Civic Engagement Pedagogy:Benefits for Students, Faculty,

Institution, and Community

Donna R. Pawlowski, Ph.D., Associate Professor in Speech Communication

dpawlowski@bemidjistate.edu - Bemidji State University - 755-2487

Professional Improvement Grant Presentation

BSU Teaching and Learning ConferenceJanuary 9, 2014

Session Objectives:

• Explain (and understand) the nature of civically-engaged-learning or service-learning.

• Identify the benefits for all parties involved (students, faculty, institution, community)

• Generate some potential ways in which you may use this engaged pedagogy in your classes or with educational-based programs

What is your interest/connection?

•  What have you heard others say about civic engagement/service-learning (if anything)? 

• What is your prior experience with service-learning or civically engaged experiences?

• What questions do you have regarding this pedagogy from your initial thoughts?

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What is Civic Engagement or Service-Learning as a Pedagogy?

• A pedagogical strategy where students apply what they are learning in the classroom (course/learning objectives) to a particular community/group

• Communities are typically nonprofit (or underserved) and the application, in part, is done through service that fills a public good in the community; service that is meaningful & relevant for all parties (community and students)

• Parties involved create a relationship and are considered the recipient and the provider of the service; both are changed by the experience

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What is Civic Engagement or Service-Learning as a Pedagogy?

• Students make meaningful connections between what they are studying and its applications to the community through guided reflective writing and classroom discussion

• “The community becomes an additional text for the course.”

• Community also becomes empowered as they co-develop the partnership and the work from their strengths

(some materials adapted from Howard, 2001)

What is service-learning?

Sigmon, Robert L. (1996). The problem of definitions in service-learning. In Robert L. Sigmon (Ed.), Journey to service-learning: Experiences from independent liberal arts colleges and universities (pp. 9-11)Washington, DC: Council of Independent Colleges.

Service-Learning Continuum

• “If we approach our students as tools for civic engagement, we learn how to change the world” (p. 17).

Farrell, J. (2010). The nature of college: How a new understanding of campus life can change the world. Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Editions.

Who is Involved inService-Learning?

• Students

• Community

• Faculty

• University

What do you see as benefits for the students?

Benefits of Service-Learning:For Students

• Connects Theory and Practice• Helps Students Gain a Sense of Community and

Responsibility For Others• Learning/High Level of Student Engagement• Strengthens Promotes Active Analytical, Problem-

Solving and Critical Thinking Skills• Promotes Value of Diversity/Reduces Stereotyping

and Facilitates Intercultural Understanding

Benefits of Service-Learning:For Students

• Strengthens Interpersonal and Communication Skills

• Student Learning is Deeper; Understand Course Concepts Better

• Service-learning has a positive effect on sense of social responsibility and citizenship skills

• Demonstrates personal responsibility for civic engagement

Adapted from: Conville, R. L. & Weintraub, S. C. (2002)

Students

• Retention to school and state

• More connection to subject; interest and understanding

• Better citizen in community• Care more about others• Leadership opportunities• Saw faculty as “humans

and colleagues/friends”; they were right there with us…

Suggestions• Wished they knew about

it sooner• Wished others took

advantage of classes• Wished there were more

classes offered• Would like to see credit

on diploma• Would love to have more

immersions

Benefits

What do you see as benefits for the faculty?

Benefits for Faculty: Teaching

• Enables Teaching to become More Process-Oriented

• Increases Variety of Unique Pedagogical Practices• Improves Student Satisfaction with College • Provides Authentic Assessment Opportunities• Builds Stronger Relationships with Faculty Members

(and with Students)• Co-Creation of Courses with Other Faculty

Benefits For Faculty: Service

• Improves Relationships with Community• Increases Personal Involvement with Community• Provides Opportunity for Community Boards• Allows for Campus Organizational/Service

Opportunities

Benefits for Faculty: Scholarship

• Integrates Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Projects • Allows Faculty to Reach Scholarship Level• Enhances Personal Scholarship of Teaching• Provides Opportunities for Regional/National

Scholarship Engagement in Organizations• Broadens Outlets for Presentations and Publications of

Research• Enhances Tenure/Promotion Dossier

Faculty

• Enjoy conferences and meeting others who do s-l

• Love to see when students “get it” and make the connections

• Personal commitment to community from s-l teaching

• Faculty using service-learning report satisfaction with quality of student learning

Benefits

• Those who engaged in s-l wished more disciplines would try it

• Would like more development workshops and gatherings of s-l faculty

• More credit for s-l initiatives (r & t); may try more things; not all faculty willing or equip to teach s-l

Suggestions

What do you see as benefits for the institution?

Institution

• Important to university and mission

• Develops students into citizens and stewards

• Win-win for community and institution

• Essential to the education of students

Benefits• Community service

enhances student retention

• Institutions report enhanced community relations

Institution

Suggestions:• Assessment needs to be done more to legitimize

budgets and resources• Needs to be put into strategic planning• More credit needs to be given for R &

T/Promotion• Resources for staffing and office

What do you see as benefits for the community partners?

Partners

• Invaluable for community with resources• Relationship-building with students/university• Community members interested in working with

university• Could not function w/o university working with them• Enjoy working with students – creative ideas for the

community

Benefits

Partners

Suggestions:• Partners would like to be more involved on campuses

despite their time commitments (i.e., committees, boards, luncheons…)

• Partners have great ideas for classes/disciplines if they can be visited about these ideas or asked to come to campus to share suggestions

• Follow-up with partners; assessment and faculty personal contact

• If we want to link s-l with academics we need to be clear with partners the differences of pedagogical styles (service vs academic-based learning, co-curricular…)

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Final Thoughts

• How might you incorporate civic engagement/service-learning into your courses or academic-based activities?

• What other questions do you have regarding this “engaged” pedagogy?

Additional References

Conville, R. L., & Weintraub, S. C. (2002). Service-learning and communication: A disciplinary toolkit. Washington, DC: National Communication Association.

Farrell, J. (2010). The nature of college: How a new understanding of campus life can change the world. Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Editions.

Howard, J. (Ed.) (2001). Service-learning course design workbook. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning. Ann Arbor, MI: OCSL Press, The University of Michigan.

National Service-Learning and Assessment Study Group (October, 1999). Service-learning and assessment: A field guide for teachers. The Vermont Department of Education - Learn and Serve America.

Sandy, M., & Holland, B. (2006). Different worlds and common ground:

Community partner perspectives on campus-community partnerships. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 30–43.