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Assessing Service Learning Outcomes for Students & Partners

Assessing Service Learning Outcomes for Students & Partners. Cathy Burack, Mary Prentice, and Gail Robinson IARSLCE Conference, Indianapolis, IN October 29, 2010. Session Goals. Share American Association of Community Colleges data on student learning outcomes

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Assessing Service Learning Outcomes for Students & Partners

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  1. Assessing Service Learning Outcomes for Students & Partners Cathy Burack, Mary Prentice, and Gail Robinson IARSLCE Conference, Indianapolis, IN October 29, 2010

  2. Session Goals • Share American Association of Community Colleges data on student learning outcomes • Share Learn and Serve America higher education consortia data on community partner outcomes • Discuss how to gauge the impact of service learning beyond the campus

  3. Service Learning and the Acquisition of Learning Outcomes 2006-2009 AACC Research Project • 10 community colleges (1687 SL: 630 NSL) • 26 disciplines • Six institutional-level learning outcomes: • Critical thinking • Communication • Career and teamwork • Civic responsibility • Global understanding and citizenship • Academic development and educational success

  4. Survey of Student Learning Outcomes Learning outcomes questions: Students were asked: “As a result of taking this course…” followed by the specific learning outcomes questions Students rated their responses on a six-point Likert-type scale Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 6

  5. Analyses: Service Learners and Nonservice Learners • Overall survey scores were compared for the two groups (t-tests, ANCOVA). • The six learning outcomes sections were then compared for the two groups. • Five out of the six comparisons revealed that service learning participation was a predictor of increased student learning outcomes. • Each analysis statistically controlled for faculty use of service learning and degree of learning outcomes focus as reported in faculty surveys.

  6. Additional Analyses: Questions Regarding Service Learning Experience Service learning students were asked an additional six questions specifically about the effects of the service experience. These results were compared to the same questions asked in AACC’s 2003-2006 Horizons project. • Current results mirrored earlier findings. • There are now six years’ worth of student data that affirm the benefits of service learning.

  7. Student Focus Group Comments • “I wouldn’t have done that well in the class if we hadn’t gone out and done the service learning project. It made me more committed to the class, getting the project done, and getting my degree.” • “I’m a displaced worker—I have to learn a new profession. [Service learning] has given me experience to step into another field.”

  8. Faculty Focus Group Comments • “We can give them all the book knowledge they want, but if they can’t use it when they leave here, what have we given them?” • “The great advantage of service learning is that it’s realistic. It’s life itself happening.”

  9. Current AACC Research(2009-2012) • Service learning’s influence on student retention and persistence • Post-course surveys at 27 colleges over 6 semesters • 531 students to date • Institutional agreements to track enrollment of a random subset of students over the course of the study

  10. Learn and Serve America Higher Ed Partner Survey • Focus of LSAHE grants: meet community needs as a result of the economic downturn • Three consortia programs (AACC, California Campus Compact, Tufts) created a common end-of-year instrument to measure community impact (2009-2012) • 2009-2010 academic year data complete for AACC and CaCC • 84 CBOs and K-12 schools; 3,070 students

  11. Q2: Students Increased Partners’ Capacity to Meet Community Needs

  12. Q4: Students Provided Valuable Services to Constituents

  13. Q6: College Student Service: Curricular or Co-Curricular

  14. Q7: Frequency of Student Service

  15. Q8: Partner Organizations

  16. Q9: Organization Size by Budget

  17. Collecting Data on Student and Community Impact and Outcomes • Who has collected outcomes data from students and/or partners? • What do we need to know as a field? • How can we encourage consortium-like efforts to collect outcomes data? • How do we advance the conversation?

  18. Links to Handouts • AACC research brief: “Improving Student Learning Outcomes with Service Learning” www.aacc.nche.edu/Resources/ aaccprograms/horizons/Documents/ slorb_jan2010.pdf • LSA higher ed partner survey www.servicelearning.org/lsa/ lsa_page/instruments.php

  19. For More Information Cathy Burack, Senior Research Associate for Higher Education Heller School, Brandeis University, MA burack@brandeis.edu Mary Prentice, Associate Professor , Educational Management and Development New Mexico State University, NM mprentic@nmsu.edu Gail Robinson, Director of Service Learning American Association of Community Colleges, DC grobinson@aacc.nche.edu

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