scholarly journals 419 Academic performance and views toward community service from students engaged in service learning through a beef production course

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 179-179
Author(s):  
William B Smith
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Laboratory Section ◽  
Cow Calf

Abstract Experiential learning is a feature common to post-secondary agricultural education. Similar to experiential learning opportunities, incorporation of service learning into post-secondary coursework is being encouraged more often. Our objective was to determine how community engagement and introduction of real-world problems in a species-specific production course would affect student performance and outlooks on community service. This experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design within the beef cattle production class during the spring 2019 semester at Tarleton State University. Thirty-eight students were enrolled in the course across two laboratory sections. Students in the first laboratory section were used as a control group. In the control, students were asked to draw from a selection of possibilities a description of herd size, sire and dam breed type, and county. Groups were asked to develop a management plan for a commercial cow-calf operation. Students in the second laboratory section were asked to brainstorm the most prevalent barriers to implementation of best management practices in cow-calf production. Groups were randomly assigned to each topic and were tasked with developing a tri-fold brochure addressing the barrier. They were instructed that this was being done as a service to the greater beef community and would be evaluated by industry representatives. Students in CON had more (P < 0.05) students that reported performing community service weekly or monthly prior to the study than TRT. Groups were similar (P ≥ 0.41) in their assessment of community needs and the role of college students in community service. Likewise, CON and TRT had similar (P ≥ 0.41) responses in having less time available for coursework and their service contributing to the betterment of the overall community. Results are interpreted to mean that incorporation of service learning opportunities does not influence student views on community service.

The integration of a community service learning water project in a post-secondary chemistry lab

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Ho ◽  
Boris S. Svidinskiy ◽  
Sahara R. Smith ◽  
Christopher C. Lovallo ◽  
Douglas B. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Community Service Learning ◽  
Secondary Chemistry ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
K 12

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.

scholarly journals SERVICE LEARNING AS A MEANS TO ENHANCE CONNECTIONS TO OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S536-S536
Author(s):  
Marjorie A Getz
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
Certificate Program ◽  
Course Content

Abstract Aging is a distinct part of the life cycle. College students enrolled in courses in gerontology often have difficulty relating to aging, that part of life not yet experienced. They may not fully appreciate that adults become more unique, not more similar, as they age. We describe courses in an undergraduate gerontology certificate program that incorporate experiential learning activities with older adults across a hierarchical sequence of courses. These courses feature service learning opportunities focused on increased understanding of course content, broader appreciation of the discipline and improved sense of civic responsibility. Much like the course content of the curriculum, the incorporated experiential learning opportunities for each course level fit a hierarchy leading to student competence and skills development needed for success in the final independent practicum. For the described courses, students provided community service, experienced direct contact with older adults and used reflective practices to integrate course content into service learning activities. We report on qualitative data obtained from students enrolled in the foundational course, Biophysical Aspects of Aging and the third level course, Aging and Mental Health. Content analyses of reflective essays identified five themes: (a) insights about the realities of aging in America (b) perceptions concerning personal negative stereotypes about older adults; (c) feelings of accomplishment/awareness of new skills in providing community services; (d) understandings related to the importance/value of community service; and (e) successes in integrating the course work on aging into service-learning experiences. Other experiential learning activities incorporated into this gerontology certificate program are highlighted.

scholarly journals Learning by Building: How a Landscape Construction Studio Enriches Horticultural Education

HortScience ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 1133F-1134
Author(s):  
Anne Spafford
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Landscape Design ◽  
University Education ◽  
North Carolina State University ◽  
Final Project ◽  
Service Learning Projects

The Department of Horticultural Sciences at North Carolina State University began offering landscape horticulture students a construction studio in 2002. This unique studio engages students in experiential learning (hands-on) and service learning (client-based) projects while simultaneously applying knowledge they have gained during their university education. Three years later, the Landscape Construction Studio is a model course that pushes students to design creatively, while providing a practical foundation in how ideas transition from paper to reality. Projects embody several learning objectives, including fostering exploration and discovery while raising students' awareness of strengths and limitations of traditional and nontraditional construction materials. In addition, the studio enables the elimination of students' tendency to compartmentalize course work, and encourages students to broaden their understanding and appreciation of the world around them. A typical semester incorporates several smaller projects that introduce students to a variety of materials and lessons in construction methodologies. Projects increase in size and complexity over the course of the semester, leading to a comprehensive landscape design and installation project in which students experience the entire design process. Through this final project, students see how information gained from other horticultural and general classes are applied in landscape design. This presentation will discuss the importance of incorporating experiential learning components to horticultural courses, and the pros and cons of service learning projects. Presentation of best management practices will stimulate discussion among the audience.

scholarly journals Improving Student Reflection in Experiential Learning Reports in Post-Secondary Institutions

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Tiessen
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Critical Reflection ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Community Service Learning ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
The Difference

Work-integrated learning options—or experiential learning—(such as co-operative education, practicum placements, and community service learning/volunteer placements) offer much scope for enhancing educational opportunities for post-secondary students to learn about the workplace and to develop skills that may contribute to their future employability. However, community service learning (CSL) placements and co-operative education (co-op) programs, among other forms of experiential learning, offer so much more than the practical outcomes of skills-development and résumé-building. They provide a space for reflexivity on the student’s positionality in relation to privilege and national and/or global citizenship identity-formation; for critical reflection on ethical issues; for the promotion of social justice; and for praxis (the application of knowledge). The research presented in this article is an evaluation of two sets of experiential learning reflection assignments: co-op work-term reports (from 2nd, 3rd, 4th year and graduate students) and CSL papers (assignments submitted for a fourth year class I taught in winter 2016 on experiential learning). I examine the common themes and differences between these two sets of assignments with particular attention to the preparation and facilitation of learning in both instances, and the difference this preparation makes in terms of the student’s critical reflection.

scholarly journals 2013 3M Student Fellows Feature Article - Exploring the role of the university student as an experiential learner: Thoughts and reflections from the 2013 cohort of 3M National Student Fellows

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
Anita Acai ◽  
Victoria Cowan ◽  
Stephanie Doherty ◽  
Gaurav Sharma ◽  
Naythrah Thevathasan
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Student Leaders ◽  
University Student ◽  
Post Secondary Education ◽  
Feature Article ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
The University

In recent years, there has been a dynamic shift in the role of the university student through the creation and promotion of experiential learning opportunities on campuses across the country. Many post-secondary programs now include co-op placements, practicums, or internships where students can apply theoretical knowledge to real-world settings. However, in this article, we have chosen to focus on more “altruistic” forms of experiential learning – volunteerism, development work, and service-learning – which have gained increased focus in recent years but are often used, we feel, without appropriately reflecting on their meaning. In this article, we draw upon our experiences as student leaders to define each of these roles, outline what we see as the benefits of experiential learning for students, and provide recommendations for how these learning opportunities can continue to be improved. Moreover, we identify privilege, ethics, and responsibility as complexities related to experiential learning and discuss each of these topics in more detail. We end our discussion by addressing the role of experiential learning in helping to define the value of a post-secondary education.

Community Service Learning with First Peoples

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brydie-Leigh Bartleet ◽  
Dawn Bennett ◽  
Anne Power ◽  
Naomi Sunderland
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Community Music ◽  
Culturally Appropriate ◽  
Community Service Learning ◽  
Intercultural Learning ◽  
Music Making ◽  
First Peoples

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.

scholarly journals Innovative Extension Methods in the U.S. to Promote Irrigation Water Management

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 1549-1558
Author(s):  
Daran R. Rudnick ◽  
Matt Stockton ◽  
Saleh Taghvaeian ◽  
Jason Warren ◽  
Michael D. Dukes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
New Technology ◽  
List Type ◽  
Extension Programs ◽  
Irrigation Water Management ◽  
Primary Means

HIGHLIGHTSUniversity extension has been playing a larger role, serving a larger number of irrigated farms.Extension programs in irrigation water management (IWM) have been transitioning away from lectures and field tours as the primary means of knowledge transfer.New IWM programs focus on experiential learning, development of practitioner networks, and industry participation.Abstract. Promotion and adoption of irrigation water management (IWM) technology, tools, and best management practices are important as water availability concerns are addressed. Traditional extension programs have relied on lecture presentations, field tours, fact sheets, and on-station demonstrations to promote IWM practices and tools. However, these platforms tend not to provide the experience and opportunity for growers to identify and become comfortable with innovative solutions, such as new technology. To address these challenges and to appeal to an ever-changing client base, innovative and locally relevant extension and outreach programs have been devised to engage and educate growers. This article describes some of these programs that extend beyond previous traditional programs to connect growers with IWM. Keywords: Demonstrations, Experiential learning, Grower competition, Outreach, Practitioner networks.

scholarly journals Community Service-Learning: Why Can’t Canada Be More Like Mexico?

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-59
Author(s):  
Victoria Calvert ◽  
Halia Valladares Montemayor
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
National Level ◽  
Community Service Learning ◽  
Community Partners ◽  
Canadian Universities ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Volunteer Programs ◽  
The Government

  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.

Anthropological Contributions to Experiential Learning in International and Intercultural Contexts

2010 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 2-3
Author(s):  
Kiran Cunningham ◽  
Jayne Howell ◽  
Ronald Loewe
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Learning Assessment ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Intercultural Learning ◽  
Study Abroad Programs ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
Field Schools

Conversations about how to create meaningful and significant experiential learning opportunities for students in international and intercultural contexts are increasingly commonplace in academic institutions. With over a century dedicated to the development and refinement of a powerful set of methodological, attitudinal, conceptual, and theoretical tools for cross-cultural understanding and engagement, anthropology has much to offer these conversations. Contributors to this issue of Practicing Anthropology draw on their experiences directing international offices, directing offices and study abroad programs, leading internationalization initiatives, establishing service learning programs, running international and intercultural field schools, and developing intercultural learning assessment instruments. They all interrogate teaching and learning outcomes, exploring the ways that the theories and methods of anthropology have been effective in enhancing intercultural learning and offering models and methodologies that others can use in their own work. The first four articles in the issue were individually submitted, and were ideal complements to the six articles Kiran Cunningham compiled.

scholarly journals Experiential Learning in MPA Programs: A Case for Complementarity between Internship and Service Learning Requirements

2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (01) ◽  
pp. 132-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
John David Gerlach ◽  
Tyler P. Reinagel
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Community Benefit ◽  
Education Today ◽  
Additional Exposure

ABSTRACTExperiential learning is a growing practice in higher education today. Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs use experiential learning to expose students to application and reinforcement of academic theories and concepts. This most often is accomplished through a required internship. This article argues for the addition of service learning requirements to MPA curricula. A complementary relationship between internship and service learning requirements yields four primary benefits: (1) further involvement of pre-service and in-service students in experiential-learning activities; (2) additional exposure to real-life application of course concepts; (3) better and more targeted classroom reinforcement mechanisms; and (4) additional community benefit. Complementarity between internship and service learning requirements allows the best of each experiential-learning approach to augment the other. We contend that this produces better-prepared MPA graduates by exposing them to a more diverse set of immersive learning opportunities and application scenarios.

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