Evaluation of a College Service Learning Initiative
Edel Randles (IT Tralee), Laura Commane (IT Tralee)
Abstract
Introduction
The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a service learning initiative within the subject of Human Resource Development in the BSc. Health, Fitness & Leisure Studies and BSc. Physical Education Studies, in the Institute of Technology, Tralee, Co. Kerry. This programme required 33 students to engage with a voluntary organisation of their choice for a duration of at least 4 months, in their own time outside of college. The level of interaction was determined by the requirements of the organisation. The assessment requirement for this module required the student to complete an assignment detailing specific aspects such as: Voluntary organisation mission; administrative structure; communication practices; level of volunteer involvement; policies in regard to volunteer screening, induction, training, mentoring and support; motivations of volunteers; and also a comparative analysis between the ‘macro’ trends in Irish volunteering and the ‘micro’ trends viewed from each organisation.
Students were expected to become involved in the organisation as a member, whereby a form of ethnographic research was facilitated, enabling insight over time to be obtained regarding the workings of each voluntary organisation.
Evaluative Methodology
A Pre-Initiative and Post-Initiative questionnaire focusing on Leadership Life Skills (Stafford, 2001) was utilised with the students, to assess change in the student’s perspective in the following areas: 1) Effective Team Skills, 2) Creative Problem Solver, 3) Personal Leadership Development, 4) Self-directed learning, and 5) Contribution to Community, as a result of their engagement with each voluntary group. This questionnaire required the participants to respond to thirty three statements describing Leadership Life skills. Analysis of this data was facilitated by computing descriptive statistics on each of the thirty-three statements, and further grouping the five subscales and computing descriptive statistics on the groups. The questionnaire included a Likert-type scale to record participants' responses to the statements. The scale contained six potential responses: 1 = strongly disagree; 2 = disagree, 3 = slightly disagree; 4 = slightly agree; 5 = agree; 6 = strongly agree.
On completion of the voluntary engagement, group feedback was also elicited using Open Space Technology as a technique. This was facilitated over a morning at a venue outside of College environment, where tea/coffee was available, in order to allow unobstructed/undisturbed feedback and evaluation to take place, away from normal college environmental pressures.
Results
Significant differences (p<.05) were found from pre-initiative and post-initiative scores, under the following heading areas:
1) Effective Team Skills – “I encourage others”, whereby after the initiative students felt that they were better in this area than prior to the initiative.
2) Self-Directed Learning – “I enjoy learning when my experiences pertain to real life”, students highlighting their value for on hands, real life learning, through a service learning model.
3) Contributor to Community – “I feel a responsibility to serve my community”, thus the initiative engendered a sense of social responsibility in students from their engagement with voluntary groups.
Some oral feedback elicited from the students was as follows:
“I learnt community spirit”
“Interesting to know what goes on behind the scenes e.g. non-playing side of organisation”
“I realised how important training is for volunteers, I only realised this when I received none”
“During my involvement I learnt how to teach & play a new skill”.
While the organisations involved felt from the student interaction that they obtained knowledge, enthusiasm, leadership
References
Locke, D.B., Boyd, B., Fraze, S., Howard, J.W. (2007) Service-Learning and Leadership Life Skills: An Experimental Study. Journal of Youth Development. Vol 2, (1).
Rodriguez, E., Hirschl, T. A., Mead, J.P., & Goggin, S.E. (1999) Final Report. Understanding the Difference 4-H Clubs make in the lives of New ‘York Youth: How 4-H contributes to positive youth development. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University.
Stafford, J.R. (2001). The Effect of Service-Learning in Developing Leadership Life Skills, Unpublished Master’s the
