Learning with Consequences: Service and Service-Learning

1. Learning with Consequences: Service and Service-Learning Professor Barbara A. Holland Pro Vice-Chancellor University of Western Sydney

2. Service and Service-Learning Around the World • USA - 55% of teenagers participate in service through a school requirement • National service-learning goal: half of all schools 2010 • Global uptake of service-learning: • Argentina, Chile, Mexico, South Africa, Ireland, UK, Spain, Germany, France, India, Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, USA, Canada

3. Service and Service-learning in Australia New South Wales • Premier's Community Service Volunteer Award was announced for Year 9 and 10 DET students who complete 20 hours of community service. Starts 2009. Western Australia • Mandatory community service for year 10 students. Some schools incorporate elements of service-learning. Implemented 2007. Queensland • Service-learning encouraged as learning strategy linked to values education and overall achievement; workshops and resources

4. The Australian Values Framework • Care and compassion • Doing your best • Fair go • Freedom • Honesty and trustworthiness • Integrity • Respect • Responsibility • Understanding, tolerance, and inclusion

5. Service-Learning Defined Service-learning combines service activities with learning objectives with the intent that the activity benefit both the recipient and the provider of the service. This is accomplished by combining service with structured reflection that facilitates the acquisition and comprehension of values, skills, and academic content.

6. A Shorter Definition Service-learning is an instructional approach whereby students learn important learning objectives as they address a genuine community need.

7. Service-learning • links service to academic content and objectives • involves young people in choosing and meeting real community needs • includes on-going, meaningful reflection • promotes a sense of caring and community • can be used in any subject area • works at all ages, even among young children • Service-learning is learning with consequences!

8. Service-learning is not • an episodic volunteer program • A disconnected add-on activity • logging a set number of community service hours • compensatory service assigned as a form of punishment • only for high school or tertiary students • only for “at risk” students • one-sided - benefiting only students or only community

9. A Service Project… Service Program: For Clean Up Australia Day, a teacher decides that students will clean up part of the banks of a local river by picking up rubbish.

10. Students consult with the local community They do research on the river and issues Students define the specific need They create and vote on the project plan Clean up the river bank ! Analyse pollutants/trash; what are the sources? Note the impact on flora, fauna, humans Share results with the local council and residents Take action: informational brochure, web site …Becomes Service-Learning

11. Links to curriculum • Maths – analysing survey results • Citizenship – voting, contacting the council • Science – analysing water and pollutants • Geography – comparing water quality of different rivers and maps of watersheds • English – writing a plan, brochure or a report • Art – designing a brochure or a map • Information Technology – developing a web site with resources for preventing pollution.

12. Reflection Connects Service to Learning and Development • Investigate a wide range of concepts and values including, for example: “respect” “doing your best” and “responsibility”.  • Draw distinctions between different kinds of responsibility – students may not be responsible for the pollution, but do they have a social or moral responsibility to improve the situation?  • Examine how knowledge & education can be used to create change in communities

13. Link to Learning Objectives • Academic Learning • Academic content in any subject • Learning to be a Learner • Critical thinking skills • Problem-solving skills • Communications skills • Learn about community • People, issues, resources, policies

14. Learning Objectives (Continued) • Inter and Intra-personal Learning • Working collaboratively with others • About other cultures • Exploring personal values, ethics • Developing self-efficacy and empathy • Learning to appreciate different views • Career learning • Discovering talents and interests • Civic Learning • Knowledge, skills and attributes

15. Reflection is the Link • Connect experience with learning • Develop a sense of community in the school/class • Improve observation and communication skills • Develop an appreciation of community assets • Deepen knowledge of issues or policy • Develop a penchant for taking action • Understand personal values • Develop inquiry skills

16. Reflection Strategies • Reflective writing: key phrase; critical incident; structured questions • Directed Readings and written reaction • Writing for others – stakeholders • Teaching others • Presentation • Group debriefing • Creative activities • Art, music, skits, poetry

17. Effective Reflection • Reflection should be: • Continuous – throughout the project • Connected – to specific learning objectives • Challenging – demand high quality student effort; • Contextualized – appropriate to the subject and student age level • Consequential

18. Meaningful & Purposeful Service Most effective: Actions that require knowledge and skills such as Leading, communicating, organising, tutoring/mentoring, creating/producing Less effective: Actions that involve time more than knowledge such as Picking up trash, handing something out, washing/cleaning, making copies, stuffing envelopes, filing, chores

19. Why Quality Practice Matters Without attention to proven practices, students may lack motivation, do minimal service, wait until the last minute…etc. Simple service rewards motivated students. Quality service linked to learning and reflection will ALSO transform many students who are less successful.

20. Resources • UWS Office of University Engagement – 4620-3612 • National Service-Learning Clearinghouse www.servicelearning.org • Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) www.civicyouth.org