Civic Engagement Scholars Initiative (CESI)

Fundamentals of Civic Learning

Goals of Workshop 1

• Provide an introduction to civic engagement and related terminology.

• Understand two key elements of course redesign to incorporate civic engagement:

– Learning objectives & Strategies for achieving

– Reflection

• Form a learning community for collective sharing of knowledge and experience.

Goals of Workshop 2

• Understand additional key elements of course redesign to incorporate civic engagement:

– Best practices of community partnerships

– Criteria for identifying service component

– Preparing students for service component

• Form a learning community for collective sharing of knowledge and experience.

• Open discussion and presentation of preliminary ideas for course redesign

Civic Engagement & Higher Ed

• Connects to university’s mission, “engagement” value, and strategic priorities

• Vision Project, MA Board of Higher Education:

– “We will produce the best-educated citizenry and workforce in the nation. We will be the national leader in research that drives economic development.”

• AAC&U’s LEAP Essential Learning Outcomes

Defining Terms

Characteristics of Common Community-based Experiences (of students)

Community

Service

Enhanced Academic Learning

Purposeful Civic Learning

Volunteering or Community Service yes no no

Co-Curricular Service Learning yes no yes

Academic Service Learning yes yes yes

Internship yes yes no

Debunking Myths of Academic Service Learning

1. Academic service learning is the same as community service, volunteerism or other forms of service.

2. Academic service learning and internships are the same thing.

3. Experience in the community is synonymous with learning.

4. Adding a community service requirement to a course is academic service learning.

First appeared in Howard, J. (2000). Academic Service Learning: Myths, Challenges, and Recommendations. Essays on Teachers Excellence, 12(3).

“(Academic) Service-Learning is a credit-bearing, educational experience in which students participate in organized service activity that meets identified community needs and reflects on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility.”

Robert Bringle and Julie Hatcher

PURPOSEFUL

CIVIC

LEARNING

ENHANCED

ACADEMIC

LEARNING

RELEVANT AND

MEANINGFUL

SERVICE WITH

THE

COMMUNITY SERVICE-

LEARNING

The 3 Criteria

What We Know About Learning

The Learning Paradigm

• The “purpose is not to transfer knowledge but to create environments and experiences that bring students to discover and construct knowledge for themselves, to make students members of communities of learners that make discoveries and solve problems.”

Robert Barr and John Tagg “From Teaching to Learning,” 1995 (Change, Nov./Dec.)

Learning for the 21st Century “People worldwide need a whole series of new

competencies... But I doubt that such abilities can be taught solely in the classroom, or be developed solely by teachers. Higher order thinking and problem solving skills grow out of direct experience, not simply teaching; they require more than a classroom activity. They develop through active involvement and real life experiences in workplaces and the community.”

John Abbott, Director of Britain’s Education 2000 Trust, Interview with Ted Marchese, AAHE

Bulletin, 1996

National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

“Complementary learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom augment the academic program…service-learning provides students with opportunities to synthesize, integrate, and apply their knowledge. Such experiences make learning more meaningful, and ultimately more useful because what students know becomes a part of who they are.” (2002 NSSE Annual Report)

“I have become more aware of my surroundings, have learned to look more deeply into the words of writers, and have learned to formulate my own opinions. Perhaps what I like best about this class is that it synthesized all of my years of book learning and applied it to why I was here in the first place. Lately I’ve been having difficulty justifying the cost of my education versus what I really learned about what is necessary in living. I was beginning to think my time was wasted; that history was a bunch of fluff that had no use in society anymore...I don’t think I ever really knew what it meant until I was trying to incorporate my experiences [in the community] with the many readings we worked with.” Student Journal Entry

Aligning Learning Goals, Objectives,

Strategies, and Assessment Methods

Learning

Goal

Learning

Objectives

Learning

Strategies

Learning

Assessment

Methods

Easily remember it as GOSA!

General, provides

direction for students

and instructor

Achievable &

measurable

Method for achieving

objective(s)

Measuring

achievement

Slides 13-15 Based on Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning workbook

Academic Learning Goals 1. Course-specific Academic Learning

2. Generic Academic Learning

3. Learning how to Learn

4. Community Learning

5. Inter- and Intra-Personal Learning

Goal Category Objectives Classroom Strategies

Student Assignments

Assessing Learning

Community Learning

To understand the factors that contribute to the achievement gap

Readings, film and discussions that discuss history of educating African Americans

Reflection and Research Papers; Work with youth and teachers.

Demonstration of how observations and experiences connect to class content (rubric)

Civic Learning Goals • Academic learning

• Democratic citizenship learning

• Diversity learning

• Political learning

• Leadership learning

• Inter- and Intra-personal learning

• Social responsibility learning

Goal Category

Objectives Classroom Strategies

Student Assignments Assessing Learning

Diversity Learning

To understand institutional-level-isms; To develop communication skills to work across cultures and differences; Value having diverse stakeholders in community decisions;

Readings, film, discussions;

School visit; research paper incorporating school committee reports, meetings, journals, and public opinion.

Demonstration of how observations and experiences connect to class content (rubric)

Partnered Activity

- How does the community-based service relate

to the objectives of the course?

- Discuss what type of civic learning currently or

could potentially take place in your class and

how it can enhance or be made more

purposeful with service-learning. What is the

public relevance of the discipline?

Reflection:

Connecting Service to Academic Learning

The Four “Cs” of Reflection

Connected

Continuous

Challenging

Contextualized

Connected

Connect to learning objectives

Determine if there are cognitive

connections of class content to the

service-learning experience

Challenge what they’ve learned

Provides an instructor with insight

and helps assess their own teaching

Continuous

Allowing time to reflect before,

during, and after the experience

Think about and plan to make

time for reflection

Reflection vs. lecturing

– Intersperse lecture with reflection

– Enhance lecture with reflection

Challenge

Challenge students with new

ideas and perspectives

Propose unfamiliar or

“uncomfortable” ideas for

consideration

Create provocative dialogue in

class discussions or written

journals

Contextualized

First…

– Determine the proper and most

appropriate context for reflection

– Determine type and format of

reflection

– Decide when to conduct reflection

Contextualized

Second…

– Structure reflection within the

context of the service-learning

experience or course content

3 Levels of Reflection

• The Mirror: A clear reflection of the self – Who am I? What are my values? What have I learned about myself through this

experience? How have you challenged yourself, your ideals, your philosophies, your concept of life or of the way you live?

• The Microscope: Make the small experience large – What happened? Describe your experience. What would you change about this

situation if you were in charge? What have you learned about this agency, these people, or the community? Was there a moment of failure, success, indecision, doubt, humor, frustration, happiness, sadness?

• The Binoculars: Make what appears distant, appear closer – From your service experience, are you able to identify any underlying or overarching

issues which influence the problem? What could be done to change the situation? How will this alter your future behaviors/attitudes/and career?

From Skidmore’s Service Learning Curriculum Development Resource Guide for Faculty

DEAL: A Model for Critical Reflection

• Step 1: Describe experience • Step 2: Examine experience (per the learning goals,

e.g., academic, civic, personal) • Step 3: Articulate Learning What did I learn? How did I learn it? Why does it matter? What will I do in light of it?

Reflection Strategies & Formats

Group Discussion:

•What have you used as reflection tools or assignments, or what ideas do you have?

•What formats have you used to integrate reflection into your course?

•What challenges have you had with reflection?

•How have you assessed reflection assignments?

Reflection Outcomes Reflection activities engage students in the intentional consideration of their experiences in light of particular learning objectives, and provides an opportunity for students to:

•Gain further understanding of course content and discipline

•Gain further understanding of service experience

•Develop self-assessment skills as a life long learner

•Explore and clarify values that can lead to civic responsibility (Hatcher and Bringle, 1995)