David Mogk Dept. of Earth Sciences Montana State University

1. Assessment of Service Learning ProjectsNot necessarily the “answer” but some questions and suggestions David Mogk Dept. of Earth Sciences Montana State University

2. ASSESSMENT—What is it? • Collection of evidence to answer a question or solve a problem • Diane Ebert-May • I use “evaluation” to assign “value”—good/bad; final grade, …. • Resources (Assessing Student Learning) • Starting Point Module on Assessment http://serc.carleton.edu/9114 • Cutting Edge Observing and Assessing Student Learning http://serc.carleton.edu/9142

3. Why do Assessment? Accountability To administration, funding agency, community client To Demonstrate Change—from initial state to final product Impacts (on students, community) Benefits (e.g. to convince skeptical colleagues; To Achieve Buy-in from students; to recruit future partners… To review, reflect upon, revise, and improve on-going projects

4. How Will the Assessment be Used(and by whom, and for what purpose)? Formative— ”road checks”, are we on course? (feedback for project leaders)? Summative— measures of success (for project leaders, administrators, benefactors) Longitudinal— long term impacts (faculty, institutions, community)

5. What Type of Evidence “Counts”? Approaches (multiple, independent lines of evidence—like your research!) Self-reporting; (journals, interviews…) External Observers (surveys, evaluation forms) Automated (e.g. web statistics) Quantitative; rubrics; how many…? Narrative/anecdotal Pre- Post- activity to measure Δ; baseline needed Comparative demonstrating changes pre- and post-project Outcomes-based demonstration of quality of products/results

6. What Are Your Project Goals? Assessments must be well-aligned with goals (How will you know….) For Students Content Mastery? (e.g. compare with GCI?) Skill Mastery? technical, communication, quantitative, graphic, information access and vetting, interpersonal skills Affective Aspects Engagement with science, connection to community, pride in work, personal growth—self-confidence…. Willingness to undertake service projects in the future? Ownership? Responsibility? For Department/Institution/Course/Curriculum Recognition of institutional contribution to community? Met course goals (syllabus); contributed to curriculum? For Community Mission Accomplished? Lasting benefits?

7. Hard-Earned Advice • Make sure that the expectations of all parties are aligned! • Your standards are clearly articulated • Students know what to expect (uncertainty is the great killer of these types of projects) • What will the product look like, how it will be evaluated? Provide examples! • Community partners know what the expected product will be. No Surprises! • Assessments • Must be built into the plan from the beginning, not an afterthought • Can be embedded, and can be done continuously through the life cycle of the project; • Intervene early if things go awry!

8. Some Strategies I’ve Used • Semester-long SL Project • Small groups: periodic self evaluation and peer evaluation • to make sure all are satisfied that all are contributing • Equal participation is different than equitable—let students play to their natural strengths; all contribute in different ways! • Group captain reports to me; responsible for group product • I intervene when needed. • In the working world, fortunes sink or float according to ability to work in groups with diverse backgrounds/abilities • Road checks; timetable w/ goals • Info by X date; text by Y date; final product by Z date….. • Consequences for missed deadlines. • Quality of final product • Product score based on rubric • All get same credit if all did work; credit distributed proportionally if peer reports show someone “slacked”

9. Collaborative/Cooperative Learning Using Cooperative Learning to Teach Mineralogy (and other courses too!), Srogi and Balochehttp://serc.carleton.edu/23852 Starting Point Module on Cooperative Learning http://serc.carleton.edu/10838 Preparing Students for Collaborative Case Studies http://serc.carleton.edu/1381

10. SL Public Presentations Poster or oral presentations Scoring rubric for content and presentation (my standards) Text, voice, graphics… External judges (professional standards) Scientific accuracy, …. Community Review forms Interest, value…. Solicited letters from community partners Evaluate the quality of the product Evaluate the process

11. Assessment is important at many levels… Use the right tool for the job Students Learning outcomes Personal development Project Formative—project stayed on course Summative—measurable outcomes were achieved Longitudinal—long-term impacts Community Real benefits were realized