Susan Reed , Suzanne Buglione , Amanda Wittman and Jeffrey Howard IARSLCE Annual Conference

1. Leveraging adult students’ connected knowing and prior community relationships to strengthen their community engagement, retention and success: What we know and need to know Susan Reed, Suzanne Buglione, Amanda Wittman and Jeffrey Howard IARSLCE Annual Conference September 25, 2012 – Baltimore, MD

2. Session Outline Who’s in the room and why What we know about CBSL with adult students Analyzing student experience from qualitative data Best practices for CBSL faculty working with adult students Discussion: Identifying a research agenda for the future

3. “Non-traditional” Student Characteristics (% undergrads) 25+ years of age (43%) Part time students (38%) Employed full time (39%) Parents (27%) First-generation college (47%) (U.S. Department of Education, 2001; 2002; 2011)

4. Characteristics of Adult Learners Adults negotiate multiple roles and responsibilities With age, individual differences become more distinct Adults seek learning that is relevant to real life Adults’ new learning builds on prior learning Adults participate in decision making about learning Adults learn in dialogue with others (MacKeracher, 2004)

5. CBSL with Adult Students: Quantitative • Adults and working students appreciate CBSL but less likely to strongly agree that project enhanced learning and skills (Rosenberg, Reed, Statham and Rosing, 2011) • Service learning promotes persistence toward degree complete for students of all ages (Reed, Rosenberg, Rosing and Statham, 2012) • Student engagement in active learning varies across the lifespan with adults being more or less engaged at different ages (Southerland, 2010)

6. CBSL and Adult Students: Qualitative Adult students feel that they have a wealth of experience that should be taken into consideration (Largent and Horinek, 2008) Adults appreciate community involvement as a lifelong practice….want flexibility (Reed, Rosing, Rosenberg and Statham, 2011). Buglione’s (2012) indepth study of adult service learners

7. CBSL and Adults: Guidance for practitioners Engage students of all ages in reflection on their knowledge and skills (Largent and Horinek, 2oo8) Encourage working students to participate in CBSL and make sure options are flexible (Holland and Robinson, 2008) Allow students to tap into existing social and political networks (Reed, Rosing, Rosenberg and Statham, 2011) Campus Compact (2012) indepth study of experience faculty

8. Nontraditional Students & Connected Knowing Suzanne Buglione, Ed.D. Dean of Teaching and Learning, Bristol Community College Principal, CommunityBuild IARSLCE 2012

9. Part-time Enrollment (NCES) Isolation -Lack of Social Network Financially Independent (NCES)of Parent (NCES) Immigrants Low-income Over-represented Racial Minority Delayed Enrollment in Postsecondary Education (NCES)) Work Full-time While Enrolled (NCES) UNIVERSE OF THE NONTRADITIONAL STUDENT Experience First Generation College Students Are Single Parents (NCES) Lack of Standard High School Diploma (NCES) Adult Learning Needs Have Dependents Other Than Spouse (NCES) Commuter Students The Study: Objective/Purpose The Study: Objective/Purpose NCES (2002) Special Analysis: Nontraditional Undergraduates

10. Highly Nontraditional Students in Higher Education (NCES, 2002) • 4 or More: • Delayed enrollment in postsecondary education • Currently enrolled part-time • Financially independent of parent(s) • Currently works full time • Have dependents other than a spouse • Is a single parent • Did not receive a standard high school diploma (got a GED) 11% attain a Bachelor’s degree (NCES, 2002) Highly Nontraditional (four or more characteristics) Moderately Nontraditional (two to three characteristics) Minimally Nontraditional (one characteristic)

11. Participants (13)

12. Connected Knowing Adults Bring: Convergence of Life Experience, Past & Current • History of Challenge • Lack of Family Support/Discouragement, Perceived Academic Failure, Health/Social Challenges, Immigration, Recovery, Juvenile Justice involvement, Disability, Unplanned Pregnancies, Job Loss • Know them… My mom…didn’t encourage me, she said I don’t want you to be upset when you fail…she was trying to be helpful…I am a grown up and I’m going to do this for me Jacqui • As a foster child, first to go to college, one of two siblings in a family of eight that graduated high school, children’s academic failure, there’s a lot of pressure: I’m the one • Raine

13. Connected Knowing Adults Bring:Convergence of Life Experience, Past & Current • Positive Worker Identity • Connecting Work to Student Identity • My background is in culinary arts…hands on real time kind of work…transferred over well to academia…a kind of intensity… strong work ethic • Scott • I decided I don’t want to sit in a cube all day…that motivated me to go back to school...I’m pretty dedicated…the first time around I was just getting a degree basically to get a job. I’m definitely putting more effort into it this time around • Jennifer • I think of our generation… at the work place…we work extra, hard working, loyal and even at my waitressing job…I see the young people come in, do what they have to do and…leave; and don't feel guilty about that…I'll just do it. It's different • Jane

14. Connected Knowing… • Identity Connections to Service-Learning Course • Meaning Drawn from Life Experiences • Service Resurrected Positive Worker Identity • Enabled Application of Experience & Learning As an addict, [this course and I] are connected… you’re the only one that I’ve told that to… Steven • Construction…waitressed…managed a restaurant…retail…I could not keep the job …The woman at the pantry…said that I should be in a managerial position…I was very good at what I did…delegated very well…at seeing the whole picture…I didn’t realize I was doing that…I guess it just comes out • Jacqui • I can share my own experience…being an older student…who has been around a little bit and then coming back into a classroom setting • Raine

15. Connected Knowing… • Identity Connections to Service-Learning Course • Place – a sense of “Home” • I grew up in the area…there were a lot of Portuguese people there, I’m Portuguese so…basic customs that we talked about • Jennifer I made my opinion known that we should try this project because this particular group that we were researching is in my community. So the closeness, the proximity, the timing, it all just seemed to work out Robert • I go to the library…I knew that …people hanging out there were homeless and after the experience (course)…these people have a face and a name and it made it really different .. If I went to do an errand, I would see... my people • Jane

16. Connected Knowing… • Identity Connections to Service-Learning Course • Coming Home • Civic/Community Identity: Current, Lost! • Plans to Continue • When I went to nursing school…had my youngest child..I kind of lost my sense of community... that's why I'm continuing my community service because it almost felt like I was home again; when I walked in, I was like: I miss this. This is me, like I felt comfortable; I want to be involved again • Jane I think if you want to live in a good community you have to make it a good community. It doesn’t happen by itself. It takes people to be active, to be passionate and supportive and understanding Robert

17. Connected Knowing…Understanding Societal Context & Consciousness Raising-Social Mobility-Personal Growth & Awareness • It was a blessing in disguise for me • Jacqui • Understand the field and my ‘fit’ in it • Understand my community better • Affirmed my path Made me more determined Sonia • New Learning – Surprises! • I didn’t know everything • Liked it, Felt Good, Could Manage it • Broken Stereotypes related to Self Liked what it was doing for me as a person Raine • Especially [important] since I am at the end [of school] • Georgette • It was nice as I was learning things either I have already done or been in some of those situations and be able to you know directly where I can apply that • Nicholas

18. Connected Knowing…Social Creativity – Outgroup Experiences Analyzed • Vehicle for Student Identity Development • Motivator/Incentive for Retention • Lack of College Connections – Faculty Relationships • Juggling – Stop/Start Educations • Risks & Losses, Can Pass • Choose Placements with a Menu • Connected Readings, Reflection • Something inside of me clicked…that’s why I’m still here… plugging along • Jaqui I sacrificed a lot to be here and I have to make it work Stephen • Service reassured me, given me an incentive to finish • Georgette • [I] question why I do this – others discourage me • Raine

19. Significance & Further Inquiry • Service-Learning with Nontraditional Learners… • How is it different? • How do we do it? • How do we identify and understand this group? • [s-l course] makes me more well rounded Raine • My other classes that I had to take seemed better because of it • Sonia • The project excited me to push forward - it was the right direction, right thing • Robert

20. Connected Knowing: Service-Learning Practitioners and Adult Learners • Amanda Wittman, PhD Director of Academic and Strategic Initiatives, Campus Compact awittman@compact.org

21. The only national higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement Campus Compact envisions colleges and universities as vital agents and architects of a diverse democracy, committed to educating students for responsible citizenship in ways that both deepen their education and improve the quality of community life. We challenge all of higher education to make civic and community engagement an institutional priority.

22. The Campus Compact Connection Commitment to providing resources and best practices Dedication to research-based practice Increasing population of adult/non-trad learners We believe that faculty are one of the key connecters to higher education for adult students • Important for retention • Important for student development • Important for institutional growth

23. Research Questions

24. Practitioners discuss their experiences using Service-Learning with adult and non-traditional learners in three primary ways: Differences of adults from traditional students Benefits that come with using Service-Learning with adult students Specific strategies that work well with adult learners.

25. Differences of adult learners from traditional learners Motivation is different, and often higher than found with traditional students Adult learners come to class with more life experience, which leads to specific differences • They are more comfortable with diversity, and bring diversity to the classroom • The become leaders and mentors in the class with other students and in relation to community partners • They have unique skills in management, community engagement, conflict resolution and problem solving that separate them from traditional students • Adult learners already have connections and experience with community partners

26. Benefits of using service-learning with adult learners Career development Reflection • Designing for the margins (Ceasar McDowell, 2011)

27. Strategies that work well with adult learners in a s-l context • Curriculum redesign • Connect to Career Services • Rethink partnerships • Enable family service • Use storytelling techniques

28. Drawbacks of using service-learning with adult learners • Adults have less time to spend on service • Adults have competing priorities to their education • One has not only an ability to perceive the world but an ability to alter one’s perception of it; more simply, one can change things by the manner in which one looks at them. • Tom Robbins, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

29. Service-Learning and the Nontraditional Student:Developing a Research Agenda jeffreyhoward director, faculty development steans center, depaul university adjunct faculty school for new learning, depaul university editor michigan journal of community service learning

30. Goals Stimulate thinking about potential research questions / topics / areas of interest Generate those questions / topics / interest Determine next step(s), if any

31. Process / Plan 1. Stimulate Thinking about Potential Research Questions/Topics/Areas of Interest a. General Research Areas in Service-Learning b. Nontraditional Student Characteristics c. Potential Intermediary Variables d. Potential Dependent Variables e. Sample Article Titles 2. Generate Research Questions/Topics/Interests (Journals Devoted to Service-Learning / Community-Engagement) 3. Next Steps?

32. Environmental Scan How many of you are interested in pursuing research related to service-learning and the nontraditional student? Ask a few volunteers to identify their particular research interests related to nontraditional students? We’ll come back later to generate research topics/questions/interests

33. General Research Possibilities Related to Service-Learning STUDENTS Academic Civic Multicultural Others FACULTY Motivation Impediments RESEARCH ON SERVICE-LEARNING COMMUNITIES Impacts Partnerships INSTITUTIONS SERVICE-LEARNING DISCIPLINES Comparing expressions of community involvement

34. Nontraditional Student Characteristicsas Potential Research Study Factors MORE LIKELY TO BE: Older (delayed college) Employed First Generation To Go to College in their Family Low-Income Single Parent Part-Time Student Racial Minority Financially Independent Commuter Student Immigrant Non-Standard High School Education More Mature MORE LIKELY TO HAVE: A History of Challenges More Life Experiences A More Permanent Geographic Community Prior (Full-Time)Work Experience MORE LIKELY TO TAKE: Online Courses Longer to Graduate

35. Independent Variable Service-Learning (Ensure High Quality)

36. Potential Intermediary Variables(Variations on Service-Learning) Direct v. Project-Based v. Capacity-Building Community Service Service in One’s Own Community v. Outside One’s Own Community Traditional v. Critical Service-Learning Student- v. Faculty-Selected Community Placements Traditional v. Nontraditional Students

37. Potential Student Dependent Variables Academic Learning Civic Learning Multicultural Learning Personal Development Identity Development Career Development Personal Values Social Justice Values Social Development Persistence / Retention

38. Recent Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning Articles Related to Nontraditional Students Service-Learning and Persistence of Low-Income, First Generation (LIFG) Students: An Exploratory Study Justice Learning: Exploring the Efficacy with Low-Income First Generation (LIFG) Students

39. Research Categories Related to Service-Learning and Nontraditional Students Students (Nontraditional; nontraditional v. traditional) Faculty Community College/University

40. Generating ResearchQuestions/Topics/Areas of Interest

41. Journals Publishing Community-Engaged Scholarship Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning (University of Michigan) Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement (University of Georgia) Metropolitan Universities (Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities) Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship (University of Alabama) Journal of Public Scholarship in Higher Education (Missouri Campus Compact) International Journal of Service-Learning in Engineering Reflections (writing and rhetoric) (Syracuse University) Partnerships: A Journal of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement (University of North Carolina - Greensboro) Partnership Perspectives (Community Campus Partnerships for Health) Journal for Civic Commitment (Mesa Community College) Florida Journal of Service-Learning in Teacher Education Academic Exchange Quarterly and others have done special issues on service-learning See Campus Compact website for others: www.compact.org/resources/service-learning_resources/

42. Next Steps?

43. For More Information Suzanne Buglione, Bristol Community College Suzanne.Buglione@bristolcc.edu Jeffrey Howard, DePaul University jhowar15@depaul.edu Susan Reed, DePaul University sreed@depaul.edu Amanda Wittman, Campus Compact awittman@compact.org