Service Learning at Western New Mexico University May 2007

Contributors: Emma Bailey, Michelle Behr, Gwen Cassel, Bill Charland, Alicia Edwards, Liza Kuecker, Sharman Russell, Maria Trillo, Beth Walker

Service Learning Philosophical Statement
Service Learning at WNMU engages students in structured community service activities and guided reflection as a part of the academic curriculum. Service learning gives students real-world experiences to enhance their learning while helping to address community needs and foster civic engagement through volunteerism

The components of service learning at WNMU are: (1) intentional and meaningful connections to curriculum, (2) student reflection through thinking, talking and writing about experiences, (3) building and sustaining community partnerships, (4) assessment used to ensure that both learning outcomes and contributions to the community are meaningful

Service Learning Writing Assignments
The WNMU model of service learning emphasizes writing as an integral part of the classroom assignments. Because writing allows students an opportunity to critically reflect, record and challenge their intellectual and personal growth, faculty may require a variety of projects to assist students in this endeavor. Assignments may include (but are not limited to): service learning journal, research paper, community action research portfolio, lesson plans, and an annotated bibliography.

In particular, the WNMU model of service learning uses a journal in which students regularly record their service learning activities and meaningfully reflect on their experiences. This journal may be part of the class grade. It is a dynamic record of the experience the student has had during the semester.

Expectations for Students

• Be prompt, willing, respectful and positive at the placement site, with the goal of building community partnerships.
• Complete all course requirements as detailed in the syllabus.
• Work with community partner to define duties and responsibilities and fulfill obligations.
• Be open to learning about, and from the community as well as sharing your knowledge and experience with the community.
• Speak with community partner supervisor and professor if uncomfortable or uncertain about your responsibilities and duties.
• Maintain confidentiality.

Expectations for Faculty

• Describe the service learning component and its relation to the course objectives as detailed in the course syllabus.
• Facilitate activities that will prepare students for their service learning experiences.
• Become familiar with the community partner sites with the goal of relationship building.
• Communicate at least once every two weeks with community partner supervisors.
• Require students to complete all necessary paperwork prior to the start of service.
• Ensure student self-reflection by providing individual and/or group forums for students to reflect on their learning.
• Be an active participant in service learning activities/ projects.
• Ensure the academic integrity of the service learning component.

Expectations for Service Learning Site

• Provide meaningful, helpful site orientation including history of agency if applicable
• Ensure that service is linked to coursework
• Ensure that service is challenging and meaningful
• Ensure that service is relevant to course learning goals
• Site staff is helpful as appropriate and adequate supervision is provided
• Site provides ongoing recognition of efforts, skills and abilities of students
• Placement matches interest and support of learning objectives
• Placement enhances understanding of community needs, problems, assets and resources
• Placement improves students’ understanding of working with people from cultures and backgrounds different than their own
• Placement teaches students how to communicate and work together with a variety of people different than themselves.
• Placement offers opportunity to prepare for leadership and service in students’ professional life
• Site is flexible in working with student schedules
• Site uses student time efficiently
• Placement provides concrete opportunities for students to learn new skills, think critically and test new roles in a supportive environment that encourages risk-taking and rewards competence.
• Students are involved in planning their service project

Assessment:
Assessment should be based on the quality of the experience, rather than a separate assessment of each participant (student, professor, community partner supervisor.) We envision an end of the semester joint meeting (lunch?) to celebrate the completion of the service learning experience.

Student Assessment of the Service Learning Experience
5 point Likert Scale items:

• Sufficient classroom time was spent to prepare me for the service learning experience
• This project allowed me to apply course content/theory to an experience outside the classroom
• I was able to apply experiences at the project site to the course content and class discussions
• As a result of this project, I better understand the material presented in this course
• This service learning project challenged me to think about the application of ideas in new ways
• My project helped me to think about my educational experience in different ways
• My project helped me to think about my career goals in different ways
• The writing assignments facilitated the integration of the classroom and community components
• Because of this experience I feel a greater sense of responsibility toward community
• Through this experience I gained a greater awareness of community needs and problems
• Through this experience I gained a greater awareness of the factors creating community needs and problems
• Classroom discussions facilitated the integration of the classroom and community components
• Service learning made a significant contribution to my WNMU experience
• If given the opportunity I would participate in service learning again

Open-ended items:

• The most meaningful aspect of this service learning project was:
• My service learning experience related to the class in the following ways:
• Compared with other methods of learning (for example, lectures, research papers, exams), the service learning experience:
• What I liked least about this experience was:
• If I had to cite one way in which my presence made a difference at the service learning site, it would be:
• Overall, the changes I would recommend in the service learning experience are:

Student Assessment of the Service Learning Site

• 5 point Likert Scale items:
• My service learning supervisor(s) used my time efficiently
• The expectations at my service learning site were reasonable
• The site supervisor(s) used my time efficiently
• The experiences at my service learning site matched my expectations
• My site supervisor(s) provided clear expectation for my performance
• My site supervisor(s) provided ongoing constructive feedback in a timely manner
• Working at this site provided me with the opportunity to expand my knowledge of community resources
• This site should be used for future service learning experiences

Open-ended items:

• I selected this service learning site because:
• Is there anything that could be done to improve the service learning experience? Please explain: