Re: Community Impact Measures

Dan makes a good point, but of course, different tools can be used for
different purposes.  There are several dozen qualitative tools listed on the
site as well.

Shelley
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gray, Kathryn" <graykw@millsaps.edu>
To: "Dan Butin" <dbutin@gettysburg.edu>; "Shelley H. Billig, Ph.D."
<billig@rmcdenver.com>; "Michele James-Deramo" <deramo@vt.edu>;
<service-learning@csf.colorado.edu>
Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2002 12:23 PM
Subject: RE: Community Impact Measures


Dear Dan,

I appreciate your response.  We are planning to survey entering freshmen and
follow them for longitudinal outcomes.  What you have discussed here is
directly related to what we hope to do.  Thank you!

Kathy Gray

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Butin [mailto:dbutin@gettysburg.edu]
Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2002 1:16 PM
To: Shelley H. Billig, Ph.D.; Gray, Kathryn; Michele James-Deramo;
service-learning@csf.colorado.edu
Subject: 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