Building the Field: The Case for Community Service Learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 308-320
Author(s):  
Janelle E. Lawson ◽  
Allison R. Firestone
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Community Service Learning ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Related Service ◽  
The Impact

In this study, the authors examine the impact of a community service learning course on undergraduate students’ decisions to pursue careers as special education teachers or related service providers. Participants ( N = 134) completed a course involving volunteer service with persons with disabilities in the local community and were surveyed as to whether they were interested in pursuing a career in special education upon graduation. Findings indicated that contact with a person with a disability through community service learning was a factor in influencing participants’ willingness to enter the field of special education.

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.

scholarly journals Community Service-Learning in a Large Introductory Sociology Course: Reflections on the Instructional Experience

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-78
Author(s):  
Jana Grekul ◽  
Wendy Aujla ◽  
Greg Eklics ◽  
Terra Manca ◽  
Ashley Elaine York ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Graduate Student ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Community Service Learning ◽  
Introductory Sociology

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.  

scholarly journals COVID-19 Modifications to a Service-Learning Project Designed to Prepare Special Education Students to Be Effective Participants in Transdisciplinary Collaborations

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy Doody ◽  
Katrina Fulcher ◽  
Pamela Schueltze
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Speech Language Pathology ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Language Pathology ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Early Childhood Settings

This research study examined the impact of COVID-19 on university students’ perceptions about the effectiveness of a community-based service-learning project designed to prepare graduate students in special education and undergraduate students in psychology and speech-language pathology to work in transdisciplinary teams in early childhood settings. Students were placed into transdisciplinary teams and assigned to one of two community-based early childhood programs to administer a universal screening tool that assessed young children in several domains. The project was in its sixth year when the country stood still because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project was re-envisioned, mid-course, to provide an equitable and rigorous assignment for students who were unable to complete the original assignment due to the lockdown. Student perceptions were compared, pre and post COVID; subsequent results are discussed in alignment with the original four goals of the project. Additionally, suggestions are posed to position this service-learning assignment for remote delivery should the pandemic persist to disrupt higher education.

scholarly journals Enhancing Undergraduate Student Self-efficacy and Learning with a Community Service learning (CSL) Nutrition Workshop Assignment

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 61-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Coletta ◽  
Rakhshan Kamran ◽  
Ayesha Khan ◽  
Kim Dej ◽  
Janet M Pritchard
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Community Service Learning ◽  
Teaching Community ◽  
Premier Cycle ◽  
Groupes De Discussion ◽  
The Impact

Community service learning (CSL) activities in undergraduate programs are associated with improvements in self-efficacy (confidence related to performing a specific task) and academic achievement. This study aimed to understand the impact of a CSL assignment on self-efficacy related to teaching community members about evidence-based nutrition and on the overall learning experience. Students were invited to participate in this mixed-methods study (surveys and focus groups), and the results indicate that the CSL activity not only increased students’ self-efficacy related to nutrition science communication, but also gave students a greater feeling of connection to their community and an opportunity to practice skills needed for future careers.   Les activités d’apprentissage par l’engagement communautaire dans les programmes de premier cycle sont liées à une amélioration de l’autoefficacité (la confiance en sa propre capacité d’accomplir une tâche particulière) et du rendement universitaire. La présente étude vise à comprendre l’incidence d’un devoir d’apprentissage par l’engagement communautaire sur l’expérience d’apprentissage dans son ensemble et sur l’autoefficacité au sujet de la nutrition s’appuyant sur des données probantes – par rapport aux membres du corps enseignant. Les étudiants étaient invités à participer à une étude employant des méthodes mixtes (des sondages et des groupes de discussion). Les résultats indiquent que les activités d’apprentissage par l’engagement communautaire augmentent l’autoefficacité en matière de communication de la science de la nutrition. Qui plus est, ces activités donnent aux étudiants un sentiment accru d’appartenance à leur communauté ainsi qu’une occasion de mettre en pratique les compétences requises dans leur future carrière.

scholarly journals A Thematic Approach to Realize Multidisciplinary Community Service-Learning Education to Address Complex Societal Problems: A-Win-Win-Win Situation?

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geertje Tijsma ◽  
Eduardo Urias ◽  
Marjolein Zweekhorst
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Third Mission ◽  
Community Service Learning ◽  
Complex Problems ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Thematic Approach

Universities are under increasing pressure to become more and better involved in society as part of their third mission, to which Community Service learning (CSL) can contribute. To date, most CSL projects are mono-disciplinary, single courses, often of a short-term nature. In order to address the increasingly complex problems facing society, there is a need to adopt multi–and interdisciplinary CSL approaches that allow for a range of perspectives. The article describes and analyzes how a thematic CSL approach was initiated at the VU Amsterdam starting from the needs of a local community. Once loneliness was identified as an important and relevant issue, the approach evolved in order to include multiple courses and internships from different programs offered by two faculties and various stakeholders and community organizations. Taking an action–research approach, the CSL team evaluated the process of its development, outcomes and contributions, as well as possible benefits and considerations. In addition to more tangible outcomes arising from many student projects, the approach assists in building new community networks, supports project continuity, deepens knowledge, encourages new collaborations, reduces CSL-created workload and finally increases student development, motivation and sense of ownership. Overall, it can be concluded that the thematic approach can contribute to addressing complex problems as it allows for multidisciplinary collaborations while not imposing too great a burden on the established curriculum. This makes the thematic CSL approach a valuable stepping stone in advancing CSL in universities, and so contribute to fulfilling their third mission.

The Impact of Community Service Learning on the Social Skills of Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
Azmina Afzal ◽  
Nasreen Hussain
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Community Service Learning ◽  
Learning Program ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

<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>

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