Service-Learning to Enhance Academic Achievement Shelley H. Billig Stephany Brown RMC Research...
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Transcript of Service-Learning to Enhance Academic Achievement Shelley H. Billig Stephany Brown RMC Research...
Service-Learning to Enhance Academic Achievement
Shelley H. Billig
Stephany Brown
RMC Research Corporation
For Title I, III, and VII Why Service-Learning Should Enhance Academic
Achievement Evidence How to Maximize Academic Achievement with
Service-Learning Making the Case
Key factors Action planning Crafting messages
Why Service-Learning Should Enhance Academic Achievement How Service-Learning Works How People Learn How the Brain Works Other Supporting Cognitive
Development Theories
How Service-Learning Works Service-learning is a form of experiential
education where learning occurs through a cycle of planning, action, and reflection. Working with others, students acquire knowledge and skills and apply what they learn in community settings as they try to meet community needs. They experience consequences, both literal and emotional.
Relationship to Learning (Eyler and Giles, 1999)
Service-learning experiences: are typically positive, meaningful, and real involve cooperative rather than competitive
processes, thus promoting skills associated with teamwork and interdependency
address complex problems in complex settings rather than simplified problems in isolation
Service-learning experiences (continued):
offer opportunities to engage in problem solving by requiring students to gain knowledge in specific contexts rather than drawing upon generalized or abstract knowledge
promote deeper learning because results are immediate and are not contrived (no “right answers” in the back of the book)
are more likely to be personally meaningful and to generate emotional consequences
How People Learn (National Research Council, 1999)
Understanding is much more than knowing facts.
People build new knowledge and understanding on what they already know and believe (scaffolding).
Learning is mediated by the social environment in which learners interact with others. Effective learning requires that students take control of their own learning. The ability to apply knowledge to novel situations, that is, transfer of learning, is affected by the degree to which
students learn with understanding.
Learning and Memory Learning is the act of making (and
strengthening) connections between thousands of neurons.
Memory is the ability to reconstruct or reactivate the previously-made connections.
Memory is a ProcessPat Wolfe. (2001).
Sensory
Memory
Working
Memory
Long-Term
Memory
Sight
Sound
Smell
Taste
Touch
Initial Processing
Elaboration & Organization
Retrieval
Forgotten Forgotten
Rehearsal
Other Supporting Theories Multiple Intelligences Constructivism Developmental Theories (youth need
relationships!) Experiential Learning Theories
(show me…involve me)
Evidence Service-learning has been found to make an impact
on state tests in: Pennsylvania (Philadelphia service-learning programs)-
reading/language arts and science; Michigan (all Learn and Serve programs) – writing,
social studies, historical perspective, earth science, inquiry and decision making;
New Hampshire (environmental programs) – language arts, math, science, and social studies; and
Vermont (environmental programs) – reading.
Evidence Students have made gains on problem solving
essays in Hawaii, Colorado, and Pennsylvania; Students have shown increases in attendance rates
and decreases in dropout rates in many states; and Students have shown increases in affective,
behavioral, and cognitive engagement in Hawaii, Colorado, Michigan, Florida, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.
How to Maximize Academic Achievement with Service-Learning Link to standards; Use instructional strategies with the greatest
effect sizes; and Create a nurturing learning environment.
Research-based StrategiesEffect Sizes and AchievementMarzano, et al. (2001).
Identifying similarities and differences 1.61
Summarizing and note taking 1.00
Reinforcing effort and providing recognition .80
Homework and practice .77
Nonlinguistic representations .75
Cooperative learning .73
Setting objectives and providing feedback .61
Generating and testing hypotheses .61
Questions, cues, and advance organizers .59
Creating a Climate for LearningSafe
Nurturing
High
Challenge
Low Threat
Encourages Risk-taking
Inclusive
Multi-sensoryStimulating
Collaborative
Making the Case Where are you on the developmental
continuum? Awareness Motivation to adopt Deepening practice Scaling up Sustaining
Key Factors Who will be the champions? What type of leadership support will be needed at the school,
district, and state level? What evidence of success is needed? What professional development will be provided? What will the infrastructure for support (resource allocation,
expertise, problem solving) look like? How will you get the necessary visibility for your efforts and
when should you become visible? What incentives are available? How will a macrostructure (norms and cultural values) be
developed? How will collaborative partnerships be developed and
maintained?
Dialogue Discuss your own situations. How would you
answer each of the questions about key factors at the SEA level in your state?
With the answers, develop an action plan for getting started, scaling up, or sustaining your current partnership at the SEA.
What are the key messages that you need to develop that will resonate best in your state?