Service Learning in an Introductory Oceanography

Course

Ed LaineCutting Edge

July 15-17, 2008

Marine Environmental GeologyGeo/ES103

Environmental Studies– Introductory science requirement

Inquiry in the Natural Sciences– Bowdoin distribution

Geo major– Must have 101 (Physical)

Numbers

36 students– 2 lab sections of 18

Mainly non-science

60-75% women

Fall semester Fall diatom bloom

Fading hypoxia

Episodes of reverse estuarine circulation

Breakdown of stratification of water column

Community partners Friends of Casco Bay

Town of Harpswell

Bowdoin Buoy Facility

Harpswell Heritage Land Trust

Projects

Documenting dissolved oxygen changes Studying estuarine circulation patterns Studying the evolution of plankton blooms Groundtruthing backscatter texture maps Groundtruthing instrumental chlorophyll

Approaches to Service & Experiential Learning

Recipient Beneficiary ProviderService Focus Learning

Service Learning

Community Service Field Education

Volunteerism Internship

(Furco, 1996)

SERVICE learning

service LEARNING

SERVICE LEARNING

(Sigmon, 1984)

Problem-Based Service-Learning

Students address a problem for a community partner

The process delivers part of the traditional content of a course

  Two way street between school and community

Important PBSL Features

Community partner Student learning and logistics ~ faculty

responsibility Problem statement jointly written Meets learning goals Team work required

PBSL Model - 8 stepsCome to the poster

Project design Community partners Building community Building capacity Problem statement Project management Assessment Reflection

Role changes

Font of knowledge >> Mentor Advance planner Deliver knowledge “just in time”

– Bag of tricks Observe and mentor Initially link to community

Back to Geo103Writing

Proposal Draft report Poster Sharing Symposium Report Structured reflection

Quantitative

Owning their data– Plan– Collect– Analyze– Report

Prepared for graphs/analysis

Why as an educator might you choose SL?

Process of science Engagement Problem solving Quantitative Writing Learning community

Surprises

Initial costs  Heterogeneity  Quality  Resumes  Recommendations

More to consider

Losing content

Safety

Group dynamics

Grading group work

Other reasons to choose SL

College/University Goals– Strategic plan– Mission statement

Retention Community relations

Resources

Campus Compact– Find your state Campus Compact office

Community service office on your campus– Teaching resource center– Service learning office– Community relations office

A practical guidebooks for SL practice

Gordon, R.Ed. (2000). Problem Based Service Learning: A Fieldguide for Making a Difference in Higher Education, Campus Compact for New Hampshire (Sponsor)

Another guidebook (free)

Seifer, S. D., and K. Connors, Eds. (2007) Faculty Toolkit for Service-Learning in Higher Education (Higher Education Starter Kit), Community-Campus Partnerships for Health for Learn and Serve America’s National Service-learning Clearinghouse