The Impact of Service Learning and Groups Dynamics on Learning Outcomes: Group Projects in Social Work Education

Presentation Format

Individual Presentation

Intended Audience

All Audiences

Program Abstract

Group work, service learning, and civic engagement are a natural fit for social work education. The current study used a survey to assess the experiences of 261 social work students, across four universities, experiences with service learning and group work. Overall, students reported positive experiences with their service learning project and group work. Still, students reported challenging group dynamics. Implications for course development and future research will be discussed.

Presentation Description

Rationale: Group projects are a natural pedagogical fit for social work education, as professional social work practice occurs in groups. Many social work students prefer courses that include active work in small groups, particularly when classroom activities are integrated and relevant to real world encounters (Carpenter-Aeby, & Aeby, 2013; Moulding, 2010; Williams, Brown, & Etherington, 2012). Service-learning projects provide students with an opportunity to apply course content to real world situations and develop projects that will benefits clients, agencies, and their communities. Thus, social work educators have started to link group work with service learning in order to increase learning and engagement in the course material.

Presentation Goal & Participant Engagement: The overall goal of the presentation is to examine the impact of service learning and group work on learning outcomes in social work courses across four universities. Using data from 261 students, the presenters will share how they developed a tool to measure student experiences/learning and the findings from their study. The presenters will engage participants in a discussion on the benefits and challenges of incorporating group work and service learning into courses across disciplines. Innovative strategies for overcoming challenges and infusing active learning and civic engagement into courses will be sought in the large group discussion.

Research Study: The primary researcher created a survey to assess student experiences with service learning and group work. The survey included both open and close-ended questions to gain a more detailed understanding of student experiences. Data were collected from 261 students over the course of several semesters during 2011 and 2013-2015. Surveys were anonymous, thus no demographic data is available for the sample. The majority of students (94%) were undergraduates. Students were from universities in the Southeast (85%) and Midwest (15%). Almost 80% of students participated in service learning projects. Projects were conducted in the following social work courses: research (67%), practice (21%), and cultural diversity (12%). Univariate analyses were used to examine responses to individual survey items and bivariate analyses examined relationships between variables. Qualitative analyses were conducted by using several rounds of open and focused coding to identify themes and patterns in the data.

Findings: Overall, students reported positive experiences with the service learning project and group work. Students felt they had created a credible piece of work for their respective agencies. Findings suggest that a service learning approach increased motivation and engagement among most students. Students reported improved communication skills and believed that their group work prepared them for the real world. Still, 25 percent felt that the work was not divided equally. Qualitative findings revealed that students were engaged in their group projects and many noted how the applied nature of their project prepared them for the future. Students identified areas where they could have improved their work and discussed challenging group dynamics. The findings of this study have significant implications across disciplines for improving student experiences with group work, infusing service learning into the course curriculum, increasing civic engagement among students, and future research in this area.

Location

Embassy Suites Hotel

Start Date

4-13-2016 5:00 PM

End Date

4-13-2016 7:00 PM

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS
 
Apr 13th, 5:00 PM Apr 13th, 7:00 PM

The Impact of Service Learning and Groups Dynamics on Learning Outcomes: Group Projects in Social Work Education

Embassy Suites Hotel

Rationale: Group projects are a natural pedagogical fit for social work education, as professional social work practice occurs in groups. Many social work students prefer courses that include active work in small groups, particularly when classroom activities are integrated and relevant to real world encounters (Carpenter-Aeby, & Aeby, 2013; Moulding, 2010; Williams, Brown, & Etherington, 2012). Service-learning projects provide students with an opportunity to apply course content to real world situations and develop projects that will benefits clients, agencies, and their communities. Thus, social work educators have started to link group work with service learning in order to increase learning and engagement in the course material.

Presentation Goal & Participant Engagement: The overall goal of the presentation is to examine the impact of service learning and group work on learning outcomes in social work courses across four universities. Using data from 261 students, the presenters will share how they developed a tool to measure student experiences/learning and the findings from their study. The presenters will engage participants in a discussion on the benefits and challenges of incorporating group work and service learning into courses across disciplines. Innovative strategies for overcoming challenges and infusing active learning and civic engagement into courses will be sought in the large group discussion.

Research Study: The primary researcher created a survey to assess student experiences with service learning and group work. The survey included both open and close-ended questions to gain a more detailed understanding of student experiences. Data were collected from 261 students over the course of several semesters during 2011 and 2013-2015. Surveys were anonymous, thus no demographic data is available for the sample. The majority of students (94%) were undergraduates. Students were from universities in the Southeast (85%) and Midwest (15%). Almost 80% of students participated in service learning projects. Projects were conducted in the following social work courses: research (67%), practice (21%), and cultural diversity (12%). Univariate analyses were used to examine responses to individual survey items and bivariate analyses examined relationships between variables. Qualitative analyses were conducted by using several rounds of open and focused coding to identify themes and patterns in the data.

Findings: Overall, students reported positive experiences with the service learning project and group work. Students felt they had created a credible piece of work for their respective agencies. Findings suggest that a service learning approach increased motivation and engagement among most students. Students reported improved communication skills and believed that their group work prepared them for the real world. Still, 25 percent felt that the work was not divided equally. Qualitative findings revealed that students were engaged in their group projects and many noted how the applied nature of their project prepared them for the future. Students identified areas where they could have improved their work and discussed challenging group dynamics. The findings of this study have significant implications across disciplines for improving student experiences with group work, infusing service learning into the course curriculum, increasing civic engagement among students, and future research in this area.