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Service Learning through Educational Outreach Enhances Student Learning and Engagement
Author(s) -
KeenRhinehart Erin
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.541.7
Subject(s) - outreach , service learning , student engagement , context (archaeology) , active learning (machine learning) , psychology , community engagement , civic engagement , pedagogy , public engagement , event (particle physics) , service (business) , experiential learning , mathematics education , computer science , public relations , political science , paleontology , physics , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , law , economy , economics , politics , biology
Service learning (SL) as a pedagogy is thought to enhance learning and create a more inclusive environment in the college classroom. SL is a unique active learning strategy because it provides students the opportunity to apply classroom content to real‐world situations concomitant with post‐service reflection activities. Unfortunately, most SL (and other active learning) strategies on college campuses are implemented unsystematically and are rarely assessed for impacts other than content mastery and student retention. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that using SL in an introductory course could improve student learning as well as more qualitative characteristics such as student engagement. An educational outreach event in collaboration with a local elementary school was planned as a final project for Introduction to Neuroscience students (NEUR 101, n=45) at Susquehanna University, a primarily undergraduate liberal arts institution. Students used backward design to develop learning goals and active learning strategies prior to the event. Undergraduates provided 11 different activities during the event to educate the community regarding a variety of Physiological concepts such as digestion, metabolism and CNS function. Information from pre‐ and post‐service reflection assignments and attitude surveys shows that SL, in this context, facilitates content mastery and enhances student engagement, especially in 1 st year and 1 st generation college students. In addition, the educational outreach event provided much needed support for public science literacy in the local community. Follow‐up SL projects and assessments will determine if SL pedagogy, in this context, effectively instills long‐lasting characteristic of student engagement and citizenship. Funding: NSF IOS‐1350448/APS