TUTORIAL 2

1. TUTORIAL 2 Identifying Goals and Objectives for Service-Learning/CBL Courses

2. Tutorial Goals • At the end of this tutorial, you will have an understanding of: • The differences between goals and objectives • The criteria and objectives specific for service-learning courses • The pedagogical models of service-learning courses

3. Tutorial Objectives • At the end of this tutorial you will be able to: • Determine if your course is appropriate for service-learning • Identify specific goals and objectives for your service-learning course • Choose the appropriate model for your potential course

4. General Explanation of Goals • Goal – general statement that provides some direction for student and instructor of what is to be accomplished in the course • Think of it as a state of being • For example: I want the students to understand concepts of family communication; I want to encourage students to think critically about current welfare policies • To know… • To realize…

5. General Explanation of Objectives • Objective – something that is measurable and achievable • Follows goals – ways to achieve the goals, demonstrate the goals • Think of it as an action of doing • For example: Students will articulate the types of family configurations; Students will critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of arguments in welfare policies • Many times it is good to make the following statement: • “At the end of the semester, you (or students) will be able to… • Define • Integrate

6. Categories/Criteria for Service-Learning Academic S-L Howard, 2001

7. Relevant and Meaningful Service With the Community • Service is reciprocal for all parties • Service must comply with what community defines as important and what instructor defines as important • Relevant • Meaningful • Developed and formulated with community • NOT “service to” or “service for” BUT “service with” the community

8. Enhanced Academic Learning Goals and Objectives • Service-learning complements the classroom experiences • Real-world experience enhances learning opportunities unavailable in more traditional pedagogies

9. Enhanced Academic Learning

10. Enhanced Academic Learning

11. Purposeful Civic Learning Goals and Objectives • Contributes to students preparation for community or public involvement in diverse democratic society • Seeks to prepare students with knowledge-skills-values for active involvement in future communities • Allows one to realize one’s local community and beyond

12. Purposeful Civic Learning

13. Purposeful Civic Learning

14. Choosing Appropriate Objectives • Not all the aforementioned objectives will be appropriate for your course • Look through the objectives and decide which are best suited for your course • However if you cannot see how your course fits somewhere within all three areas, your course may not be appropriate for service-learning as it does not fulfill the criteria for service-learning (community-based learning).

15. 6 Models of Service-Learning/CBL Heffernan, 2001

16. 1 - “Pure” Service-Learning Model 1 - “Pure” Service-Learning: • Courses specifically set up to send students out into the community to serve • The core of the course is to provide service to a community and not based within a particular discipline • Prepares students for active and responsible community participation • There may be some interdisciplinary aspects to the course; but primary goal is to provide service • Students have readings…related to population they serve Example: “Introduction to VISTA Preparation;” training students to be service-learning, or nonprofit coordinators; OR “Introduction to Service in Sudanese Communities”

17. “Pure” Service-Learning Benefits and Cautions with “Pure” service-learning: • Students learn direct skills, knowledge and competencies for this type of participation and service • Content IS service-learning, volunteerism, or civic engagement; thus intellectual elements are challenged by others • Others may view these courses as “lightweight” because they may not see the multi-disciplinary approach to the course (i.e., philosophical, social, historical… underpinnings related to the population or course)

18. 2 - Discipline-Based Service-Learning Model 2 - Discipline-Based service-learning: • Course is directly related to a discipline; academic study • Students work regularly in a community with a particular project that meets needs of community while meeting course objectives • Reflect on experiences throughout the semester; journals, papers, projects… • How most service-learning courses are created (via discipline) Example: Creative Writing; Evidence-Based Nursing Care Management

19. Discipline-Based Service-Learning Benefits and Cautions with Discipline-Specific service-learning: • Easier to defend intellectually • Link between community experience and course content must be made explicit • Placement monitoring is critical • The argument that the service is part of the class; but remember the site is another text for the course and an assignment like all others in the course

20. 3 - Problem-Based Service-Learning Model 3 - Problem-Based service-learning: • Students work with community as “consultants” to help the community with a particular problem or need • Assumes the students have appropriate knowledge for project • They can draw upon what they learn from community and classroom to make recommendations to community or to help develop a solution Example: Business web-design course; Science course that identifies appropriate plants for neighborhood; Dentistry class determines best dental care needed in neighborhood

21. Problem-Based Service-Learning Benefits and Cautions with Problem-Based service-learning: • Students take on responsibility and really own the project and work together to identify the community’s needs • Due to the limited time in the community (i.e., one semester), students may not be able to resolve the whole problem; however, part is still better than nothing • Be careful not to promote that students are “experts” and the community becomes a “client” with the project; remember the reciprocal relationship of service-learning and community-based service

22. 4 - Capstone Courses Model 4 - Capstone Courses: • Typically designed for majors or minors in a discipline and for students in final year • For students to draw upon knowledge obtained throughout academic career and combine it with community experience • Students may produce portfolio or particular senior project as a result of community experiences Example: Communication students working with Girls, Inc. to produce publications and promotional materials via focus groups and interviews with teens – students learn about young women in the community and produce materials for the community through the eyes of the young women

23. Capstone Courses Benefits and Cautions with Capstone Courses: • Helps students transition from world of theory to practice via professional and personal experiences • Students are sometimes responsible for placement as part of the experience is to highlight their skills • Communities are offered specific skill sets via students who can invest significant time in research and practice • Danger is that when students graduate and leave the community they take with them valuable knowledge not easily replaced

24. 5 - Service Internships Model 5 - Service Internships: • Different than other internships in that they have regular and on-going reflections linking community experiences with discipline-based theories • Set in site that is typical for service-learning; more nonprofit in nature • Reciprocal in nature; community members and student benefit equally • Many times non-paid in nature Example: student serving at Red Cross; student serving at Guadalupe Center; student working with after school children at Kiewit Middle School; pharmacy student working at a Native American reservation

25. Service Internships Benefits and Cautions with Service Internships: • Can have more connection with faculty member and students as reflections are discussed in groups or with continued feedback and communication • Students typically create a body of work of value to the community or community site • Oversight/supervision by community partner may be taxing if not coordinated appropriately in advance • Like capstone courses, students knowledge and insight is difficult to replace

26. 6 - Community-Based Action Research Model 6 - Community-Based Action Research: • Reserved for students who are highly involved in community work • Students work closely with faculty to learn research methodologies while service as advocates for a community; may be similar to independent studies • May be done with small group of students • Project needs to be in coordination with community; results given to community Example: Medical student and science student working together to advocate for community that has high levels of lead; political science student working with a community to determine if they are unfairly harmed by a particular law

27. Community-Based Action Research Benefits and Cautions with Action Research: • Many faculty act favorably as it reflects disciplinary work in the field • Values the analysis and synthesis of information in a tangible project • Assumes students have time management skills and are self-directed, which may or may not always be the case • Complications with the research itself can impact the community overall

28. Choosing the Appropriate Model As you can see, various decisions to be made prior to creating a service-learning course and the most appropriate model: • What are your course objectives? • Important to let the objectives guide the course • What are the needs of the community (if you know that yet)? • What model works best for your course?

29. Final Thoughts • Hope you now have a better understanding of creating goals and objectives for your course • Based upon your particular objectives, you will now be able to determine the type of service-learning course you want you students to experience • Proceed to completing the post-tutorial exercises

30. References Gelmon, S. B., Holland, B. A., Driscoll, A. Spring, A., & Kerrigan, S. (2001). Assessing service-learning and civic engagement: Principles and techniques. Providence, RI: Campus Compact. Heffernan, K. (Ed.), (2001). Fundamentals of service-learning course construction. Providence, RI: Campus Compact. Howard, J. (Ed.). (2001). Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning: Service-learning course design workbook. Ann Arbor, MI: Regents of the University of Michigan, OCSL Press.