a laboratory setting: task difficulty level (moderate versus extreme), the human-animal interaction (present or absent), and participants’ companion-animal guardianship status (yes or no) to determine whether a companion dog would reduce self-reported state anxiety. The participants were undergraduate students from a large western university in the United States who performed timed paper-and-pencil tasks either with or without the presence of a companion dog under varying degrees of task difficulty. Spielberger’s State/Trait anxiety measures were used to assess reactions to the work setting. Results indicated that although the mere presence of a dog is not enough to lower state anxiety for all participants, the interaction of companion-animal guardianship status and task difficulty was significant. Companion animals may assist in stress relief for people in average-stress jobs who already have positive feelings toward companion animals but may have no effect for people in high-stress jobs or who do not already enjoy the company of animals.

scholarly journals Holistic Student Development through Service Learning: An Experimental Study about Loyola College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-19
Author(s):  
S. John Kaviarasu
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Academic Learning ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Loyola College ◽  
Chennai City

Service Learning enhances and intensifies classroom learning which paves the way for practical community-based problem solving skills to students. The context of Service Learning at Loyola College, Chennai offers students an opportunity to explore the connections between the theoretical realm of the classroom and the practical needs of the community. In this connection, School of Service Learning at Loyola College is making the students to reflect about the experience in order to maximize the benefit of service in learning experiences. Therefore, this is an important process that links Service and academic learning. At the next level, it really motivates students to be human and also humane. Exposure to urban poor in the informal settlements of Chennai city makes undergraduate students of Loyola College to become aware about the issues faced by urban poor. Post graduate courses students gain exposure on rural interior villages which makes PG students to realize stark naked realities of the rural folk. Cognitive development is assured through formal Learning and teaching in the classroom by their respective teachers. Theoretical and Conceptual teaching could not provide holistic knowledge to students. This requirement is beautifully addressed by the School of Service Learning through its various activities and programmes with the constant guidance of professional social workers and Management.

scholarly journals Integrating Service Learning Projects into Civil Engineering Courses

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoqi (Jackie) Zhang ◽  
Nathan Gartner ◽  
Oguz Gunes ◽  
John M. Ting
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Traffic Signal Control ◽  
Program Outcomes ◽  
Heritage Foundation ◽  
Course Structure ◽  
Course Objectives ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
The City ◽  
Learning Projects

Three service-learning projects of various content, workload, and community partnering were identified and implemented in two core and one elective undergraduate courses in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2005. This paper presents how these service learning projects were seamlessly integrated into existing courses without removing pertinent course materials and without a significant increase in time commitment. Details on the course contents, course structure, projects implemented, and how each project was used to address certain course objectives were presented as well. The selected projects were as follows: (1) Davidson Street Parking Lot Redesign for the City of Lowell; (2) Intersection Analysis – Traffic Signal Control for the City of Lowell; and (3) Preliminary Building Structural Evaluation for the Architectural Heritage Foundation in Lowell, MA. Over 80 undergraduate students ranging from freshmen to seniors participated in these community-based projects. Course objectives and ABET program outcomes were evaluated by a course-specific survey questionnaire. Students’ experience on the S-L project was assessed by a newly developed survey instrument. The survey demonstrated that service learning had several positive impacts on the students.

scholarly journals “They do treat us as a bit normal now”: Students’ experiences of liminality and communitas whilst volunteering on a sports-based outreach project

2017 ◽  
Vol 53 (7) ◽  
pp. 869-889 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Hayton
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
North East ◽  
Sport For Development ◽  
The Social ◽  
Student Volunteers

Student volunteering during university has been widely championed for its purported benefits to both students and society alike. Internationally, universities have increasingly coupled student volunteering opportunities or embedded forms of service learning with sport-for-development programmes (SFD) as a means of contributing to strategic institutional objectives. However, there is a paucity of academic research that documents the social processes experienced by students as they converge with hard-to-reach client groups when volunteering on university-led SFD platforms. Therefore, and utilising data captured from semi-structured interviews ( n=40), this article explores the lived experiences of undergraduate students who volunteered on a sports-based community outreach project: the Sport Universities North East England (SUNEE) project. Largely run by student volunteers, the SUNEE project delivers a raft of sports-based and personal development programmes to hard-to-reach groups. This article utilises Victor Turner’s concepts of liminality and communitas to illustrate the processes of initiation and integration that confer both membership upon student volunteers and their legitimacy as leaders, when working with the hard-to-reach clientele on the project.

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