introducing service learning as a project option in an advanced undergraduate psychology course...
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![Page 1: Introducing Service Learning as a Project Option in an Advanced Undergraduate Psychology Course Brenda L. Lundy, Ph.D. School of Arts & Sciences IPFW](https://reader031.vdocuments.site/reader031/viewer/2022032800/56649d2c5503460f94a017cd/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Introducing Service Learning as a
Project Option in an Advanced Undergraduate
Psychology CourseBrenda L. Lundy, Ph.D.School of Arts & Sciences
IPFW
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• Definition of Service Learning
• Service Learning as a Project Option
• Classroom Research on Service Learning
• Conclusions and Future Directions
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What is service learning?
“At the core of service-learning is the principle that community service can be connected to classroom learning in such a way that service is more informed by theoretical and conceptual understanding and learning is more informed by the realities of the world.” –(http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/JEP/j_sl/def.htm)
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• The importance of enhancing undergraduate education through practical experience
Potential Benefits:
– Increased performance on final exams (Saxon & Holt, 1974)
– Increased performance in the integration of theory and practice (Fernald et al., 1982)
– Increased positive attitudes (Fox, Lopuch, & Fisher 1984)
– High student satisfaction (Sherman, 1982)
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Service Learning as a Project OptionLife-Span Human Development (Psy 369)
Upper-level, general education area VI course
Diverse Group of Majors20% psychology majors, 17% non-psychology majors in
Arts & Sciences, 30% education majors, 21% business and
management major, 5% fine and performing arts, 7% health Sciences.
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• In part, the course is intended to:
Not only teach students about developmental research, theories and concepts
Provide students with a opportunity to choose a project relevant to human development best suited to meet their diverse professional and/or personal interests
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Description of Project Options
• Service Learning Project– Student volunteer 2 hrs./week for 10 weeks.– e.g., day care, preschool, retirement home, Alzheimer’
clinic, pediatric floor of a hospital.
• Interview Project– Student interviews 3 individuals from different periods of
the lifespan on a focused topic
• Research Paper– APA style research paper on a focused topic relevant to
lifespan human development
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All students are required:
• to provide a 7-10 minute presentation to the class on their projects.
• submit a term paper at the end of the semester.
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Service Learning Option:
– Student is responsible for contacting and acquiring written approval from the director of the agency
– The director agrees to monitor student’s participation in exchange for his/her volunteer services
– Student keeps a record of the hours volunteered signed by the director each week.
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Service Learning option (cont’d)
• Students keep a journal throughout the term which iswritten up as a formal paper at the end of the semester.
Service learning term papers include:– an introductory entry– an entry for each 2hr session– a final entry (an organized summary of the
student’s observation and overall experience)
• Entries describe developmental processes, integration of course material with experiences –rather than just a list of the day’s activities.
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Primary goals of the service learning component:
• To enhance learning through the connection and application of course material (theories, research, etc) to real life situations
• To assist students in understanding the relevance of the academic subject to the real world
• To give students greater responsibility for their learning
• To increase students’ understanding of the challenges experienced by other age groups, and thus, increase levels of empathy.
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• Liability and Ethical Issues:
– Students are instructed to protect the anonymity of the participants’ names in written reports and class presentations.
– Information gathered on individuals and situations was treated confidentially.
– With reports of abuse in various caregiving agencies, liability has become an important issue.
• All students choosing the service learning option are encouraged to purchase insurance through IPFW (approximately $8)
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Classroom Researchon Service Learning
• A. Performance on exams
• B. Measures of empathy
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A. Performance on Exams
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Performance on later exams (exams 2-4 averaged)
Mean SDService Learninga 86.93 7.97Interview projectb 82.52 9.82Research paperc 84.68 9.01_________________________________________________an=76bn=43cn=72Significant difference in performance for average of exams 2-4
(F(2,188)=3.91, p<.05)
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Performance on exam 1(prior to beginning their projects)
Mean SDService Learninga 84.72 9.68Interview projectb 82.61 12.25Research paperc 85.47 9.42_________________________________________________an=76bn=43cn=72No significant difference among groups in performance on exam 1
No significant difference in Exam 1 performance
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Differences in later exam compared to exam 1 scores
Mean SDService Learninga 2.18 6.71Interview projectb -.09 7.60Research paperc -.79 7.85_________________________________________________an=76bn=43cn=72Significant results regarding the difference in scores from exam 1 to the
average of exams 2-4
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Comparison of exam 1 and later exam scores for each
project option Exam1 Exams 2-4
• Service Learning 84.72 86.93 p<.01
• Interview 82.61 82.52 NS
• Research Paper 85.47 84.68 NS
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B. Empathy as a Function of Project Option
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Measurement of Empathy
• (Mehrabian, A.& Epstein, N., 1972.)
• 33 items rated on a 9pt scale ranging from “very strongly agree” to “very strongly disagree”
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Measurement of Empathy
• Examples of items:
• It makes me sad to see a lonely stranger in a group.• I get angry when I see someone being ill-treated.• Little children sometimes cry for no apparent reason.• It upsets me to see helpless old people• I cannot continue to feel OK if people around me are
depressed.
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Measurement of Empathy Beginning of Semester
Mean SD
Service Learninga 205 22.31
Interview Projectb 204 12.21
Research Paperc 201 26.42
_______________________________________________an=18bn=18cn=29
No significant difference among groups in empathy ratings
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Measurement of EmpathyEnd of Semester
Mean SDService Learning 216 17.14 Interview Project 200 12.81 Research Paper 195 36.79 ____________________________________an=18bn=18cn=29
Significant difference in empathy ratings (F=2,62)=3.60, p<.05
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Measurement of Empathy• Differences in empathy ratings from
beginning (time 1) to end of semester (time 2) with project-type as grouping factor Mean SDService Learning 12.76 16.27Interview -5.26 15.33 Research paper -7.03 35.23
__________________________________________________________________________
an=18bn=18cn=29Significant difference in difference scores (F(2,62)=3.31, p<.05)
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Measurement of Empathy• Comparison of time 1 and time 2 empathy ratings
for each project option
Time 1 Time 2
• Service Learning 204 217 p<.005
• Interview 205 200 NS
• Research Paper 199 192 NS
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Students Comments Q: what did you like best about or learn the most from
your community service experience?
• The opportunity to work with children and observe their cognitive development—not just read about it.
• It introduced me into a field that I originally thought wouldn’t interest me—it widened my potential options.
• What that type of environment (retirement home) is like and how people age.
• Applying theories and concepts we learned in class
• I figured out what I wanted to do with my future
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Students Comments
Q: what did you like least about your community service experience?
• Not enough time• Feeling sorry for lonely residents• Dissatisfaction with the agency’s care of children• Attachment to residents who subsequently died• Saying ‘good-bye’ after my community service was over
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Conclusions and Future Directions
• Improved exam grades, increased levels of empathy, and students’ feedback demonstrate that the service learning component is valuable contribution to life-span human development.
• Students enjoy the experience, their learning is enhanced, the community benefits, and it is not a burden to make this option available.
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Conclusions and Future Directions
• Analyze performance on the application questions of the exams.
• Explore personality characteristics in relation to option chosen.
• Additional research on reducing “ageism”, a prejudice against individuals of other age groups.
• Pursue the development of additional connections with the community
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One university.Two great names.
www.ipfw.edu