Revision of the Service-Learning Scholar’s Program
Presentation Format
Poster
Intended Audience
Administrators
Presentation Description
The authors will present a description of the redevelopment of a faculty service-learning training program called the Service-Learning Scholar’s Workshop. The workshop was shortened from a 6-week series of modules to a 15-day concentrated workshop. The redesign was precipitated by feedback from faculty on their changing needs, evolving understanding of service-learning, and a desire to make the training more efficient and appealing for faculty.
When first designed, the program was concentrated heavily on the theoretical framework of service-learning, and required faculty to invest a significant amount of time studying scholarly works. At the time, our program was just developing and it was appropriate for faculty to focus heavily on the foundational level of understanding of service-learning. However, after several years, we recognized a need for a more streamlined, practical training program. We set out to design a more faculty friendly workshop that would encourage participants to create a service-learning course and project. An online delivery of the theoretical information allowed for an asynchronous approach where faculty could read and interact with the material at a time convenient for them. The in-person workshop sessions allowed for a greater sense of comradery for faculty, and a venue for idea sharing.
The first face-to-face workshop session focused on building camaraderie within the cohort. Faculty signed a contract that delineated the structure and expectations of the workshop, and committed to teach at least one service-learning course in the future. The second session participants met to discuss the readings and questions from a service-learning workbook (created specifically for this workshop). The session included a brainstorming session where colleagues shared ideas and started building a plan for their courses. The third meeting involved a review of newly constructed service-learning course syllabi, and a discussion of the practical applications of service-learning courses including logistics, paperwork, best-practices, and addressing questions and concerns.
Overall, feedback from participants indicated that they were pleased with the design of the Service-learning Scholar’s Workshop. They reported an understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of service-learning, and the requirements of service-learning at our institution. They also reported feeling less intimidated about getting started with a service-learning course because the workshop allowed them to develop a great majority of the course preparation work.
Lessons learned from previous workshops are that our faculty needed a more streamlined, practical training program, and we needed to synthesize the depth and breadth of background materials. They also needed a program that was rich with example projects within their respective disciplines. While the scholarship on the merits of service-learning are important, our college has embraced service-learning as a central theme of our mission, and as a support office we recognized the need to focus on preparing faculty members to put service-learning in action.
Location
Embassy Suites Hotel
Start Date
4-13-2016 5:00 PM
End Date
4-13-2016 7:00 PM
Recommended Citation
Mannahan, Kimberly K. Ph.D. and Cocchi, Cody M. M.Ed., "Revision of the Service-Learning Scholar’s Program" (2016). Gulf South Summit on Service-Learning 2016. 93.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gss/2016/2016/93
Revision of the Service-Learning Scholar’s Program
Embassy Suites Hotel
The authors will present a description of the redevelopment of a faculty service-learning training program called the Service-Learning Scholar’s Workshop. The workshop was shortened from a 6-week series of modules to a 15-day concentrated workshop. The redesign was precipitated by feedback from faculty on their changing needs, evolving understanding of service-learning, and a desire to make the training more efficient and appealing for faculty.
When first designed, the program was concentrated heavily on the theoretical framework of service-learning, and required faculty to invest a significant amount of time studying scholarly works. At the time, our program was just developing and it was appropriate for faculty to focus heavily on the foundational level of understanding of service-learning. However, after several years, we recognized a need for a more streamlined, practical training program. We set out to design a more faculty friendly workshop that would encourage participants to create a service-learning course and project. An online delivery of the theoretical information allowed for an asynchronous approach where faculty could read and interact with the material at a time convenient for them. The in-person workshop sessions allowed for a greater sense of comradery for faculty, and a venue for idea sharing.
The first face-to-face workshop session focused on building camaraderie within the cohort. Faculty signed a contract that delineated the structure and expectations of the workshop, and committed to teach at least one service-learning course in the future. The second session participants met to discuss the readings and questions from a service-learning workbook (created specifically for this workshop). The session included a brainstorming session where colleagues shared ideas and started building a plan for their courses. The third meeting involved a review of newly constructed service-learning course syllabi, and a discussion of the practical applications of service-learning courses including logistics, paperwork, best-practices, and addressing questions and concerns.
Overall, feedback from participants indicated that they were pleased with the design of the Service-learning Scholar’s Workshop. They reported an understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of service-learning, and the requirements of service-learning at our institution. They also reported feeling less intimidated about getting started with a service-learning course because the workshop allowed them to develop a great majority of the course preparation work.
Lessons learned from previous workshops are that our faculty needed a more streamlined, practical training program, and we needed to synthesize the depth and breadth of background materials. They also needed a program that was rich with example projects within their respective disciplines. While the scholarship on the merits of service-learning are important, our college has embraced service-learning as a central theme of our mission, and as a support office we recognized the need to focus on preparing faculty members to put service-learning in action.
Program Abstract
The authors will present a description of the redevelopment of a faculty service-learning training program called the Service-Learning Scholar’s Workshop. After several years, we recognized a need for a more streamlined, practical training program. A mix of online content delivery of the theoretical information and in-person workshop sessions was used to maximize faculty learning while considering time restrictions of faculty workload.