Introducing Service Learning as a

Project Option in an Advanced Undergraduate

Psychology CourseBrenda L. Lundy, Ph.D.School of Arts & Sciences

IPFW

• Definition of Service Learning

• Service Learning as a Project Option

• Classroom Research on Service Learning

• Conclusions and Future Directions

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)

• 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)

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.

• 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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

• 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)

Classroom Researchon Service Learning

• A. Performance on exams

• B. Measures of empathy

A. Performance on Exams

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)

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

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

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

B. Empathy as a Function of Project Option

Measurement of Empathy

• (Mehrabian, A.& Epstein, N., 1972.)

• 33 items rated on a 9pt scale ranging from “very strongly agree” to “very strongly disagree”

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.

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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.

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

One university.Two great names.

www.ipfw.edu