Branson

ELPS 430: Case Study #2

Case Study 2: Service-Learning Programs

For my case study investigation of service-learning programs, I chose to focus

on a set of community colleges in Illinois. I decided to focus on this type of

institution because, for many community colleges, engagement in or relationships

with the local community is a part of the mission of the institution. Yet, at the

College of Lake County, a community college where I work, our service-learning

program has not been well developed. I thought it would be fairly easy to find

service-learning initiatives in community colleges, but quickly learned that many

colleges do not seem to have service-learning programs, and several of those who

do seem to provide very little information online. College of Lake County provides

only a few sentences on our public website, so I decided not to include it in my

sample. Instead, I opted for five peer institutions that we often compare ourselves

to: Triton College, McHenry County College, Harper College, Oakton Community

College, and College of DuPage.

Descriptions

I reviewed Triton Colleges website (http://triton.edu/Content.aspx?

id=2502&terms=service%20learning), online forms, and online student reflection

essays to analyze its service-learning program. The program is tied to their

Scholars Program for high-academically achieving students and appears to be

managed by the director of the Scholars Program, with no additional support staff or

a service-learning center. It is unclear how many students participate in service-

learning and the Scholars Program, or if service-learning opportunities are limited to

only those in the Scholars Program, but there is no reference to service-learning

outside of this program. The service-learning component of the program has

1
 Branson
ELPS 430: Case Study #2

existed since fall of 2002 and students are expected to complete at least twenty-

four hours of service per semester, with a service focus on social issues, history,

culture, libraries, animal care, health, or literacy. The process for service-learning is

not very clear from the website; students find service opportunities, interview for

positions and both students and service agencies complete a form outlining their

responsibilities, but the role of the instructor is less certain. The form for the

community service agency to complete includes a checklist that states the agency

should help assess how the student performs, provide opportunities related to

students coursework, and coordinate with the instructor. However, it is less clear

how and if this is actually happening. The website emphasizes benefits of service-

learning to the student, but has little information about benefits to service

organizations or faculty. Triton has a fairly simple definition for service-learning that

highlights students completing volunteer activities in their community. Reflection is

mentioned as a key element along with involvement in the community, but

references to civic engagement are absent. The stated goals include students

providing special talents, helping recruit additional student volunteers, and

reporting the value of their service-learning experience. The student reporting on

their experience appears to occur through reflective essays, some of which are

posted on the website. Although the reflection draws on the students service

experience, the essay prompt questions and a few of the essays I read do not

connect directly to specific coursework. Overall, I would characterize Tritons

program as service learning in Sigmons (1994) typology (referenced in Furco,

1996) because the service and learning seem to be separate. The program seems

to offer more structure and makes moves toward intentional connection to classes

than a program based strictly on volunteerism in Furcos (1996) continuum.

2
 Branson
ELPS 430: Case Study #2

Instead, the set time commitment and the expectations for reflection and

connection align it more with community service; true service-learning in Furcos

(1996) definition might be occurring, but the example essays on Tritons website do

not demonstrate a reciprocal relationship whereby the service and learning enhance

one another.

I examined McHenry County Colleges service-learning website

(http://www.mchenry.edu/service/) as well as student testimonials and additional

pages related volunteer opportunities. McHenry offers both service-learning and

volunteer activities for students. The details of how the program is organized are

difficult to decipher, but it appears that there is an Office of Service Learning with

a Coordinator of Service Learning, but no other staff listed. Service-learning and

volunteer opportunities appear to be lumped together under one department. The

age of the service-learning program, its size, and specific service areas of focus are

not listed online. The time commitment expected of students appears to vary

depending on the whether the student is meeting an obligation for a scholarship

versus a class. The process for students to participate begins with the student

finding volunteer opportunities listed in the colleges Learning Management System.

For service-learning specifically, the website does direct students to contact their

instructor for guidelines and to have their chosen service opportunity approved.

McHenry defines service-learning as a teaching strategy that combines meaningful

community service with course reflection and instruction. Embedded in their

definition and stated goals of service-learning are references to community building,

developing civic responsibility, and reflection. McHenrys site uses the helpful

image below to characterize their understanding of service-learning:

3
 Branson
ELPS 430: Case Study #2

McHenry seems to acknowledge the

connection between academics and

service; testimonials from students are

attributed to a student name and the

course the student was taking. However,

the site mentions benefits to students and

community agencies, but lacks a lot of

content about faculty involvement or

supervision of the service-learning activities. Overall, it is difficult to tell the extent

to which McHenry students participate in volunteerism versus service-learning.

Although the staff at McHenry appear to be familiar with the distinction and define it

in a manner similar to how Furco (1996) might, there is little information to suggest

faculty are highly involved in service-learning activities or that students are directly

connecting coursework to their service through reflection. Volunteerism seems to

dominate their site and students are eligible for volunteer awards based on the

amount of service they provide (rather than their connection of service to specific

learning).

I was able to review Harper Colleges service-learning program through their

website

(http://goforward.harpercollege.edu/services/involvement/civic/overview.php; no

other materials were available online). Harpers service-learning offerings are

housed within the Office of Student Involvement, and situated under an umbrella of

civic engagement. The website does not include details about the age, size, staff,

or expected time commitments for the service-learning program. Harper defines

service-learning almost exactly like McHenry, as a teaching and learning strategy

4
 Branson
ELPS 430: Case Study #2

that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to

enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen

communities. Harper uses terms like civic engagement, community service,

and service-learning, but does not provide a clear distinction between them.

Although the website includes some specific examples to try to distinguish service-

learning, the examples are simplistic and do not correspond to the definitions of

service-learning used by Furco (1996) or Cress (2013), which emphasize the

academic connection. For example, Harpers site provides the example of Girl

Scouts who learn about local wetlands, monitor streams, and then present their

findings to a local Town Council; while admirable, this does not seem to fit with a

specific, intentional learning outcome. Additionally, Harpers site says students

may reflect instead of emphasizing the centrality of reflection to service-learning

as Cress (2013) points out. Further evidencing their broad approach to service-

learning, Harpers program counts service trips, a variety of service settings, and

involvement by groups of students, classrooms, or the entire school. Harpers site

lists benefits to students, faculty, and community organizations. The role of faculty

in the process is not described; they are encouraged to contact the Student

Involvement Office for more information, but it is not clear the extent to which

coursework is being intentionally tied to service in Harpers broad definition of

service-learning.

I learned about Oakton Community Colleges fairly well-developed service-

learning program listed as a special area of study, on their website

(https://www.oakton.edu/academics/special_programs/svc_lrn/svc_lrn_oakton/index.

php). The staffing and exact placement of service-learning organizationally is not

clear from online resources, but it does not appear to be situated under another

5
 Branson
ELPS 430: Case Study #2

office. Service-learning at Oakton began in 1997 with a grant and has continued

since, now with about 500 students per year participating. Students participate by

identifying a placement from a variety of service providers (schools, hospitals,

animal shelters, churches, etc.) and verifying it with their instructor. Students

typically complete between five to twenty hours of service per week. Oakton very

clearly distinguishes service-learning by stating that it differs from volunteer efforts

or community service, as your experience directly enhances what you learn in

class. Oakton uses language about civic engagement, community, and reflection

in describing their program, and emphasizes the integration of service with

coursework. Benefits of service-learning to students, faculty, and the community are

listed on the website, with a fair balance of benefits between these stakeholders.

Service-learning at Oakton appears to be limited to service activities connected to

classroom learning. Although the website notes the importance of reflection, it

appears that faculty determine appropriate reflection approaches, without any

resources listed online; perhaps adequate, meaningful reflection occurs, but it is

difficult to determine without knowing more about how faculty are guided (if at all)

in the type of reflection they request of students and how well it connects to

students coursework.

Lastly, I reviewed College of DuPages (COD) Center for Service Learning via

their website (http://www.cod.edu/about/career/service_learning/index.aspx), online

forms, a map of placement sites, a faculty handbook, testimonials, and example

service-learning syllabi. Situated under Career Services, the Center for Service

Learning at COD is a well-developed program with several available resources.

Service-learning was formally adopted at COD in 1996, but hands-on learning had

been present since the 1970s at the college. A grant helped form the Center for

6
 Branson
ELPS 430: Case Study #2

Service Learning in 2000, which has continued since. The number of staff is

unclear, but there is at least a Director of Service Learning. COD defines service

learning as a combination of volunteer service with academic instruction, and states

that service learning courses address needs of community organizations in a way

that allows students to better understand course concepts. The goals of the

program include enhancing student learning and helping faculty integrate service-

learning into their courses. The site mentions civic engagement and the community

as co-educators. A six-step process for students to participate is very clearly

detailed and begins with knowing instructor expectations. Good instructions are

also provided for community partners as well as the ability to complete a profile of

their agency and available opportunities. Benefits of service-learning to the

student, faculty, and community are all described. COD includes a lot of direct

support for faculty engaging in service-learning. Along with faculty testimonials, the

site includes general information, a guided worksheet to revise a syllabus to orient

the class as a service-learning experience, example syllabi, and a thirty-page

handbook about service-learning at COD. The emphasis on academic coursework in

combination with service dominates much of the information. CODs site notes

three essential components of successful service-learning are preparation (setting

objectives for skills to be learned and planning projects in the community), action

(completing the service work required to achieve the stated goal), and reflection,

which is noted to take many possible forms. Overall, I found CODs program to be

very well balanced between service and learning, as Furco (1996) states. It falls

nicely in the middle of Furcos (1996) continuum as service-learning by asking

students and faculty to purposefully design and think about the coursework in

relation to the service.

7
 Branson
ELPS 430: Case Study #2

Comparison

Each of the five service-learning programs can be compared and contrasted

in terms of their organizational elements (where they are situated within the

college, age of program, size, etc.), how they define service-learning, and the

apparent balance between the community, student, and instructor roles and

benefits. First, the organization of each program varies across all five programs. At

McHenry, Harper, and COD, service-learning falls under a larger umbrella of

volunteer opportunities, civic engagement, or career services, respectively. Instead

of living within another department, Tritons program is situated as one element of

the Scholars Program. Oakton has the only service-learning program that does not

seem to be subsumed under another, broader initiative or department. Yet, COD is

the only institution that seems to have a dedicated Center for Service Learning.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Oakton and COD have fairly well-established programs and

appear to be the oldest (both beginning formally sometime in the mid-1990s). The

programs at McHenry and Harper do not list starting points, but Tritons program

began in 2002. Despite organizational structure and age, all colleges appear to

have fairly small numbers of staff dedicated to service-learning. They also seem to

cover a wide range of service opportunities and work with many different partner

organizations; this would make sense given the wide array of curricular offerings at

most community colleges. Although the number of participants and time

commitments expected are not known for every program, they seem to vary across

institution. The quantity and quality of online resources are also good clues to each

programs organizational character. Harper and McHenry offer very little in terms of

online resources for students, faculty, or community organizations looking to get

involved with service-learning. Although their websites are inviting, there are not

8
 Branson
ELPS 430: Case Study #2

many details about the process to engage in service-learning. On the opposite end

of the spectrum is COD, with numerous resources, like a complete handbook for

faculty, and a guide to revising a syllabus for service-learning. Oakton and Triton fall

in between on this measure, with some good steps for students to follow and some

available forms on Tritons website. However, both lack information for instructors,

leaving one to wonder the extent to which faculty are integrating service

opportunities with lessons from the classroom. For example, Triton has a form for

students outlining their expectations, and another for community agencies to

outline expectations of their organization, but nothing similar is posted for faculty,

which would help clarify the instructors role in connecting academic studies with

service in student reflections. In both cases, evidence on the website suggests a

disconnect between students academic learning objectives and the service

provided; much like what Cress (2013) describes as community service, the

students work to meet actual community needs as a general component of the

curriculum, but the service does not appear to be tied to intentional, specific

academic learning goals. These features, which I have grouped as organizational

elements, seem to also affect the language used to define and describe service-

learning programs at these community colleges.

The definitions and descriptions of service-learning programs at the five

community colleges demonstrate additional similarities and differences. At a basic

level, all five apply a definition that suggests the combination of service and

academics. The degree to which the language used reflects this combination varies,

however. For example, Tritons program says very little about integrating

coursework with service activities. It does mention that reflection distinguishes

service-learning from volunteer work, but otherwise ignores references to specific

9
 Branson
ELPS 430: Case Study #2

course learning outcomes. Triton also does not use the term civic engagement,

which is used at all of the other institutions to describe their programs. Harper uses

a broad definition that references instruction, but also emphasizes civic

responsibility, strengthening community, and problem-solving. McHenry uses a

very similar definition to Harpers program, but references course instruction

specifically. Nevertheless, both of these programs seem to have a broader scope

than service-learning in the way Furco (1996) and Cress (2013) describe it. Given

that the program structure at these institutions falls under larger umbrellas of

volunteering and civic engagement, it makes sense to see the wide-ranging

language used to describe the programs. With Oakton and CODs programs

situated as dedicated offices or centers of service learning, the definitions used are

narrower in focus. Although both mention civic engagement and community, both

also have more, and more explicit, references to course instruction. Similarly, all of

the programs mention reflection as a component of service-learning, but to varying

degrees. While the programs at McHenry, Triton, and Harper seem to ask students

to reflect on their experiences, it is less clear that students are reflecting with the

intention of connecting service experiences to course content to achieve specified

course learning outcomes. Instead, the reflections, like the definitions of service-

learning at these institutions, seem more general in nature. Question prompts used

for Triton students reflection essay, for example, do not suggest that course

concepts need to be integrated into the reflection. Overall, the criteria used to

characterize service-learning programs is not consistent even if some similarities

exist in basic definitions.

Finally, stemming from organizational factors and definitions, the balance

between benefits to the student and the community, as well as the faculty

10
 Branson
ELPS 430: Case Study #2

involvement, varied across the five community colleges. The benefits mentioned

across the institutions were fairly similar. For example, students are said to gain

real-world experience and give back to the community in any of the five programs.

Where I notice interesting differences is in the balance between student benefits,

faculty benefits, and community organization benefits. Tritons program, with its

focus on student scholars and the requirements of that program, describes benefits

to students of participating in service-learning, but does not list explicit benefits to

faculty and some benefits to community agencies can only be inferred. With the

combination of volunteer activities and service-learning, McHenrys website

emphasizes benefits to students and has a good amount of information for

community organizations, but lacks references to benefits for faculty utilizing

service-learning. Harper, Oakton, and COD cite benefits to students, faculty, and

community partners. However, COD seems to communicate benefits for each group

the best, especially in terms of faculty benefits. While Harper and Oakton list

benefits to faculty, they are mostly things that are beneficial for students that

faculty are likely to also desire. COD takes a similar approach, but also mentions

benefits directly to faculty like serving as a resource to the community.

Furthermore, CODs program is the only one to include a stated goal of helping

faculty to integrate service-learning. COD also does a good job of communicating

the co-educator role of community partners, while other sites emphasize access to

human resources through service-learners.

Integration

From the underlying learning theory and definitions of service-learning in

these five community colleges, to the practices of providing service-learning

opportunities, one can see the connections to the service-learning literature. First,

11
 Branson
ELPS 430: Case Study #2

the theory undergirding the service-learning programs I reviewed seems to be

almost entirely absent from the online resources. Although I imagine that, given

some of the language, the staff managing service-learning programs are aware of

the literature, I saw very little evidence of the experiential learning theories

discussed by Kolb (1984). None of the programs cited a specific experiential

learning model, like that of Dewey, Lewin, or Piaget that Kolb (1984) describes.

Furthermore, none of the programs went as far as to emphasize the centrality of

experience in the learning process (Kolb, 1984); while they all seemed to value

experience as part of learning, they certainly did not suggest it played an essential

role. Given the organizational structure of several programs, which places them

under another institutional umbrella, this is not surprising. Triton does seem to

require multiple, reoccurring service-learning projects for its Scholars Program

students, which might accommodate a cyclical learning process, if done well.

However, Tritons program provides little information to suggest that it focuses on

the holistic and ongoing process of adapting to the world as Kolb (1984) explains.

Probably the closest to Kolbs (1984) description of experiential learning is

illustrated on CODs website. One student testimonial emphasizes the practical

knowledge gained that simply could not be experienced in the classroom; although

not directly claiming the importance of experiential learning, one can infer that the

student has high regard for the relevance of experience in his learning process. He

also seems to hint that his experience challenged his expectations and perhaps the

student has experienced the tension between forces that allows learning to occur in

the models Kolb (1984) describes.

The definitions and language used for each program relate to Furcos (1996)

continuum as well as Cresss (2013) definitions of different learning activities. Both

12
 Branson
ELPS 430: Case Study #2

McHenry and Triton appear to have models that are more closely aligned with

community service than service-learning. In both cases, students seem to engage

in activities to benefit the community as part of a curricular requirement, much like

Cress (2013) describes; there does not appear to be an intentional plan to address

academic goals or specific course objectives through service. There appears to be

more structure and student benefit than what Furco (1996) describes as

volunteerism, but in the case of McHenry, the close connection between volunteer

services and service-learning might be pulling the service-learning program toward

volunteerism on Furcos continuum. Harpers very broad definition and inclusion of

service trips, along with fairly little resources to review online, makes it difficult to

categorize. It seems that service trips that Harper would consider service-learning

would be more akin to what Furco (1996) describes as field education; meanwhile

other examples like whole-college service activities seem more aligned with an

emphasis on service and the recipient like what Furco refers to as volunteerism

(1996). Oakton and COD appear to be the most in line with both Cresss and Furcos

definitions of service learning. Language used on these program websites clearly

refers to an intentional connection to academic goals, as Cress (2013) emphasizes.

Where COD stands above all of the programs is in the balance it suggests between

the benefits to the learner and the recipient of the service, as well as the equal

consideration for the learning and the service provided, as Furco (1996) explains.

CODs treatment of community partners as co-educators exemplifies their role in

the learning process, not simply as service recipients; however, students are not

simply gaining field experience or fulfilling the role of an intern because their

service is tied closely to academic course objectives. The theory and definitions

that undergird each of these programs have implications for practice as well.

13
 Branson
ELPS 430: Case Study #2

From reading Brownell and Swaners (2010) excerpt as well as Kuhs (2008)

AAC&U report, I was hoping to find some examples of the high-impact practices

related to service-learning. Particularly of interest to me was the idea that a wider

range of learners entering higher education would benefit from practices like

experiential learning that help to facilitate multiple paths to learning (Brownell &

Swaner, 2010). The wider range of learners is especially true at community

colleges who serve a broad range of community members with varied backgrounds,

and often under-represented populations in higher education, who would especially

benefit from experiential learning practices (Kuh, 2008). Although I was happy to

find service-learning programs at these five community colleges, the scope of their

work seemed quite limited. As Brownell and Swaner (2010) point out, the high-

impact practices are not widespread in higher education today; I think this was true

at all of the institutions I reviewed. Although Oakton and COD appear to have fairly

large programs, they are only serving a small fraction of the students each year.

Tritons program, which appears to be exclusive to students in an honors program,

demonstrates Brownell & Swaners (2010) suggestion that these programs are too

limited.

Other best practices in service-learning are perhaps attempted at these

community colleges, but may not be successfully implemented. The problem-

solving skills that can develop from experiential learning, as noted in Kuhs (2008)

report, are emphasized by all of the programs I reviewed. The extent to which

students are learning these skills and that those skills are tied to course outcomes is

less clear, however. This connection between the classroom content faculty teach

and the service experience is an essential element of implementing service-learning

(Brownell & Swaner, 2010), and seems to be most explicitly addressed in Oaktons

14
 Branson
ELPS 430: Case Study #2

and CODs programs. Howards Principles of Good Practice for Service-Learning

Pedagogy (1993) are present in only a few cases. Although all programs seem to

give credit for learning instead of service, I wonder if, at McHenry and Triton, the

simple completion of some service hours serves as a portion of a students grade

(rather than an evaluation of a reflection, for example). With the exception of COD,

most of Howards (1993) principles appear to be absent from the programs I

reviewed. Perhaps most importantly, COD clearly encourages faculty to rethink

their role and focus on active learning and facilitating the learning process as

Howard (1993) describes. With their service-learning handbook and instructions for

revising a course syllabus, COD demonstrates the commitment to intentional

learning activities tied to service. Their program also explicitly describes a

preparation stage to orient students to learning from the community as well as to

develop clear learning objectives and learning strategies to achieve those

objectives. All of these steps embody the principles Howard (1993) recommends.

Through the process of reviewing service-learning programs at community

colleges, I have learned a lot about the range of models in a fairly narrow group of

similar institutions. Although the differences in definition and practices were

initially surprising, they seem to align with the organizational placement of

programs. In order to reflect the type of service-learning described in the literature,

it seems clear that most community colleges would have quite a bit of work to do.

First, simply redesigning the programs in a manner similar to College of DuPages

Center for Service Learning, so that faculty engagement in the process is central,

would improve students connections between service and learning. Then,

broadening the scope of the programs to a wider population of students who could

15
 Branson
ELPS 430: Case Study #2

benefit from this type of learning would help establish the types of high-impact

practices students need.

16
 Branson
ELPS 430: Case Study #2

References

Brownell, J.E. & Swaner, L.E. (2010). Five high-impact practices: Research on
learning outcomes, completion and quality. Association of American Colleges
and Universities.

Cress, C. (2013). What is Service-Learning? In Cress, C. M., Collier, P.J., &

Reitenauer, V.L. (Eds.), Learning through serving. (pp. 7-15). Sterling, Virginia:
Stylus Publishing.

Furco, A. (1996). "Service-Learning: A Balanced Approach to Experiential

Education." Expanding Boundaries: Service and Learning. Washington DC:
Corporation for National Service. 2-6.

Howard, J. (1993). Community service learning in the curriculum. In J. Howard (Ed.),

Praxis I: A faculty
casebook on community service learning. (pp. 3-12). Ann Arbor: OCSL Press

Kolb, D.A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and
development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall

Kuh, G.D. (2008). High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access
to them, and why they matter. Association of American Colleges and
Universities.

College Links

College of DuPage: http://www.cod.edu/about/career/service_learning/index.aspx

Harper College:

http://goforward.harpercollege.edu/services/involvement/civic/overview.php

McHenry County College: http://www.mchenry.edu/service/

Oakton Community College:

https://www.oakton.edu/academics/special_programs/svc_lrn/svc_lrn_oakton/index.p

hp

Triton College: http://triton.edu/Content.aspx?id=2502&terms=service%20learning

17