Service-learning Component Research Articles

Utilization of Art in Nursing Education to Enhance Student Spiritual Growth and Holistic Nursing Practice.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate student nurses' perceptions of how creative art activities might support spiritual self-exploration, foster understanding of holistic care and promote spiritual growth in relation to Mercy and Jesuit values emphasized in their nursing program. Design: A qualitative design was used with data collected through surveys and students' reflections. Methods: Students enrolled in an introductory nursing course with a service-learning component participated in the study. Students were initially asked to create drawings depicting Mercy/Jesuit charisms, spirituality, and holistic nursing then complete written reflections. At the term's end, students created group art projects connecting service learning, holistic nursing care, and spiritual growth. Students responded to survey questions regarding spirituality, Mercy/Jesuit charisms, nursing practice, and their art experiences. Findings: Surveys were completed by 122 of the 137 students who participated in the art projects. After initial difficulty with artistic expression, most students reported the projects provided an opportunity for introspection related to personal spirituality, nursing, and the impact of service-learning experiences on future nursing practice. Conclusion: Arts-based learning can help students explore and express spirituality related to nursing and support their understanding and integration of values essential to the delivery of holistic nursing care.

Undergraduate Perceptions of Teaching Science Abroad as a Service-Learning Experience

Service-learning is a type of experiential education, contextualizing classroom knowledge into real-world experiences. In this study, we investigated a course with an integrated service-learning component of teaching science to children in Kenya to learn more about how participants perceived their experiences. Using surveys, we found that the undergraduates who participated in this service-learning experience felt that they were more connected to their academic major and gained new or strengthened relationships. This experience allowed students to gain new perspectives about their studies or the world, and make deeper connections between classroom knowledge and the real-world context.

Abstract A072: Cancer health education in high schools: A qualitative analysis of student gains

Abstract Background. Cancer disparities are prevalent in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Community member feedback highlighted the importance of cancer education in reducing these disparities. Extension into alternative venues, such as high schools, can provide an innovative way to promote and provide cancer health information. The Cancer Health Education Curriculum (CHEC) provides high school students with an overview of cancer biology, cancer risk factors, early detection and screening methods, cancer treatment, survivorship, and cancer disparities. To reinforce their learnings, students complete a group project focused on a particular topic of interest. Integrated into the curriculum is a Service-Learning project in which students disseminate the information they learn to the community via a booth at the class sponsored “Cancer Health Fair,” a 30-second public service announcement or sharing their information with five friends and/or family members. Previously we published the effects on knowledge, beliefs and behaviors. In this presentation, we examine if outcomes differ by type of Service-Learning project. We also explore students’ perceptions of anticipated and achieved gains before and after the curriculum, as well as community feedback on the Service-Learning component. Methods. Data was collected between 2017-2019 at a Milwaukee Public High School. Students completed surveys before and after completion of the CHEC that included measures of cancer health knowledge, a validated measure of cancer fear and fatalism and Behavior Risk Factor Survey Study items querying about fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, tobacco use and screen time. Pre-curriculum surveys also include the open-ended question, “What do you hope to gain from CHEC,” and post-curriculum surveys include the question, “What did you gain from CHEC.” Quantitative data pre-post were compared using paired t-tests. Qualitative analysis was completed by participants by semester who responded to both pre and post question through coding and theme creation. Results. 521 students with a mean age of 15 completed the curriculum. Quantitative results showed significant improvements in cancer-related knowledge (p < 0.0001), cancer fear and fatalism (p < 0.0001) and three of eight health behaviors assessed showed significant improvement. Qualitative data analyses showed the most predominate response themes from the “gains” question included 1) understanding cancer better, 2) decreasing fear, 3) wanting to make healthy behavioral changes, 4) gaining skills to talk with family and friends about cancer. Qualitative data suggests that the creation of seminal messaging through health education and Service-Learning contributed to change in perception and attitude. Qualitative data through gains analysis will be presented by Service-Learning type. Study results also support the feasibility of integrating cancer education, leveraging a Service-Learning requirement, and the potential for such programs to impact friend/family communications related to cancer. Citation Format: Kathleen O'Connell, Melinda Stolley, Dakota Berg, Abigail Kerschner. Cancer health education in high schools: A qualitative analysis of student gains [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A072.

Reflecting on Reflecting

Reflection has been identified as a key component of service-learning. To add to the body of knowledge on pedagogical reflective practices, this paper examines how reflection was incorporated in an international service-learning project with Global Brigades in rural Honduras through the lens of three students from Atlantic Canada, one of whom engaged in the project through an optional course and two of whom had a co-curricular experience. The reflections incorporated throughout the project differed by group size, organization, structure, timing, setting, and tone. At a high level, combining different methods of reflection and understanding of gray areas in morality and engineering were explored. Recommendations for reflection in service-learning education are offered in preparing for the experience, during the international project, and after the experience to integrate learning with course content. This article utilizes a retrospective lens to examine the ways in which reflection was incorporated in a curricular and co-curricular international service-learning experience and offers insights from three students who participated in the project.

Evaluating Community Service Learning Effects on OTs’ Perceived Competence After Taking a Cancer Survivorship Elective

Abstract Date Presented 04/20/2023 Researchers conducted a mixed-method study evaluating the impact of a Community Engagement Model (CEM) on graduates’ entry-level competence. Participants consisted of OTD alumni who took a cancer survivorship elective with a community service-learning component. Participants reported perceived competence and indicated that engagement in service learning improved entry-level knowledge and skills, enhanced cancer culture awareness, and heightened their interest in cancer care. Primary Author and Speaker: Katie M. Polo Additional Authors and Speakers: Taryn J. Springgate, Megan Yingling, Sierra Kern, Ashton S. Williams, Shelby D. Cash, Katherine Kelley

Becoming a technology-capable language teacher: a new materialist perspective

ABSTRACT Research shows that in-service teachers often struggle to incorporate learned knowledge from their teacher education programs into the irregularities and complexities of their classrooms in part because of neoliberal values and practices that promote regularity and quantifiable outcomes. This is one of the reasons why, in recent years, a number of scholars have called for an ontological turn in teacher education that takes into consideration the intricacies and non-linearity of becoming a teacher. In the same spirit, this article draws on new materialist scholarship and the associated Deleuzo-Guattarian concepts of becoming, assemblage, affect, and learning (Deleuze & Guattari, 1987, 1994) to detail how two teacher trainees’ professional knowledge and selves were constantly re-shaped within tangles of relations between human, material, and expressive elements associated with an online teacher education course in technology-enhanced language education with an optional community service learning component. Data consisted of the course assignments, student interviews, and online blogs. Through traditional analytical methods such as coding as well as relational practices such as rhizoanalysis, new knowledge and understandings were produced regarding the role played by matter in the relational production of teacher education. As such, this article shows how re-theorizing the function, and impact of human, expressive, and material elements in teacher education can open new avenues of potential transformation for teacher trainees away from neoliberal thinking and practices.

Can a course on aging with a service-learning component change students’ attitudes toward aging?

ABSTRACT Ageism can negatively affect everyday interactions with older adults, social policies, healthcare practices, and the physical and cognitive outcomes of aging. Reducing ageism among young adults can improve the lives of older adults and allow for optimal aging. The current study investigates whether a psychology course on aging with a service-learning component can reduce ageism in undergraduate students as measured by the Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA). The course is designed to build a comprehensive understanding of aging through in-depth examinations of the aging process and by tying the course objectives to the goals of liberal education. In the service-learning component, students participated in activities with retirement home residents and wrote a literature review on intergenerational interactions along with a reflection on their experience with the residents. Results showed an overall reduction in ageism measured by FSA as well as a significant reduction on each of the three FSA subscales (Antilocution, Discrimination, and Avoidance). This study demonstrates that this holistic approach of teaching aging along with intergenerational interaction can be an effective approach used to change undergraduate students’ attitudes toward aging.

Using Service-Learning Experiences to Improve Cultural Competence in Pre-Professional Dietetic Students

Cultural encounters were used in a senior-level undergraduate nutrition capstone course to enhance students’ cultural competence attitudes and skills. The course included a service-learning component for which students met weekly with international students who were enrolled in an intensive English language program as conversation partners. The course content and structure focused on Campinha-Bacote’s cultural competence model. The model includes 5 constructs: cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural skill, cultural encounters, and cultural desire. This capstone, writing-intensive course included creative writing activities, discussion, journaling, and reflection papers. The 20-item Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence Among Healthcare Professionals-Student Version© was used as the pre-post-test measure. Paired sample t-tests were used to calculate outcomes. A significant increase from pre-test to post-test in the total score was found (t(18) = -6.852, p < 0.001). Pre- and post-test scores indicated students were operating at a culturally competent level. There were significant increases in all constructs with notable increases in cultural knowledge and cultural skill constructs. A course dedicated to developing pre-professional healthcare students’ cultural competence levels may better prepare them for professional practice.

Impact of a Cancer Health Education Curriculum Among Milwaukee Public High School Students.

In Milwaukee and nationwide, cancer incidence, late-stage diagnosis, and mortality are notably higher among some racial/ethnic populations. Cancer education has the potential to impact cancer burden and reduce cancer disparities. In particular, the addition of a service-learning component to academic curriculums has been shown to improve student learning as well as positively impact the surrounding community. This study implemented a cancer health education curriculum (CHEC) at a Milwaukee public high school with the goal of addressing cancer knowledge, fear and fatalism beliefs, and risk behaviors. The curriculum included interactive learning sessions and a service-learning final project. Five-hundred twenty-one students also completed pre- and post-surveys assessing cancer knowledge, fear and fatalism, risk behaviors, cancer-related communication, and a qualitative question asking what they hoped to gain (pre) or did gain (post) from the course. Results indicate (1) a significant improvement in cancer knowledge (p < 0.0001), (2) a decrease in cancer fear and fatalism (p < 0.0001), (3) an increase in fruit consumption (p < 0.0001), (4) a decrease in screen time (p = 0.0004), and (5) an increase in how often students spoke with their family about cancer (p < 0.0001). Qualitative data reflect important gains such as increased interest in sharing their knowledge about cancer with their community. Providing cancer education and leveraging a service-learning requirement led to notable changes in high school students' cancer knowledge, fear and fatalism, and risk behaviors. Students also communicated more with family/friends about cancer. Such efforts could have broader implications for student, family, and community cancer burden.

Teaching Public Health Program Planning: Service Learning in an Online Format

Service-learning has many benefits for undergraduate students in health promotion. Research on health promotion service-learning in an online format, however, is limited. This pilot study aims to evaluate a fully online, undergraduate health promotion service-learning course from the perspective of students enrolled in the course, the project recipients, and the partnering organizations. We also provide details about the course development and process as a resource for faculty teaching health promotion programing and evaluation courses with a service-learning component. College students enrolled in the course ( n = 44) completed a survey to assess learning outcomes. Service-learning program recipients (high school students; n = 127) completed a survey to assess program satisfaction, and teachers from the partnering schools ( n = 4) participated in interviews to explore program perceptions. College students had high confidence in their ability to conduct a needs assessment (91%), develop a program plan (93%), and implement (91%) and evaluate (89%) a health program. The majority of high school students reported that the program was interesting (65%), engaging (86%), and that they learned something new (62%). Teachers reported valuing the program, yet suggested multiple strategies to improve engagement online, including the use of interactive technologies and developing a rapport with students. This study suggests that an online format is appropriate for facilitating health promotion skill development among college students and provides recommendations for future faculty to strengthen course design and partnerships in an online setting.

Integration of a service-learning component into a course on nursing care for children with developmental disorders: A mixed-methods study

BackgroundService-learning provides nursing students with hands-on experience in a real-world setting. Students learn how to care for others and manage their emotions. AimThis study examined the effectiveness of integrating service-learning into a nursing course on nursing care for children with developmental disorders. DesignThis was a mixed-methods study with two pretest-posttest quantitative analyses and a qualitative component. MethodsNursing students (N = 74) enrolled in a semester-long course in nursing care for children with developmental disorders participated in the study. Data were collected between February 2017 and June 2021. The service-learning part of the course assigned teams of two to three students to provide nursing care for a child (ages 5–19 years) diagnosed with a developmental disorder. At the conclusion of the course, students presented a short video with reflections of their experiences. Pretest versus post-test scores compared mid-term and final exam scores regarding knowledge of children with developmental disorders and scores on a 9-item self-report instrument on service-learning skills. Self-reflections from the video presentation provided qualitative data about the impact on students' awareness of the caregiving needs of children with developmental disorders. ResultsThe mean final exam scores were significantly higher compared with midterm scores (96.12, (SD = 4.63) vs 94.82 (SD = 12.08); F = 6.81, p < .001), indicating knowledge of developmental disabilities had increased. Pretest vs posttest scores for service-learning skills indicated confidence had significantly increased (p < .001). Students' video reports indicated sensitivity to the challenges and needs of these children had increased. ConclusionsService-learning exposed nursing students to the challenges and rewards of caring for children with developmental disorders. Knowledge, as well as confidence, increased. Nurse educators could easily integrate service-learning into courses required as part of the curriculum for pediatric nursing students.

Reconnecting Youth to Nature: A Camp on Campus Model

Day camps are a powerful context for youth development. The American Camp Association and Leave No Trace have been integral in supporting youth development by identifying outcomes associated with participation in outdoor recreation. Recreation majors in the programming class used the camp as a service-learning component of the class that offered them valuable hands-on experience in program design, program facilitation, working with youth, and program evaluation. Therefore, this study evaluated the impact of camp on identified youth outcomes. The outdoor recreation camp was a partnership from a private school and local university. The Youth Outcomes Battery provided measures that focus on common outcomes (e.g., affinity for nature). Thirty-one of the 32 campers completed the retrospective questionnaire. The sample was 61% female, with an average age of 9 years. On a scale of 1 to 10, campers scored a 9.32 on Level of Enjoyment. Findings show that over 50% of the campers learned “a little” or “a lot” about the desired outcomes (e.g., affinity for nature). This work provides an example of an evidence-based nature camp.

Active Learning and Community Engagement: Pedagogical Synergy through the "Mobile Neuroscience Lab" Project.

The Mobile Neuroscience Lab is a project that facilitates combined pedagogical strategies of active learning and neuroscience outreach as a service learning component of a physiological psychology course. The overall project goals were to improve science knowledge, foster oral communication, and encourage positive science attitudes and beliefs. Of these goals, positive science attitudes and beliefs were assessed. During active learning, university students completed hands-on activities corresponding to the physiological psychology course. Following, during the neuroscience outreach activity ("learning through teaching"), university students and middle school students engaged in small group activities (one university student to five middle school students) using the same hands-on activities. Assessment of the perceived benefit of the active learning showed that university and middle school students responded favorably to the hands-on activities. Students' science attitudes were also assessed (Hillman et al., 2016) using a pre-test, post-test design. Data showed that the neuroscience activity did not change middle school science attitudes and beliefs (p > .05), possibly as the science attitudes and beliefs were already positive (moderate to high) prior to the outreach activity. However, qualitative data showed that the aspect of the neuroscience outreach activity that most assisted the middle school students in their learning was seeing the brain, touching the brain, and social interaction with the university students. Overall, the pedagogical strategies of active learning, and "learning through teaching", were received with enthusiasm by university and secondary education students. Future studies will include classroom teachers' assessment of these hands-on activities.

Abstract PR-19: Impact of a cancer health education curriculum among Milwaukee public high school students

Abstract Purpose and background: The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of a Cancer Health Education Curriculum (CHEC) on students' cancer knowledge, cancer fear and fatalism, risk behaviors, and frequency of communication about cancer with family/friends. This curriculum was integrated into a Milwaukee public high school where over 80% of students are Hispanic, African American, or Asian. In Milwaukee and nationwide, there are notably higher rates of cancer incidence, late-stage diagnosis, and mortality among racial/ethnic populations. Cancer education has the potential to impact cancer burden and possibly address some of these cancer disparities. In particular, the addition of a service-learning component to academic curriculums has been shown to improve student learning as well as positively impact the surrounding community. Methods: The CHEC was integrated into the high school health course and took place over four-to-five weeks of a semester. It included one week of interactive learning sessions that focused on cancer biology, modifiable and unmodifiable cancer risk factors, social determinants of health, cancer disparities, screening, and early detection. In the following weeks, students completed research that culminated in a service-learning project (i.e., presenting at a student health fair, creating a public service announcement, or disseminating a cancer-related educational message to family/friends). Students also completed pre- and post-surveys that assessed cancer knowledge, fear and fatalism beliefs, risk behaviors, frequency of communication about cancer with family/friends, and a qualitative question asking what they hoped to gain/did gain from the course. Results: Since 2017, over 600 students of various population groups (50% black/AA, 18% Hispanic/Latino, 14% Asian, 8% non-Hispanic white, 10% other) have participated in the CHEC, and over 900 family and community members have attended the cancer health fairs and other education outreach efforts. Results indicate: 1) a significant improvement in cancer knowledge (p&amp;lt; 0.0001), 2) a significant decrease in cancer fear and fatalism (p&amp;lt;0.0001), 3) a significant increase in fruit consumption (p&amp;lt;0.0001), 4) a decrease in screen time (p&amp;lt;0.0001), and 5) an increase in how often students spoke with their family about cancer (p&amp;lt;0.0001). Qualitative data from the students reflect important gains such as an interest in sharing their new knowledge about cancer with their community and a sense of empowerment that they can do something to prevent cancer. Conclusion: Providing cancer education within an existing course and leveraging a service-learning requirement to provide students with the opportunity to teach others leads to notable changes in high school students. These changes include increased cancer knowledge, decreased cancer fear and fatalism, a decrease in certain cancer risk behaviors, and an increase in conversations with family/friends about cancer. Future studies could examine the impact of these conversations on screening rates and health behaviors in family members. Citation Format: Abigail Kerschner, Kathleen Jensik, Anne Mathias, Dakota Berg, Alexis Visotcky, Melinda Stolley. Impact of a cancer health education curriculum among Milwaukee public high school students [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PR-19.

Pax Populi: Empowering Afghans through Virtual Tutoring

I began tutoring two Afghan high school students through Pax Populi as a service-learning component of HONR 39900: Virtual Abroad Central Asia. This semester, I will be assisting Purdue students with developing successful tutoring partnerships with Afghan refugees through Pax Populi. The non-profit Pax Populi seeks to empower Afghans through virtual, one-on-one English tutoring. Originally, the program matched young people living in cities across Afghanistan with volunteer tutors, but in light of the Taliban’s rise to power, the organization is now working to provide virtual English lessons to newly arriving Afghan refugees. Many of the refugees speak little English. They will benefit from the help of volunteers to improve their speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills, so they can more easily find work and adjust to life in the United States. Since 2015, Purdue students have been involved in this tutoring project through a partnership between Dr. Liz Brite of the Purdue Honors College and Dr. Robert McNulty, director of Pax Populi. This year, Purdue students are having the opportunity to continue this work through a service-learning experience in HONR 39900: Beyond Afghanistan. This article seeks to inform others about the work Pax Populi has done to serve those in Afghanistan as well as Afghan refugees coming to the United States. This article also emphasizes the benefits volunteers gain from the program, including lasting friendships and a more complex understanding of the world.

'We Had More in Common Than I Thought': Scamming as an Undergraduate Service Learning Topic Involving Older Adults

An ongoing activity that cuts across several courses in the Gerontology Certificate Program at our College is the completion of implicit association exercises focused on age. Most college students show a distinct preference for those who are younger adults. It is difficult to get across to these students that the construct of being an adult is appropriate for all people beyond adolescence without relevance to age. College students enrolled in healthcare programs often have distorted views of aging and may not fully appreciate that all adults may share common aspects of their current lives. We describe qualitative analyses of reflections taken from an undergraduate psychology course that included a service learning component involving older adult learners. The service learning lessons focused on victimization associated with fraud and scamming. The classroom structure involved round table discussions with direct contact between college students, older adults and local law enforcement personnel. Reflective practices were used to integrate course content (development in adulthood) into this service learning activity. We report on qualitative data taken from student reflections. Content analyses of reflective essays identified five themes which operated to produce stronger identification between age groups: frequency of being scammed across all 21 participants; insight that learning continues across the lifespan; understanding that broad learning challenges impact people (for different reasons) at both ends of the adult age spectrum; respect for adoption of strategies that facilitate learning/compensate for cognitive changes that occur with aging; acknowledgement that familiarity breaks down barriers between people.

Motivations and Perceptions of Student Service Participation

Researchers studying higher education frequently associated community service with liberal arts education. Most research on service participation among college students predominantly studies mandatory service-learning programs. Several studies gathered survey data to analyze opinions and feelings towards volunteering from students at universities with a service-learning component and found that students who participate feel more connected to and engaged in their community. Georgia College &amp; State University (Georgia College or GC), a public liberal arts university, also claims community service is an integral part of their mission because it broadens students’ perspectives and forms engaged citizens. However, there is little data examining student motivations and perceptions of their voluntary service experiences as part of their education at liberal arts institutions. This research project addresses this gap using two methods: (a) participant observation during service events and (b) semi-structured interviewing with both students engaged in voluntary service activities as well as employees who observe student service involvement. Preliminary findings display a wide array of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for student service participation, and interview data relates service to the liberal arts mission as a method of expanding perspectives of students. These results support literature that says students benefit from service participation by both honing their skills and spurring their passion about community involvement. The findings herein add to the literature by exploring motivators for voluntary service participation.

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

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.

Building a sustainable rural physician workforce.

Building a sustainable rural physician workforce.

Promoting Quality of Life in Advanced Dementia Care: Reading Buddies Program as Service-learning.

The Reading Buddies Program was developed as a service-learning component of an Occupational Therapy Practice with Older Adults course as a collaboration between Tufts University and the VA Bedford Health Care System. The purpose of this service-learning program was to challenge graduate students’ implicit biases and improve communication skills when working with older adults with significant cognitive impairments. Through this collaboration, occupational therapy students provided individualized, activity-based care to Veterans with advanced dementia. In this qualitative study, a total of 55 guided reflection papers submitted by students were analyzed using NVivo. Four major themes emerged: “I was a fish out of water,” “I finally took a risk,” “And then I thought, maybe I should give myself a little credit,” and, “I am still experimenting with how I feel,” illustrating student outcomes and perceived benefits of participation in the Reading Buddies Program. Each theme reflected the development of clinical reasoning which was the targeted impact. Outcomes confirm service-learning as an effective tool and suggest further use for academic programs, emphasizing the potential of creative partnerships to meet educational goals while providing valuable programming to vulnerable populations.