Betsy Eudey California State University Stanislaus

1. Technologies of Engagement: Incorporating Service-Learning into the Online Classroom Betsy Eudey California State University Stanislaus

2. “A teaching and learning approach that integrates community service with academic study to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities” (National Commission on Service Learning). What is Service Learning?

3. “The core concept driving this educational strategy is that by combining service objectives and learning objectives, along with the intent to show measurable change in both the recipient and the provider of the service, the result is a radically-effective transformative method of teaching students” (Learn and Serve America, 2009). What is Service Learning?

4. Service learning aims to help “students engage in multiple forms of active learning in authentic settings, draw on their individual and/or collective experience, share, process, generalize, and enact their learning. Teachers create opportunities... but, again, the learners themselves are at the very center of this model” (Carver, King, Hannum and Fowler, 2007, p. 5). Why Service Learning?

5. Why Service Learning? • When implemented effectively, SL • Promotes engagement in the course • Expands understanding of course content • Often enhances community among students • Often improves grades • Often support connection to the community and service outside of class

6. Online Service Learning • Supports constructivist aims • Promotes engagement in the course • Can support varied learning styles • Can enhance achievement of course learning goals • Can build student ties to campus and community

7. Common face-to-face activities • Examples include: • Direct face-to-face assistance to agency/organization clients or members in offices, in the field, etc. • Collecting donations of goods or services • Creating displays or videos that are used in face to face settings • Hosting or working at an event • Conducting research for the agency

8. Online/Off-Site Projects • Examples include: • Creating materials for or posting materials to a website, wiki, blog, social networking page, etc. • Creating or translating agency materials • Interacting online or by phone with agency clients, donors, volunteers, etc. • Working with organizational databases • Research and outreach activities

9. Project Examples • Pregnant and Parenting Student • Support Services • (Course: Women's and Feminist Activism) • Researching services available on campus and in the community • Creating print materials for use in the student health center • Creating materials to post online

10. Project Examples • Campus Sexual Assault, Harassment • and Stalking Services (course: Society and Gender) • Researching other campuses and articles • Evaluating campus materials • Creating new materials and programs drawing upon course materials, research, and campus knowledge • Sharing input with relevant campus staff

11. Project Examples • Domestic Violence Support Services • (Course: Women's and Feminist Activism) • Collecting donations for shelters • Making items for shelter residents • Translating center materials into non-English languages • Creating new print materials for the agency

12. Project Examples • Handbook Guide (course: Gender and Education) • Created a wiki offering a comprehensive study guide and additional resource materials for the Handbook for Achieving Gender Equity Through Education produced by the Feminist Majority Foundation Educational Foundation • http://gend4100unittwo.wetpaint.com

13. Typical SL Challenges • Identifying service locations/partners • Complying with campus policies/risk mgt • Developing activities in support of course learning outcomes • Sufficient time for planning • Relationships with agency staff/volunteers • Motivating students to participants

14. Special On-Line Challenges • Developing and maintaining connection with agencies and students across space and time • Finding community partners who are comfortable with virtual or independent volunteers • Technological competencies of agency staff and volunteers and students • Appropriate utilization of CMS or other online programs to support project work • Risk management/safety

15. Best Practices • Begin planning months in advance • Take anticipated student characteristics into consideration • Connect early and often with campus Service Learning coordinator • Connect early and often with agency liaisons • Create regular means for students to share experiences, concerns, needs

16. Best Practices • If new to this, consider selecting an agency/partner with whom the campus already has a relationship or use your own campus as your partner • Create a replicable project with choice of activity • Give students adequate time to learn the technologies as well as the subject matter • Make sure activities are tied to course learning outcomes and agency goals

17. Best Practices • Obtain appropriate permissions from students if materials developed by students become public use or are to be modified in the future • Incorporate evaluation of the project as a graded component of the activity – and select a good format for the evaluation • Expect there to be problems – use this as an opportunity, not a deterrent

18. To begin a project.... • Learn and Serve America suggests: • Identify an existing program or activity to transform into authentic service-learning • - OR - • Begin with standard curriculum content, and skills, and then find the natural extension into service • - OR -

19. To Begin a Project, cont. • From a theme or unit of study, identify content and skill connections • - OR - • Start with a student-identified need • - OR - • Partner with a community-based organization to identify local assets and needs (Bringing Learning to Life, 2009)

20. As you're planning, determine • How much control will students have over project design/agency selection? • Will students work individually or in groups? • Will there be a f2f aspect of the work? • What potential risks are there for students, the agency, the campus? • Will this be a required or optional activity?

21. • Balliet, B. J. & Heffernan, K. (Eds.) (2000). The practice of change: Concepts and models for service-learning in women’s studies. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education. • Bennett, G. & Green, F. P. (2001). Promoting service learning via online instruction. College Student Journal, 35(4), 491-498. Retrieved April 18, 2008, from Academic Search Elite. • Burton, E. M. (2003, Spring). Distance learning and service-learning in the accelerated format. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 97, 63-71. • Carver, R., King, R., Hannum, W. & Fowler, B. (2007). Toward a model of experiential e-learning. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching 3(3). Retrieved April 20, 2008 from http://jolt.merlot.org/vol3no3/hannum.htm Suggested References

22. • Course combines service learning with online delivery. (2002, May). Online Classroom, 3 & 7. Retrieved from WilsonWeb, WN: 0212107445003. • Dugger, K. (2008). Introduction. In K. Dugger (Ed.), Handbook on service learning in women’s studies and the disciplines. (pp. 1-6). Towson, MD: Institute for Teaching and Research on Women. • Knowles, M. S. (1988). The modern practice of adult education. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge Book Company. • Learn and Serve America (2009). Bring learning to life: Service-learning in action guide. Learn and Serve America’s National Service Learning Clearinghouse. Retrieved June 1, 2009 from http://www.servicelearning.org/page/index.php?detailed=639. Suggested References

23. • Learn and Serve America (2009). What is Service Learning? Learn and Serve America’s National Service-Learning Clearinghouse. Retrieved June 1, 2009 from http://www.servicelearning.org/what-service-learning. • Learn and Serve America (2004). What is Service Learning? National Conference on Community Volunteering and National Service. Kansas City, June 6-8 2004. Retrieved June 1, 2009 from http://www.servicelearning.org/what-service-learning. • Lorenzetti, J.P. (2007). How to: Incorporate service learning into your distance education course. Distance Education Report, 11(20), 5-6. Suggested References

24. • Strait, J. & Sauer, T. (2004). Constructing experiential learning for online courses: The birth of e-service. Educause Quarterly 27(1),62-65. • Tyler, D. (2009). Incorporating service-learning for the on-line student. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Sheraton Boston and the Boston Marriott Copley Place, Boston, MA. • Walker, T. (2000). A feminist challenge to community service: A call to politicize service-learning. In B. J. Balliet & K. Heffernan (Eds.), The Practice of Change: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Women’s Studies (pp. 25-46). Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education. Suggested References

25. Betsy Eudey Associate Professor, Gender Studies Director, Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning California State University Stanislaus One University Circle Turlock, CA 95382 209-667-3215 BEudey@csustan.edu To Contact Betsy