Service-Learning Standard

> As requested by several members of the listserve, here are the compiled
> answers to my question regarding a service-learning standard.  Thanks to
> all who sent me e-mails. Based on the responses I received, both from
> persons asking me to forward the information, and people with answers I
> think this is a hot topic on a lot of people's minds. 
> 
> I forwarded all the responses to the professor and he too was very
> appreciative. 
> 
> Thanks again,
> 
> Sarah M. Brackmann
> Service-Learning Coordinator
> Our Lady of the Lake University
> 411 S.W. 24th Street
> San Antonio, TX  78207
> (210) 434-6711 ext 759
> fax (210) 431-3953
> 
> 
> Question posed to the listserve:
> 
> A professor recently asked me if our university had a standard measurement
> of service hours. Meaning, if a student completes one hour of service does
> it equal one paper? How do you calculate the service hour requirement for
> service-learning courses?  Usually we determine hours based on the course,
> but he wants to know what other universities and colleges use.   
> 
> Does anyone on the listserve have a standard that they commonly use to
> develop service-learning classes? 
> 
> Answers
> 
> Sarah, our service-learning office is run through the honors college.  One
> measure we use is in our Community Service Learning Honors Independent
> Study courses.  Students sign up for 1-6 credits, with each credit
> correlated with a commitment to do 30 hours of service (1 credit = 30
> hours, 2 credits = 60 hours, etc.).  They also, of course, meet with their
> faculty sponsor periodically and document their learning--in our case,
> through regular journals and a final paper.
> 
> Other CSL courses that add a "fourth credit" for the service and
> reflection use a similar standard--usually 20-30 hours per semester or
> maybe 3 hours per week.
> 
> 
>      John
> 
> John Reiff, Ph.D.
> Director, UMass Office of Community Service Learning at Commonwealth
> College
> 610 Goodell
> 140 Hicks Way
> University of Massachusetts
> Amherst, MA 01003-9272
> 413-577-1207
> FAX:  413-577-4000
> www.umass.edu/csl/
> __________________________________________________________________________
> _____________________________________
> 
> We do not envision service as replacing learning in a class.  Instead, by
> creating two parallel tracks for students choosing service and those who
> don't, assignments may change.  Since the reflection component of
> service-learning is so very important, incorporating discussions,
> journals, essays, projects, presentations, etc. for service-learning
> students is key.  Non-service-learners may complete the same types of
> assignments with different requirements or extra assignments that are
> meaningful. For instance, in a research writing class, a student in
> service-learning counts their experience and journal as part of their
> research, while a non-service-learning student completes a more
> traditional series of research assignments and journal, but they both
> write the same number of essays.  We recommend at least fifteen hours of
> service.  I hope this helps.
> 
> 
> Laurie Olson-Horswill
> Service-Learning Faculty Coordinator
> Tenured English Instructor
> North Idaho College
> 1000 West Garden Avenue
> Coeur d'Alene, ID  83814
> (208) 769-7827
> ljolsonh@nic.edu
> __________________________________________________________________________
> _____________________________________
> 
> Based on several years of working with our faculty here in Maine, I'd say
> that approach is deeply problematic and does not address the primary
> issue,
> which is did the student achieve the desired learning outcome.  I'd say
> the
> faculty needs to take an overall view of his assessment practices and make
> sure the reflection component of the service-learning activity gives him
> the
> information he needs to judge the student's achievement of the learning
> goal.  Most of the faculty I work with determine the reflection activity,
> make a judgement of how much time/effort that takes, before setting a
> number
> of hours of service.
> 
> Two great places to start are Giles' and Eyler's Where's the learning in
> Service Learning? and Kerri Heffernan's  Fundamentals of Service-Learning
> Course Construction, (which is available from Campus Compact at
> http://www.compact.org ) The books description says:  "A resource to
> assist
> faculty in the design, development, and construction of service-learning
> courses. Offers six models for service-learning courses, a catalogued
> sample
> of assignments, and sample syllabi."
> 
> Kerri Heffernan recently completed several campus visits through Maine
> speaking about course construction, and all the faculty I spoke with found
> her to be exceptionally helpful in tackling this issue.  Our evaluation
> surveys gave her glowing reviews.
> 
> I hope this is helpful!  This is a really complex issue for campuses
> engaged
> in integrating service-learning to academics.
> 
> Alice
> 
> "````"""'```'''````""""'`````""''````'''"""
> Alice D. Elliott
> Associate Director
> Maine Campus Compact
> 207-786-8217
> __________________________________________________________________________
> _____________________________________
> While the faculty of each course with a service-learning component has the
> right to determine the standard hours required, I have found most choose
> about 20 hours per term of service. This is a small enough amount of
> time--just about two hours a week while leaving room for breaks and
> holidays--to not be an unnecessary burden on the students but also a large
> enough bulk of time to make an impact on both the student and the
> community served. 
> 
> But I don't understand the question about service in lieu of a paper. To
> be most effective as service-learning and not volunteerism, our programs
> require a written component as well, typically a reflective journal or a
> paper. 
> 
> Sally Jackson
> Literacy Serve and Learn
> Bowling Green State
> Univ._____________________________________________________________________
> _________________________________________
> Rivier College requires 20 hours of service for 1 SL credit. The actual
> assignments vary from course to course.
> 
> Howard Muscott
> __________________________________________________________________________
> _____________________________________
> We let our agencies tell us how many hours they need service learners to
> serve at their site in order to make it worthwhile for the agency. This
> varies anywhere from 1 1/2 hours a week for one semester to 4+ hours a
> week for a 2-semester commitment. Since students are graded not for the
> service they perform, but for the learning that results from the service,
> and since students are free to choose their placements, we don't worry if
> some students spend more time in the community than others. So far, this
> system hasn't caused any problems that I'm aware of. I'm sure there are
> students out there who think the time should be equal, but because they
> had the choice of a less demanding site, I don't think they have much to
> complain about. If you want to see how we describe our sites and their
> requirements, our web address is <www.mu.edu/servicelearning>. If you
> click on "placement information" and then on any faculty name, you'll come
> to a list of agencies. Click on one of them and you'll see a description. 
> If you need more info, let me know. 
> Bobbi Timberlake 
> Service Learning Program Administrator 
> Marquette University 
> Milwaukee, Wisconsin
> __________________________________________________________________________
> _____________________________________
> We have a service-learning program that involves over 2000 students per
> year.  There are over 50 courses with a service-learning component.
> Professors determine the value of the service-learning experience.  Some
> require service and an associated research project, others require more
> than
> one paper.  It is totally up to the discretion of the professor how he/she
> counts it.
> 
> Marilynn P. Fleckenstein, Ph.D.
> Professor of Philosophy
> Director, Learn & Serve Niagara
> Niagara University, NY 14109-1906
> __________________________________________________________________________
> _____________________________________
> 
> 
>