Engagement through Service Learning
Ronda Engstrom, Assistant Professor of Criminology, Davis & Elkins College
THIS TOOLKIT WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO
- This toolkit will show you how to use service learning projects to engage students.
KEY OBJECTIVES
- Learn how to incorporate service learning as a project in the classroom.
- Understand methods of assessment of a service learning project.
- Develop ideas of service learning projects that would fit into a curriculum.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS TOOLKIT
- Determine time length of the project
- Develop goals of the project
- Determine and outline learning objectives for students
- Student research community OR instructor presents a need
- Class brainstorms project ideas to address this need
- Class selects the service learning project
- Outline student tasks for implementing the project
- Assign tasks to students
- Carry out the project through completion of assigned tasks
- Students reflect on the service-learning project
DESCRIPTION
Service-learning projects provide opportunities for students to serve their community in a variety of ways, ranging from small fundraising projects to community-wide events. In this way, service-learning projects offer a means to have students apply what they are learning in the classroom to the real world and help solve problems in the community. These projects also encourage connections between faculty and students through active learning, as well as connections between the campus community and local organizations.
Goals of the project should be outlined for the students and, if relevant, for the community organization(s) that will benefit from the project. Instructors should clarify learning objectives, which should include increasing student understanding of social/civic responsibilities, demonstrating knowledge of needs of the community, and developing connections with local organizations within their career field.
Class time can be used to brainstorm for ideas, research information about the need and/or organization, and perform needed tasks. Out-of-class assignments may include the service-learning activities, hanging flyers, contacting gatekeepers, shopping, and so on. Once the project is decided, the instructor should outline tasks that need to be completed to carry out the project. You may want to begin with “initial” tasks if this will be a longer project. Have students select tasks to complete and assign tasks as needed. Explain the “task log” to students. The task log is a simple way to have students track their completion of assigned responsibilities. They should include the date and time the task is accomplished with a brief note. This log can then be used to assess student’s progress. This task log could be part of a more detailed journal in which students log their progress and also reflect on the experience. Give students due dates for when initial tasks should be completed. When students submit their “task logs,” compile this into a “tasks completed” file to share with all students.
With tasks assigned, have students carry out the project as a group or individually based on the project. Project completion may consist of each student volunteering so many hours or it may be hosting an awareness event. Throughout the project include research time related to the topic during class time. Research related to the issue can be incorporated in many ways. Suggested examples include researching a topic to provide information to attendees at an awareness event and researching evidence-based programs/practices to share with the community organization(s) involved. After the project is completed, have students write a reflection about the project. This will be a significant part of the project assessment. The reflection should be graded based on students’ outline of what they learned through the project, to what extent the goals of the project were met, and most importantly reflecting critically on what they would change about the project, what they would do the same, and how it could be improved. As a culminating activity, after students have written their personal reflections, allow class time to discuss some of the same questions asked in the reflection as a class. What were the highlights? What did we learn? Did we accomplish what we set out to accomplish? If a future class took on this project, what advice do you have for them?
There will be challenges to implementing service learning projects. These include budgeting, time constraints, noncooperative students, students who ‘take charge’, other hindrances to teamwork, and student withdrawals. When organizing my class’ sexual awareness event, there were a few students who did the majority of the work and other students who completed much fewer tasks. Despite these challenges, integrating service-learning into our curriculum will benefit ourselves, our students, and our communities, and is relevant to all ACA members.
Example of service projects
There are numerous examples of service learning projects. Some ideas are listed below.
- Fundraising for a community organization. One specific example was selling coffee and cookies on campus to provide weekend lunches to children eligible for the school free lunch program provided by a local community organization.
- Organizing an awareness event on campus. An example was a community wide event to raise awareness for sexual assault and domestic violence. We had over 100 students, staff, and faculty in attendance. One student shared her personal experience, the director of the local Centers Against Violence spoke, and several community organizations set up tables with information.
- Students researching and presenting relevant research to a community organization. One example was researching programs/practices such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) for a local residential treatment facility.
- Hosting a work day at a community organization.
- Water testing within a community.
- See other examples in research articles listed below.
REFLECTIONS
Instructor Reflection
I started using service-learning because I was engaged in a service-learning project in my doctoral program. I worked in a community child abuse prevention agency in the past, so meeting needs in the community has always been a passion of mine. Now teaching criminology and, specifically, victimology, I saw an opportunity to share the value of serving the community with my students. The event was a success with over 100 from our campus community in attendance, five community service organizations represented, and several speakers, including a student who shared her victimization story. By reaching out to the wellness center and our chaplain, they covered the cost of the event including printing flyers, buying candles and markers, and even drinks and food.
Student Reflection
“Three takeaways from this for me personally would be, it gave me a better understanding of the statistics behind sexual assaults and domestic violence, another one would be that service learning projects can be very beneficial as a way to learn, and the last one being that it’s possible for us and people my age to raise awareness for a cause and feel seen/heard.
My thoughts on how this went are, it went better than I expected it to. I didn’t expect as many people to show up as they did. I assumed we would plan for a bigger outcome and have very few people.
I think the biggest benefit is building a relationship with the community and raising awareness at the same time. Having community involvement helps us further our horizon of where we are getting our word out to.” (Quote used with permission.)
RESOURCES TO EXPLORE
- Burke, A. S., & Bush, M. D. (2013). Service learning and criminal justice: An exploratory study of student perceptions. Educational Review, 65(1), 56-69.
- Coombs, C., Savoie-Roskos, M., & Elnakib, S. (2019). Engaging Students Through Service-Learning Opportunities in Public Health. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 51(10), 1137.
- Davis, J. (2015). Engaging criminal justice students through service learning. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 26(3), 253-272.
- Matheson, B., & Petersen, E. (2020). Engaging US Students in Culturally Aware Content Creation and Interactive Technology Design Through Service Learning. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 63(2), 188-200.
- McNally, A. (2020). Beyond the Tap: Engaging Students Through a Service Learning, Community-Based Water Quality Testing Exercise. Geography Teacher (Erie, Pa.), 17(2), 56-61.
- Skaggs, Sherry Lynn, and Lesley Graybeal. “Service-learning and experiential learning in criminal justice education: An exploratory examination of faculty perspectives.” Journal of Criminal Justice Education 30.2 (2019): 296-312.
- Warren, J. L. (2012). Does service-learning increase student learning?: A meta-analysis. Michigan journal of community service learning, 18(2), 56-61.
