Re: Community Impact Measures

Michele, 

You ask an excellent question.  While I think CART offers some useful 
evaluative tools, it is overwhelmingly of the pre- post- survey variety.  As 
such, it can and does miss much of the process inherent in your question.  Such 
tools may be useful to get baselines and general overarching data, but it 
cannot address how and why individuals and organizations come to the 
conclusions and perspectives that they do.  As such, I conceptualize the 
assessment of change three-fold.  First, you would need to do a pre-assessment 
of how often/to what extent are such activities already being done in the 
community.  You can then show how over time certain processes have become more 
numerous, more in-depth, etc.  Second, you begin to map out the implications of 
these processes over time.  For example, how do these processes affect 
community interaction: e.g. % of community that uses campus facilities; number 
of community organizations partnering on projects, grants, etc; % of college 
students making use of local community resources.  Note that in both cases the 
common thread is a longitudinal perspective and a relational analysis of 
interactions.  These are key to demonstrate the legitimacy of your outcomes.  
Third, such changes need to be the basis of ongoing reflection with multiple 
mileposts for reflection/exhibition.  Two places that I know of who have spent 
a long time thinking about how to document and evaluate process-oriented change 
are Alverno College and the Coalition of Essential Schools.  Both focus on the 
importance of portfolios and multiple opportunities for the evaluation of the 
process of change that goes on in student learning.  My guess is that type of 
assessment can be fairly easily transposed into service-learning.  Hope this 
helps and I too would be interested in hearing of any other good assessment 
tools that do not isolate variables and thus focus on product.  Here are, by 
the way, the websites for Alverno and CES:

http://www.alverno.edu/educators/ed_index.html

http://www.essentialschools.org/

Dan Butin

-----Original Message-----
From: Shelley H. Billig, Ph.D. [mailto:billig@rmcdenver.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2002 1:24 PM
To: Gray, Kathryn; Michele James-Deramo;
service-learning@csf.colorado.edu
Subject: Re: Community Impact Measures


I would suggest that you visit the Compendium for Assessment and Research
Tools (CART) at http://cart.rmcdenver.com for suggestions...There are
descriptions of over 400 tools there.

Shelley Billig
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gray, Kathryn" <graykw@millsaps.edu>
To: "Michele James-Deramo" <deramo@vt.edu>;
<service-learning@csf.colorado.edu>
Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2002 11:18 AM
Subject: Re: Community Impact Measures


> Good Morning,
>
> The program that I work with, The Faith & Work Initiative, is looking at a
similar issue of evaluation.  We are trying to measure students' change in
attitude towards service based upon their involvement in a Service-Learning
class, changes in their professional trajectories based upon involvement
with credit-bearing internships coupled with weekly reflection groups, and
exposure to professional panels.  We would also like to evaluate changes in
philosophy about teaching or changes in the style of teaching on the part of
Service-Learning faculty.  Finally, we want feedback from the community
partners and mentors too.  Someone suggested that we consider using an
anthropological methodology that employs narrative responses from the
stakeholders.  We would like to develop simple straight-forward evaluation
tools for the aforementioned groups.  Does anyone have a suggestion?
>
> As stated in the Faith & Work Initiative brochure, the
program"....attempts to connect students' passion with compassion.  The
Faith & Work initiative is founded on the conviction that meaningful lives
are those that reach beyond the limits of the individual to engage, enrich,
and serve others.  The programs help students connect the convictions of
their hearts with their personal and professional goals."  These are
difficult things to measure. Your input, resources, and advice would be
greatly appreciated.  Thank you!
>
>
>
>
> Kathy Gray
> Program Coordinator
> Faith and Work Initiative
> Millsaps College
> 1701 North State St.
> Jackson, MS 39210-0001
>
> Phone 601.974.1314
> FAX    601.974.1324
> E-mail graykw@millsaps.edu
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michele James-Deramo [mailto:deramo@vt.edu]
> Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2002 2:52 PM
> To: service-learning@csf.colorado.edu
> Subject: Community Impact Measures
>
>
> Good afternoon,
>
> I am interested in learning how other campuses have measured the
> impact of their activities in the community.  Specifically, I am
> thinking about community impact measures that assess the value of
> more process oriented activities such as focus group facilitation or
> planning projects.  These activities aren't direct service, nor are
> they product-oriented. How do you assess a process?
>
> Hope this request is clear.
>
> I look forward to your responses.
>
> Michele
>
>
> --
>
>          Michele James-Deramo
>          Director
>          Service-Learning Center
> A program of University Outreach and International Affairs Division
>          http://www.majbill.vt.edu/sl/index.html
>          Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
>          202 Major Williams (0168)
>          Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
>          540/231-6947 (phone)
>          540/231-6367 (fax)
>          deramo@vt.edu