Community Service and Learning Building Quality and Impact

Community Service and Learning: Building Quality and Impact Professor Barbara A. Holland Pro Vice-Chancellor University of Western Sydney Community Service Program Forum, Sept. 2007

Community Service (WA) “Activities undertaken for the benefit of individuals and/or community for no financial reward. ” • Benefit others • Be in an area of need • Be purposeful and meaningful • Provide opportunities for learning and reflection • Be unpaid

Service Strategies • • • In or out of school Individually or collaboratively One or multiple activities Curricular or extracurricular Over one or more years Directly or indirectly

The WA Goal? “Service will”… • Develop a culture and ethos of service in schools • Help develop leadership and problemsolving skills • Help students learn by helping others • Recognise students who already do service activities

Research Findings • Increase in: – – – – Self-esteem, self-efficacy, responsibility Communication skills Performance on tests, grades, standards Awareness of career options and work skills Attendance; pro-social behaviours Community attention to schools Teacher satisfaction • Decrease in: – Risky behaviours – Drop-out rates – Teacher turnover

Quality Factors • • Clear and rigorous learning goal ! Student voice Preparation/orientation Sufficient duration Directness of interaction with community Meaningful and challenging activity Cognitively challenging reflection Consequential assessment of learning through service

Community Service (WA) “Activities undertaken for the benefit of individuals and/or community for no financial reward. ” • Benefit others • Be in an area of need • Be purposeful and meaningful • Provide opportunities for learning and reflection • Be unpaid

Today’s Reflection • What would success look like? What knowledge, skills, attributes would students demonstrate? • Among students who have a positive experience now, to what do you attribute that success?

Purposeful & Meaningful 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 at home

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

Student Motivation • Some high achievers may not want to invest time or see the value; others may see benefit in building credentials for career or uni (Yvonne) • Low achievers lack confidence and presume you have low expectations • Mid-level students also need encouragement, especially regarding link between CS and academics (Devon)

#1. 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

Learning Objectives (Continued) • Inter and Intra-personal Learning – Working collaboratively with others – About other groups and cultures (diversity) – Exploring personal values, ethics – Developing self-efficacy and empathy – Learning to appreciate different views • Career learning – Discovering talents and interests – Enhancing motivation

#2. 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 • Develop inquiry skills

Reflection Strategies • Journals – key phrase; critical incident; structured questions • Directed Readings and written reaction • Class presentation • Group debriefing • Creative activities – Art, music, skits, poetry

Effective Reflection • Reflection should be: – Continuous – throughout the course – Connected – to specific learning objectives – Challenging – demand high quality student effort; linked to other learning – Contextualized – appropriate to the subject; commensurate with the level and type of other course assignments and level of students

Today’s Reflection • What learning goals can be linked with my students’ service activities?

Ideas? • • • Teacher buy-in and involvement Multiple program options One should be intensive, all school Developmental approaches… Cognitive dissonance Student voice

Facts from USA • 55% of teenagers participated in service through a school requirement (2004) • 78% of those participating in school-based programs meeting quality criteria said they were very satisfied and more interested in public issues • 72% of private school students participate in service; 52% of public students • 83% of all high schools offer some form of service opps • 75% of service-learners said they learned more than in a typical class • Approx 33% of schools have taken up service-learning; 35 states have policies encouraging service-learning