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Service Learning


Course Outline


Course Description

The purpose of this course is to provide educators with an understanding of the concept of service learning, the guiding principles of service learning activities, and how to implement, monitor, and evaluate effective service learning projects. Students will learn to design and initiate service learning projects at the K-12 level.

An understanding of the concept of service learning supports better implementation of service learning projects, develops character, and supports the affective and cognitive domains of learning. Nationally, almost all K-12 schools support service projects and value the implications for character development associated with service learning. Many high schools require service credit hours as an elective towards graduation credits. Most colleges have service and volunteer divisions to promote community service and some require this for graduation. Major corporations have service projects for employees. What appears to be missing is the understanding of the foundations of the concept of service and how/why serving promotes learning and allows the provider to develop the internal motivation to serve others without being prompted by requirements or competitive goals. The course hopes to "fit" this understanding over the existing practices of service learning.

The course will examine the current and past practices of service learning in educational settings. Participants will discover how service learning became linked to schools and become knowledgeable of the history of service learning in America. Students will discover the varied and diverse activities providing service learning opportunities for students. Finally, teachers will learn how to connect service learning activities to their state curriculum objectives and learning standards. Students will understand how service learning affects the cognitive and affective domains of learning, enhances brain development, and engages the learner/service provider.

The goal of this course is to motivate teachers and students to view performing service as a necessary task in the school environment to enhance learning and character development.

Objectives

  • Compose a definition of service learning.
  • Differentiate service learning from service learning projects.
  • Explore and examine a historical timeline of service learning Initiatives.
  • Develop a service learning/service projects timeline.
  • Review models and effective principals of service learning.
  • Discuss parts of brain functioning and development.
  • Develop an understanding of why performing service activities makes you feel good.
  • Justify how service learning supports the acquisition of basic human needs.
  • Find examples of service learning that relate to the various levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs.
  • Construct a reflective questionnaire assessing the value of service learning.
  • Compose a definition of cognitive learning.
  • Develop an understanding of how service learning supports cognitive Learning.
  • Evaluate how service learning supports metacognition.
  • Synthesize cognitive theories that support service learning.
  • Design Goals for Service Learning Projects.
  • Discuss Character Education principles involved in service learning.
  • Propose individual guidelines for school projects.
  • Design activities that achieve the goals and follow the guidelines for projects.
  • Rate evaluation methods used in service learning.
  • Rate national/state/local service learning projects and foundations.
  • Explore, discuss, and evaluate individual/classroom/school-wide service learning projects.
  • Design and link goals, activities, and evaluation for a service project to present in Module Ten.
  • Conduct a collaborative group review prior to project implementation.
  • Develop a plan for how resources will be utilized and linked.
  • Assess state standards.
  • Reconcile service learning project goals with curriculum goals and standards.
  • Create interdisciplinary curriculum web graphic organizer for service learning project.
  • Discuss bibliotherapy.
  • Determine how children’s literature is related to service learning.
  • Develop a bibliography of service learning projects, books, and materials for classroom use.
  • Explore websites for service learning projects.
  • Explore local, state, national, and international grants for projects.
  • Recommend research on service learning projects for “best practices.”
  • Determine ways of dealing with confidentiality.
  • Predict over-stimulation/depression that may be caused by service.
  • Imagine possible negative consequences.
  • Recognize criminal mischief in service activities.
  • Assess student readiness for projects.
  • Create lofty, but realistic, expectations for service learning projects.
  • Summarize the major course concepts.
  • Present a final project and demonstrate personal commitment.

Curriculum Design & Time Requirements

The session activities are based on specific lessons, textbook readings, and research. The teaching methods of independent study, inquiry, and process learning will be used to present, discuss, and summarize the content objectives of the course. Students will learn the necessary skills and develop practical strategies to implement the practices presented in the course. Participants will apply the course content in their school settings through a project. This project will be presented in class and serve as a requirement for successful completion of the course. Students will be required to complete and pass a final examination that reflects their knowledge of the course content. Service Learning is a forty-five hour, 3 graduate credit course.

Course Materials

The required text for this course is “Where’s the Learning in Service Learning?” by Janet Eyler and Dwight E. Giles, Jr. The book addresses how service learning impacts the learning process. The authors demonstrate how cognitive and affective learning are enhanced by service learning projects. The findings of empirical research are used to make the claim that students at all levels benefit from service learning. Participants will also recieve a student guide. The student guide will provide work pages, rubrics, a bibliography, and additional materials to assist students in understanding, designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating service learning projects.


Session Outline

Session 1: Defining and Understanding the Concept of Service Learning
Contents:
  1. Member introductions
  2. Participants Make Agreements for Class Norms/Expectations
  3. Course sessions, resources and requirements
  4. Personal Reflection and Experience with service, learning and service learning
  5. Establish a working definition of service learning
  6. Explore a historical timeline of Service Learning Initiatives
  7. Review Models of Service Learning
  8. Summary Assignment

Session 2: Exploring the Impact of Service Learning on Affective Learning
Contents:
  1. Provide Definition of Affective Learning
  2. Review Parts of Brain Functioning and Development
  3. Develop an understanding of why performing service makes you feel good
  4. Analyze how service learning supports the acquisition of basic human needs
  5. Match examples of service learning to levels in Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs
  6. Summary Assignment

Session 3: Exploring the Impact of Service Learning on Cognitive Learning
    Contents:
  1. Provide definition of Cognitive Learning
  2. Develop an understanding of how service learning supports cognitive learning
  3. Evaluate how service learning supports meta-cognition
  4. Synthesize cognitive theories that support service learning
  5. Summary Assignment

Session 4: Explore and Evaluate the Goals of Service Learning Projects
Contents:
  1. Identify the Goals of Service Learning Projects
  2. Link Character Education principles to service learning
  3. Develop individual guidelines for school projects
  4. Explore activities that achieve the goals and guidelines for projects
  5. Review Evaluation Methods used in service learning
  6. Summary Assignment

Session 5: Designing Relevant Service Learning Projects
Contents:
  1. Review of national/state/local service learning projects/foundations
  2. Explore, discuss and evaluate individual/classroom/school-wide service learning projects
  3. Design and link goals, activities and evaluation for a service project to present in Session Ten
  4. Conduct a collaborative group review prior to project implementation
  5. Learn how to link resources
  6. Summary Assignment

Session 6: Matching the Curriculum to Service Learning Projects
Contents:
  1. Review State Standards
  2. Match service learning project goals to curriculum goals and standards
  3. Create interdisciplinary curriculum web for service learning project
  4. Summary Assignment

Session 7: Review of Literature and Audio/Visual Resources for Student-Led Projects
Contents:
  1. Define bibliotherapy
  2. Review of children’s literature related to service learning
  3. Develop bibliography of service learning projects, books and materials for classroom use
  4. Explore websites for service learning projects
  5. Summary Assignment

Session 8: Explore Opportunities for Service Learning Project Grants
Contents:
  1. Review of local, state, national and international grants for projects
  2. Review of recent research on service learning projects for "best practices"
  3. Summary Assignment

Session 9: The Down Side of Service
Contents:
  1. Dealing with confidentiality
  2. Over-stimulation/Depression caused by service
  3. Negative Consequences
  4. Criminal Mischief in Service Activities
  5. Assessing Student Readiness for Projects
  6. Setting realistic but lofty expectations
  7. Summary Assignment

Session 10: Final Projects and Final Exam
Contents:
  1. Review of major course concepts
  2. Final project presentations
  3. Final exam
  4. Course evaluations

Grading

    Assignment Points   Grading Scale  
  Participation   10      100 – 93 A
  Class Assignments   20       92 – 85 B
  Summary Assignments   36       84 – 77 C
    Final Project   24            
    Final Exam   10            
  Total Points  100    

Student Requirements

1. Participation: Actively participate in all class activities.
2. Reading & Summary Assignments: Complete all reading and summary assignments.
3. Final Project: Students are required to complete a service learning project in their school setting. Reflections and an evaluation rubric for this project must be submitted by the end of Session 10.
4. Final Exam: Successfully complete the final exam.

Student Academic Integrity

Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by our partnering colleges and universities and is subject to academic disciplinary action.

Register

To register to take TEI's Service Learning course, go to the Course Registration page.