Service-learning Course Research Articles

Connecting mind, heart, culture and activity in an undergraduate service-learning course

ABSTRACT This manuscript reports on an educational project that was designed to closely link educational theory and practice – or mind, heart, culture, and activity – in a community-engagement course on sociocultural learning theory and ethnographic research. We identify patterned ways in how students connected theory and practice as revealed through an analysis of field notes written across three quarters of instruction about their experiences in an after-school program at an urban elementary school. We draw implications for how undergraduate education can better foster students’ ability to engage with theory in support of transformative educational practice.

Dewey, Implementation, and Creating a Democratic Civic University

Dewey, Implementation, and Creating a Democratic Civic University

Examining Undergraduates’ Perspectives on Course-based Outcomes of Service-Learning from Vocational Education Context

Service-learning is an emerging teaching and learning approach. It promises numerous academic outcomes for students, teachers, and communities. However, findings of previous studies are mixed and inconclusive about the service-learning outcomes in terms of gender, ethnicity and type of courses. The existing studies have mostly been conducted in general education field. There is insufficient evidence about its outcomes for students of vocational education. Hence, further investigation is warranted to assess its contributions for students of vocational education. This study investigated the impact of service-learning on course-based outcomes of students in vocational education. Using a survey approach, data were collected from 100 students who happened to attend a service-learning course in vocational training institutes of Punjab, Pakistan. Factor analysis was computed for instrument validation. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA were calculated under inferential statistics to analyze the collected data. The results showed a mixed effect of service-learning on course outcomes of students in terms of gender. The students showed better improvement in mastery of course work content but did not demonstrate significant work related to team skills enhancement. Future research is recommended to validate the results of this study in other contexts for further understanding the contributions of service-learning regarding course-based outcomes.

Application of lean principles in a medicare insurance counseling service learning course

BackgroundLean principles are increasingly applied in healthcare to improve quality and cost. A service-learning course providing Medicare insurance counseling requiring rapid transformation due to the COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity for pharmacy students to apply lean skills. Educational activityStudents, already introduced to lean skills earlier in their curriculum, enrolled in the insurance education certificate during their third year in Fall 2020. Students were oriented to the mandated service delivery restrictions. After a review of lean principles, students analyzed existing process for in-person counseling using a value-stream map. Students worked in teams to complete a cause analysis and develop solutions. Collaboratively, students clarified the value of the Medicare insurance counseling services to the community, adapted these components to accommodate environmental risk, and developed standard work for client acquisition, communication procedures, and service delivery to optimize client satisfaction and safety. Outcomes compared before and after application of lean skills included number of pharmacy students completing insurance counselor training, number of clients counseled, and the mean out-of-pocket savings identified for Medicare beneficiaries. FindingsStudents applied lean skills to transform an insurance counseling service by developing and implementing a future state value-stream map and new standard work. Overall Medicare insurance counseling service metrics decreased compared to previous years, but the service was sustained despite pandemic restrictions. Application of lean skills and service redesign provided a method for students to provide services via telepharmacy. Application of lean principles increased student engagement with the course and provided an opportunity to practice quality improvement skills. Lean provides a flexible set of skills that can be introduced and applied in different pharmacy instructional settings.

Utilizing SALT and SCM models to support student learning through critical service‐learning

This article describes a two-credit critical service-learning course at the University of Minnesota and its evolution to utilize both the Social Change Model and Social Action, Leadership, and Transformation models in complementary ways to support student leadership development.

Empowered and educated: How an immigration service-learning course influenced students’ paths toward critical consciousness

In this qualitative case study, using Freire’s theory of critical consciousness development, we examined the influence of a 1-credit immigration policy service-learning course on college students’ motivations to act against immigration injustices. We found that after witnessing immigration issues at the Lower Rio Grande Valley area in Texas, participants felt compelled to advocate for immigrant communities. Also, by engaging in a critical analysis of systemic discrimination and ongoing reflections of their social locations, participants saw possibilities for both micro- and macro-level actions they could take to support immigrants and refugees. However, while participants felt an urge to act at the macro-level, they felt limited and powerless without additional credentials, such as law degrees. Participants perceived that to foster changes at a macro-level, they needed to further their education; thus, they focused their immediate efforts on micro-level actions, such as talking to family and friends about immigration policy issues.

Impacts of service learning on tourism students’ sustainability competencies in conflict-affected Bamyan, Afghanistan

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the impacts of service learning (SL) on teaching sustainability competencies in an undergraduate tourism program at Bamyan University, Afghanistan. This study reports on tourism students’ experiences in the SL course which taught five key sustainability competencies (collaboration, values thinking, action-oriented, systems thinking and integrated problem-solving).Design/methodology/approachThis paper assessed students’ perceptions of their sustainability competencies gained during the implementation of the course in 2016 and 2017 through focus groups, reflective essays and participant observation.FindingsThe results demonstrate how the SL experience led students to self-discovery, strong conceptualizations of sustainability and working relationships with community stakeholders.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to assess the impacts of a SL course in Afghanistan. The analysis provides valuable information for developing effective higher education programs, relationships of trust between students and community stakeholders and the empowerment of students to contribute to local solutions which serve a role in stabilization efforts in conflict-affected contexts.

Service-learning’s impact on dental students’ attitude to community service

BackgroundThis study aimed to observe the impact of service learning on the attitude of senior dental students toward community service.MethodsA cross-sectional survey-based was conducted and recruited a total of 120 senior students of Dentistry Taibah University that were enrolled in a clinical service-learning course using convenience sampling. The attitude of dental college students toward community service based on the model of helping behavior by Schwartz was evaluated through Community Service Attitude Scale (CSAS). The data was collected using the same questionnaires for the pre-test and post-test. Data were analyzed by using SPSS 25. A repeated-measures mixed-model ANOVA was used to test the changes across pre-and post-test.ResultsA total of 96 students completed the first survey, making a response rate of 80%, and 78 among them completed the second survey as well, making a response rate of 81%. Significant change (P < 0.0001) in ANOVA indicated that there was an overall change in attitude. ConclusionsIt can be concluded that community-based service-learning positively impacts the attitude of last year’s dental students toward understanding needs at the community level and the attitude to help in providing dental care at the community level.

Implementation of an Experiential Service-Learning Course in Biomedical Engineering Design for Undergraduate Students

The unique characteristics of the training needed for today’s biomedical engineers can represent a challenge in curriculum design. Practical experiential learning for biomedical engineering undergraduates is important to prevent under-developed professional skills. In this teaching tips article, we provide an example of how to incorporate experiential learning into the biomedical engineering curriculum to address the need for undergraduates to gain the desired skillsets to serve as the next generation of leaders in engineering, medicine, and business all through the lens of civic engagement. Here we outline our implementation of a recently developed service-learning course for our sophomore students that allows introduction of biomedical engineering discipline-specific design process early on in their undergraduate studies. Student teams work to design, build, and test novel devices to solve the unmet need of community partners, and in doing so, the course prepares students in developing technologies that not only address public health needs but that are also embraced by the community. This course in team-based design can help train students in analyzing real world problems for needs-based biomedical engineering through projects identified by interaction with community partners. Providing specifics of how this course was implemented as well as our reflection on student learning, we offer an analysis of the areas of success, a discussion of how interactions with community partners benefits the student professional skills development, and considerations regarding implementation. Here we highlight the ability of this course to exercise students’ social awareness in the design of technologies to improve society by addressing the genuine needs of community partners.

Service Learning Project Reflection in ARO

This Service Learning Project Reflection in Afghanistan Relief Organization mainly focuses on my volunteer teaching during TESOL Graduate program at Kabul Education University. In this project, I discuss my understanding, experiences and my students’ beliefs about service learning. Service Learning Project Reflection in ARO is the community needs, especially the students who are orphanage students and I voluntarily be ready to teach them and share my experiences that I have learnt during my MA.&#x0D; Afghanistan Relief Organization is partnership of ACCESS, so when I start my service learning the students are happy and they engaged in the lesson, because it is necessary for them to understand what I am teaching to enrich their knowledge. Students who are in ARO studying full time and this service-learning course are optional. The purpose service learning, students learn more about their relationship with the communities they engage socially with classmates. Learn more about their capacity for serving others. Mostly in this course applied integrated speaking and reading English course involves forty hours teaching in ARO. Service-learning is an experiential learning pedagogy that moves students beyond the classroom to become active participants in their learning and develop community knowledge and skills.&#x0D; Objectives: The purpose of this article is to hold project service learning in ARO because of community needs and to develop students learning styles the process of learning through integrating reading and speaking skills.

The Impact of Service-Learning: Perspectives of Natural Supports of Students with Intellectual Disability on a College Campus

This qualitative study shares experiences of 337 undergraduate students majoring in special education or related fields completing requirements in a designated service-learning course learning about intellectual disability (ID) and other exceptionalities at a rural university in the southeastern United States. In this course, each student had opportunities to work with 8-12 young adults with ID engaging in a variety of shared college experiences (e.g., meals, active leisure, homework, working out, campus activities). Our study focused on understanding the shared views, perspectives, attitudes, and career aspirations based on this service-learning opportunity. First, we explored the connection between the changes in perspective or attitude. Second, we investigated the students desire to further pursue a career in special education or a related field after this service-learning experience. Lastly, we examined the relationship between service-learning and overall benefits of inclusion or changes in attitude. Future research, implications for practice, and limitations are also discussed.

A Pilot Study: The Impact of COVID-19 on Student Learning in an Academic Service-Learning Course

This pilot study examined the impact from COVID-19 on academic learning. An explanatory mixed-methods research design was used to explore student learning outcomes for 70 students who participated in an academic service-learning course during the pandemic. Student surveys revealed increases in their racial-cultural-ethnic identity development and interest in multicultural work from the beginning to the end of the semester. Student reflections also indicate that they gained confidence and patience, reformulated diversity attitudes, and acquired White privilege awareness through participation in service activities with recipients who culturally differed from them. The impact of COVID-19 on student learning is discussed.

Bridges to Civic Health: Enhancing Shared Service-Learning Collaboration in Nursing and History

Background: Faculty in nursing and history at Creighton University directed two service-learning courses on the history and public health implications of lead (Pb) exposure in Omaha, NE. As part of their service requirements, students conducted or observed blood lead screenings in area schools and reflected on these shared experiences in discipline-specific coursework. Strong student response encouraged the faculty to enrich transdisciplinary teaching and learning between these two courses. Although studies supply numerous best practices to develop collaborative experiences and service-oriented pedagogies, little work focuses on enriching collaborations between preexisting courses. Purpose: This study examines the outcomes of a partnership between nursing and history and presents a practical model that instructors can use to foster and deepen transdisciplinary service-learning. Methodology: Employing a hybrid grounded theory/topic modeling analysis of student reflection papers, we identify course outcomes of closest convergence. Findings/Conclusions: We argue that instructors can deepen transdisciplinary partnerships between service-learning courses by focusing on a common exemplar, encouraging collaborative experiences in the classroom and at service sites, and employing civic health as a shared concept in curricula. Implications: Beyond nursing and history, our model may be employed by faculty in preexisting service-learning courses to bring their courses into transdisciplinary convergence.

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: A STUDENT INTERNSHIP MODEL THAT BUILDS AGE FRIENDLINESS AND CAREER READINESS

Abstract For seven years, the University of Rhode Island (URI) Engaging Generations Cyber-Seniors Program has utilized university student mentors through an internship format and integration within service learning courses. In 2019, community interest in the program significantly increased as did student interest in gerontology internships. This led us to develop a robust internship program focused on building age and digital inclusivity across campus and the state of RI. The program integrates a three-pronged approach where students complete field hours within the URI Cyber-Seniors program, focus on enhancing the Career Readiness Competencies employers seek in graduates today as determined by the National Association of Colleges &amp; Employers, and complete the components necessary to earn the Geriatric Education Center Interprofessional Teamwork in Geriatrics and Gerontology Certificate. This process has enabled 350 students from different majors, including Pharmacy and Human Development &amp; Family Science, to complete internship experiences ranging from 30 to 210 hours.

Creating an Epistemically Diverse Undergraduate Linguistics Curriculum

This article outlines the implementation of a service-learning course, Linguistics and Community, in a linguistics combined, second- and third-year curriculum. Adopting a qualitative, textual-analytic methodology using Luckett (2001) as an analytical lens, supplemented by quantitative data, we set out to enlist service-learning as one useful means to attain an epistemically diverse linguistics curriculum with reciprocal benefits for both students and community partners. Using a purposive sample, we triangulated data from two data sources: students' reflective journals and an online questionnaire. Our findings showed that the Linguistics and Community service-learning course allowed students to engage in experiential learning, cross-cultural experiences, and become involved with issues related to community building. In doing so, the course exposed students to the relevance of linguistics in everyday life. We argue that a thoughtfully constructed disciplinary-based service-learning programme can be a useful tool in fostering epistemic diversity within a specific discipline such as linguistics and contribute towards the decolonisation of the discipline.

PS-7 Service-Learning Positively Impacts College Students’ Professional Development

Abstract Service-learning is a pedagogical approach that integrates community service with academic study. Students apply skills and knowledge in practical situations and reflect on their experiences. Our 3000-level service-learning college course, Leadership Development in Agricultural Sciences, involved student-led development and execution of a one-day event, “AgCamp”, held on university campus for high school students (n = 23). Early in the semester, college students (n = 42) were divided into one of ten cohorts. Throughout the semester, cohorts worked together to define and execute deliverables for AgCamp. The day of AgCamp included lectures and demonstrations in Animal Science, Horticulture, and Agricultural Mechanics; lunch; a lecture on careers in agriculture; and small group discussions about college. The objective of our study was to evaluate if participating in a service-learning course affected college students’ development and perceptions of the value of service-learning for society. Texas State University IRB approved this research (#7980). An electronic mixed methods questionnaire-based survey was developed and distributed to college students enrolled in Leadership Development in Agricultural Sciences as a pre- and post-test at the beginning and end of the Spring 2022 semester. Prior to distribution, survey validity and reliability were established. Questions were scored on a five-point Likert scale where 1=Strongly agree and 5=Strongly disagree. Data were analyzed in SPSS 26.0 using measures of central tendency and paired sample t-tests. As a result of participating in the service-learning course, students significantly increased (P ≤ 0.01) their agreement with “I believe I have strong leadership skills,” from a pre-test mean of 2.25 ± 0.67 to a post-test mean of 1.55 ± 0.68. There was also a trend (P = 0.08) for an increase in agreement with “I feel service-learning makes a positive impact on individuals’ lives,” from a pre-test mean of 1.68 ± 0.76 to a post-test mean of 1.45 ± 0.55. In the post-test, we asked students the degree to which they agreed with: “I feel I would have learned more if more time was spent in the classroom instead of a service-learning platform;” 58% of students disagreed or strongly disagreed. We also asked them to respond to “I felt what I learned in this course will be valuable for my future;” 86% agreed or strongly agreed. Further, 79% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they “developed a greater sense of personal responsibility” and 54% agreed or strongly agreed that they “developed a sense of purpose or direction in life” as a result of participation in the course. Ultimately, our data indicate participating in a service-learning course positively impacts college students professional development, in addition to their perceptions of the benefits of service-learning for society.

Creating an Epistemically Diverse Undergraduate Linguistics Curriculum

This article outlines the implementation of a service-learning course, Linguistics and Community, in a linguistics combined, second- and third-year curriculum. Adopting a qualitative, textual-analytic methodology using Luckett (2001) as an analytical lens, supplemented by quantitative data, we set out to enlist service-learning as one useful means to attain an epistemically diverse linguistics curriculum with reciprocal benefits for both students and community partners. Using a purposive sample, we triangulated data from two data sources: students' reflective journals and an online questionnaire. Our findings showed that the Linguistics and Community service-learning course allowed students to engage in experiential learning, cross-cultural experiences, and become involved with issues related to community building. In doing so, the course exposed students to the relevance of linguistics in everyday life. We argue that a thoughtfully constructed disciplinary-based service-learning programme can be a useful tool in fostering epistemic diversity within a specific discipline such as linguistics and contribute towards the decolonisation of the discipline.

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.

Conceptualizing high-impact practices within the frame of agricultural leadership education: A content analysis

The use of high-impact practices in undergraduate leadership courses is a common and effective way of developing students studying agriculture. However, each of the ten high-impact practices (HIPs) recognized by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (Kuh, 2008) are not equally studied or utilized by leadership educators. This study will provide a content analysis of the use of HIPs as a leadership pedagogy in undergraduate education. In the studies analyzed, which were grouped by categories of HIPs, only five of the ten main HIPs were represented. These were undergraduate research, diversity and global learning, internships, service learning, and capstone courses and projects. The analysis revealed each HIP resulted in one or more of Kuh’s (2008) proposed learning outcomes. Based on these findings, the researchers suggest HIPs be used more frequently in agricultural leadership curriculum and call on scholars to study the ten HIPs more closely.

Service learning and self-efficacy in exercise science: outcomes of a community fitness training program involving undergraduate Exercise Science students.

There is increasing awareness of the importance of civic engagement in higher education. Service-learning activities in undergraduate programs, in particular, have been linked to positive academic outcomes and gains in various forms of self-efficacy. Exercise Science students at our university complete two service-learning courses as part of the curriculum, each of which involves implementing a structured 12-week individualized fitness training program with a community member client. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of these service-learning experiences on Exercise Science students' self-efficacy for fitness assessment and exercise prescription. Students completed a seven-item self-efficacy questionnaire administered at both the beginning and end of each service-learning course and reflected on their experience using an end-of-course survey. Our results showed significant improvements in self-efficacy from pretest to posttest for each of the two service-learning experiences, with the second experience producing additional gains in self-efficacy over and above the first. Students also reported improved confidence in their fitness assessment and exercise prescription skills in the end-of-course survey. Community members involved in the fitness training program reported a positive experience with students' knowledge of fitness assessment and exercise prescription as well as their own progression to independence in a home exercise program. Our findings highlight the benefits of including a structured service-learning experience in the Exercise Science curriculum.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study was done to investigate the effect of a structured fitness training experience on Exercise Science students' self-efficacy for fitness assessment and exercise prescription. Our results indicate a significant improvement in self-efficacy from pretest to posttest. Students also reported improved confidence in their fitness assessment and exercise prescription skills. Community members reported a positive experience with students' knowledge of fitness assessment and exercise prescription and their progression to independence in a home exercise program.