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COMMUNITY-UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS AND SERVICE-LEARNING
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONTuvm.edu/partnerships – [email protected] – 802-656-0095
Critical Reflection
Service-Learning is…
Service-Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.
- National Service-Learning Clearinghouse/
Learn & Serve America
Components of Service-Learning
Service Learning Service-Learning
Reciprocal Partnership
Need/Interest defined by community
Meaningful integration with course content
Critical Reflection to “harvest” learning from community
Credit/Assessment based on demonstration of learning
Designation Criteria for SL Courses
At UVM, a course is designated as service-learning if:
1.It is a credit-bearing undergraduate and/or graduate level course.
2.It integrates service and academic course content so that each significantly informs and enhances the other.
3.There are planned benefits for the community partner and the students; and the service addresses a need and follows processes that are mutually agreed upon by the partner agencies and the instructor. 4.Student course assessment and credit are based upon the demonstration of student learning.
5.The course actively guides and supports students in critical reflection regarding the integration of the service and the academic course content.
Academic Service-Learning at UVM SL Designated Courses ~ 80 courses per year, across
campus Vermont and beyond Meaningful, long-term partnerships >1800 students & ~30 SL TA’s each
year Undergraduate community-based
research Summer CBR scholarships &
internships
Why Reflection? “…experiential programs begin with two
responsibilities for their program design:
providing an experience for the learner and
facilitating the reflection on that experience. Experience alone is insufficient to be called experiential education, and it is the reflection process that turns experience into experiential education.”
What is Critical Reflection?
provides the bridge between community service activities and the educational content of the course.
directs the student’s attention to new interpretations of events
provides a means through which the community service can be studied and interpreted, much as a text is read and studied for deeper understanding.
[Bringle, Hatcher (1999) ]
Reflection Metaphors…
1. The Mirror
Reflection Metaphors…
2. The Bridge
Reflection Metaphors…
3. “Harvesting” the learning
Effectively Structuring Reflection
Assign reflection more than once Set clear expectations in assignments,
including explaining goal of reflection Ask students to make specific connections
to the course concepts or learning goals Use guiding questions Use words such as “analysis” Give word or length guidelines, if
appropriate Provide rubric/grading criteria in advance Provide examples of student work
What is “Good” Critical Reflection?
Student A: It was amazing to get
a chance to work at the mobile home park this weekend; it felt so good to be able to do something for the people who were impacted by Irene. This is what this class is all about, and I’m so glad I signed up!
Student B:
I was really struck by my conversation with Kenny M, the man whose home we cleaned out this weekend. He worked so hard to buy own his own house, then it was all just taken away from him. Elkins et. al (2009) say that low income people and the elderly are the most vulnerable in times of disaster, and my conversation with Kenny really helped to illustrate that in so many ways…
What is “Good” Critical Reflection?
I was really struck by my conversation with Kenny M, the man whose home we cleaned out this weekend. He worked so hard to buy own his own house, then it was all just taken away from him. Elkins et. al (2009) say that low income people and the elderly are the most vulnerable in times of disaster, and my conversation with Kenny really helped to illustrate that in so many ways…
Describes a specific moment of the experience.
Cites specific concept learned in class (w/ref).
Goes on to illustrate her understanding of that concept.
What is “Good” Critical Reflection? Incomplete/
does not meet minimum standard
0
Unsatisfactory1
Fair2
Good3
Excellent4
SYNTHESIS (25%)Originality: reflection articulates your own thoughts and insights and demonstrates creative thinking (not just descriptive)
Integration: combines different ideas, sources, material; makes clear and meaningful connections among academic concepts (readings/lecture material) and to direct (e.g., observational, personal, service-learning) experiences
CRITICAL THINKING (50%)Clarity/logic: understandable; meaning can be grasped; provides sufficient level of detail; the parts make sense together, no contradictions
Accuracy: statements are accurate and well-supported; clearly identifies, describes and applies appropriate academic material
Relevance/significance: relates to the matter at hand; focuses on important core issues
Depth: explores complexities in ideas, concepts, experiences; identifies multiple interrelationships;
Breadth/fairness: encompasses multiple viewpoints, not self-serving or one-sided.
PROFESSIONALISM (25%)Mechanically Sound: free of all grammatical and mechanical errors Neat: clean, stapled, typed On Time
During Service
Reflection
Pre-Service
Reflection
Post-Service
Reflection
Continuous Reflection Model
For more informationwww.uvm.edu/partnerships
656-0095, [email protected]
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