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Service Learning in Chemistry: Minors only?

Service Learning in Chemistry: Minors only?. Tammy Jahnke, Dean College of Natural and Applied Sciences. Service Learning at Missouri State University. Courses were first offered in fall of 1997 after Faculty Senate Action approved the program

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Service Learning in Chemistry: Minors only?

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  1. Service Learning in Chemistry: Minors only? Tammy Jahnke, Dean College of Natural and Applied Sciences

  2. Service Learning at Missouri State University • Courses were first offered in fall of 1997 after Faculty Senate Action approved the program • Chemistry first offered a course in fall of 1998, CHM300 is not tied to a specific chemistry course but to the curriculum in general. Students must be concurrently enrolled in organic, biochem, p-chem, quant, or environmental. • 1 credit – 40 hours of community service

  3. Office of Citizenship and Service Learning (CASL) • http://www.missouristate.edu/casl/ • Coordinates placements for all students. • Works with faculty to find appropriate community partners. • Conducts orientation sessions each semester for students. • Facilitates long-term relationships with community partners. • Tracks and coordinates service-learning hours and evaluations by community partner supervisors.

  4. Enrollment – Chemistry only

  5. Enrollment Facts • 149 total students enrolled from 1998-present • 85% of students enrolled completed the course • 40% male/60% female • Of those completing the course 11% were chemistry majors, 78% were chemistry minors, 11% were other comprehensive majors (requires no minor)

  6. Syllabus and Course Expectations • Journal • What did you do? • Description of reactions and feelings about your experience. • An analysis of how you used your chemical (science) knowledge or learned something in this experience. • Interview with Course Instructor • After half of service learning hours are complete. • A review of the journal also takes place at this meeting.

  7. Syllabus and Course Expectations • Reflection Paper • How did this experience help you (or not) see the role of science in society? • What is your definition of service learning? • How might you and other chemistry students use your talents in the community? • Wrap-up Session • The entire group gathers to share. • Where did they do their service and what did they learn? • Was this a good community partner for a chemistry student? • How might the course instructor or the Citizenship and Service Learning Staff help to make this experience better for next semester?

  8. Syllabus and Course Expectations • Initial paper due within first two weeks (Define service learning. Explain why you enrolled in the course and your expectations for the course. Which community partner have you chosen and why? How do you plan to learn some chemistry in this course?) • This is a new assignment as of Spring of 2006.

  9. Discovery Center of Springfield – Hands-on Science Museum Springfield Public Schools Area Hospice Organizations James River Basin Partnership Area Hospitals The Kitchen Clinic Water Treatment Plants AIDS Project of the Ozarks Big Brothers/Big Sisters Boys and Girls Club Humane Society Missouri Council of the Blind American National Fish and Wildlife Zooquarium Community Partners

  10. Service Learning is not… • an internship and it is not job shadowing. • I now have a list of acceptable community partners listed in the syllabus. I require that it be clear that this is a community service.

  11. Service Learning is… • an opportunity to use the skills you have acquired in the classroom to provide service in the community. • an opportunity for higher education students to leave the classroom environment in order to apply their skills and knowledge towards every day situations. • a situation in which an individual or group of people work towards accomplishing a task that is beneficial to the community while receiving only knowledge as a payment.

  12. Motivation for Enrolling • At Missouri State general chemistry and a year of organic chemistry are 19 hours. A chemistry minor requires 20 hours. (nearly 80%) • Interest in the link of service to the discipline of chemistry. (10%) • Needs one hour of elective credit. (10%)

  13. Journal Themes • Apprehension – This experience usually takes the students out of their comfort zone. • Amazement/Appreciation • Community needs. • Knowledge of young people. • Chemistry is everywhere! • New Found Respect for educators, health care workers, volunteers.

  14. Reflection Paper Themes • Communication of science to the general public and significance of that communication. • “Grocery Store Science” • Helped with social and communication skills. • I want to volunteer again. The community needs me.

  15. Conclusions • “This service learning course made me fall back into love with science.” • “This experience is making me think about my career goals.”

  16. Future Work • Code the journals and reflection papers to record number of responses noted and look for trends. • Current assessments are all self-assessments. • Others on campus are looking more broadly at motivation factors and I would like to see how the chemistry students rank overall.

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