COMMUNITY-UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS AND SERVICE-LEARNING

UNIVERSITY OF VERMONTuvm.edu/partnerships – partners@uvm.edu – 802-656-0095

 

Introduction to Service-Learning for

Students

What is 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

Service-Learning is…

“Service-Learning is a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and development”

(Jacoby, 1996).

Criteria for UVM SL Courses

There are 5 criteria for designation

It is a credit-bearing undergraduate and/or graduate level course.

It integrates service and academic course content so that each significantly informs and enhances the other.

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.

Student course assessment and credit are based upon the demonstration of student learning including critical reflection regarding the integration of the service and the academic course content.

The course actively guides and supports students in critical reflection regarding the integration of the service and the academic course content.

Office of Community-University Partnerships and Service-Learning

MISSIONTo connect the university and community

as partners in addressing real-world challenges through engaged scholarship

and transformative learning experiences.

What We Do

Support faculty in developing service-learning and community-engaged courses at UVM

Connect community partners to faculty and students at UVM

Provide service and community-based learning opportunities for students

Benefits of Service-Learning

For the Faculty: Creates a collaborative, experiential classroom experience for students, making

faculty impact more lasting. Offers opportunities to test theories on real problems. Provides access to interview, survey, and other data. Creates a collaborative partnership that can help in securing funding. 

For the Institution: Positively impacts student retention. Enhances teaching, research, and program development. Increases institution’s awareness of societal issues as they relate to academic areas of

interest. Engages faculty and students in local and state community issues. Provides opportunities to extend College’s knowledge and resources.

Benefits of Service-Learning

For the Student: Applies concepts from the classroom to real-world experiences, enhancing

understanding and retention. Increases meaningful connections to faculty, other students, and community. Provides platforms to analyze and discuss civic, personal, and professional

development. Increases sense of self-efficacy, analytical skills, and social development. A “high-impact practice” increasing retention & academic challenge

For the Community: Enhances positive relationships with the college. Provides awareness-building of community issues, agencies, and constituents. Contributes to positive exposure in the community. Creates ways to expand current services by providing both technical and research

support, actual onsite work.

May help to secure outside funding. 

Student Development in S-L

Service-learning is a “high-impact practice” and has demonstrated effects on students in six domains:

Academic and Cognitive Development Civic Development Career Development Ethical and Moral Development Personal Development Social Development

Partnerships

“Service-Learning is a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and development”

(Jacoby, 1996).

Key Element of Service-Learning

Reciprocity…

Equal benefit and investment;

Every individual, organization, and entity involved in service-learning functions as both a teacher and a learner.• (From: http://www.compact.org/aboutcc/glossary/glossary.html#reciprocity)

Principles of Good Practice Agreed upon goals and values Mutual trust, authenticity, and commitment Identifying and addressing strengths and

weaknesses Balance of power and sharing of resources Open Communication Collaborative process Feedback for improvement Sharing of responsibility Committing time and resources

From Cress et al. (2005), Learning Through Serving

Partnership Facilitation Managing Expectations

Help students limit scope and timeline Appropriate project matches to student skills

Communication is Key Syllabus to Partners Maintain regular and planned communication

Memorandum of Understanding/AgreementCUPS Community Partner Survey

Reflection

“Service-Learning is a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and development”

(Jacoby, 1996).

The Learning Cycle

According to David Kolb’s Learning Cycle (the process that participants go through in experiential learning), reflection is one of the four stages in the process that students will be exploring.

Concrete experience Observation and Active experimentation Reflection

Forming abstract concepts

Concrete experience

Preparation Action

ReflectionEvaluation

• What is the community need?

• What do you hope to learn?

• Time you spend doing the project

• Reciprocal• Addresses a

community need

• Continuous• Captures your

learning

• Adjust as necessary

PARE Model

Characteristics of quality reflection

Clearly communicate ideas and analysis. Critically examine experiences with

Relevance, Accuracy, Clarity Depth, Breadth, Logic, and Significance

Explore connections between academic and service components.

Seek alternative explanations for incidents

Reflection… Reflection is not just about telling what you did, it’s

about making connections between the service and the learning, thinking critically about your experience, and going beyond the surface to uncover the less obvious aspects of the experience.

During Service

Reflection

Pre-Service

Reflection

Post-Service

Reflection

Continuous Reflection Model

For more information:

www.uvm.edu/partnerships656-0095, partnerships@uvm.edu

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Training & development Institute for Community-Engaged Learning

Individual Consultation Syllabus Feedback Reflection Assignment Construction

Partner Facilitation Implementation Support

Service-Learning Implementation Grants Service-Learning Teaching Assistant Program

Resources Service-Learning, Engaged Pedagogy and CBR Library Faculty, Student & Community Partner Guides Examples in the Disciplines Sample Syllabi, Reflection and Partnership Materials

Questions or Comments?

University of VermontCommunity-University Partnerships and Service-Learning

uvm.edu/partnerships – partners@uvm.edu – 802-656-0095