Service Learning - Workshops
July 30th, 2008Service-Learning Course Construction Workshops
The Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement offers a series of five workshops, introducing faculty to the basics of service-learning course construction. These workshops assist faculty in integrating service learning into a course by:
- Examining disciplinary models for academic service-learning
- Examining the basics of service-learning course construction
- Reviewing best practices in service-learning
- Developing and evaluating learning outcomes
- Designing service-learning assignments and reflection questions
- Developing and sustaining partnerships with appropriate community agencies
- Developing assessment strategies
- Issues of liability and supervision
Faculty who apply for Service-Learning Course Development Grants must attend all workshops and develop one service-learning course to be taught during the current academic year. To facilitate the training, handbooks are developed for each participant. Included in these handbooks is general service learning guidelines; broad issues of the theory and practice of service-learning; sample syllabi that incorporate service learning projects across a variety of disciplines; tips for maximizing the effects of student reflection to enhance learning; a comprehensive list of on-line resources; and additional funding sources for faculty who may wish to pursue extra funding to support their particular projects.
Members of the Service–Learning staff organize and facilitate the workshops in collaboration with community partners. Both local and national experts on service learning may attend and assist or lead the workshops. They provide faculty with strategies for implementing academic service-learning in courses, building community partnerships, and conducting community-based action research.
The faculty training workshops/seminars are vital to the success of our service-learning endeavor. In the workshops, faculty are guided in integrating service learning activities into the syllabus for at least one of their courses for the current academic year. By attending the workshops, faculty are making a professional and personal commitment as they learn how to incorporate service-learning into their courses by answering questions such as, “What contributions or values does my discipline offer society?” “In what ways can my students apply their classroom learning by providing service to the community?” “What real world experiences will facilitate the learning of course concepts?” They examine the big picture — making connections from their fields of study to the community. There are no limitations to the type of service components they may choose; however, we will recommend starting off with something manageable that clearly fits in with the context of the class.
Dates and times for the workshops will be announced on the Service-Learning website and the Exchange Server. Open to all faculty!
