Tip 1: UNDERSTANDING BASIC ELEMENTS OF SERVICE LEARNING
Faculty contemplating incorporating a service learning component in an academic course in any discipline should visit the Service-Learning Course Designation page to get an overview of the required elements:
Enhanced Academic Learning
Purposeful Civic Learning
Relevant and Meaningful Service with the Community
Tip 2: CONTACT OFFICE FOR SERVICE LEARNING
Contact Office for Service Learning nmisakow@uab.edu or 996-7080 to set up a meeting to discuss course objectives and how service learning pedagogy may be used to meet those objectives.
Tip 3: BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR SERVICE LEARNING IN SYLLABUS
A course syllabus incorporating service learning should include service learning objectives (see Service-Learning Course Designation), the expected number of service hours, integration strategies for linking classroom and service experiences and, the percentage of the grade that these activities will represent.
Tip 4: INTEGRATION STRATEGIES
A service-learning course must provide suitable opportunities for reflection up and integration of classroom and service experiences. Students need ongoing structured opportunities to relate their service experience to course content. Integration strategies include classroom or online discussions, structured written reflections, journaling, critical reflection papers, final papers and class presentations. At minimum faculty need to include in classroom discussions, opportunities for students to relate their service experience to course topics. For more on reflection and integration please see the Reflection Packet.
Tip 5: CHOOSING AND COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS
To ensure relevant and meaningful service as part of a service-learning course, it is necessary for faculty and/or students to carefully select suitable Community Parnters. Faculty and students should review the list of Highlighted Community Partners provided by the Office for Service Learning, which has developed a number of excellent community partnerships. Where appropriate, please encourage students to select sites from this list so that they can gain a sense of being a part of an ongoing effort between the community partner and UAB. Many times students may wish to continue their service assignment upon completing a course, and such community partners provide excellent opportunities of this sort.
Wherever possible, faculty should make the initial call to a Community Partner to ensure that the agency has suitable and timely opportunities for your student to engage in that meet your course objectives or expectations. Faculty are encouraged to visit the Community Partner service sites, be informed about and involved with the sites and gain a first hand understanding of how the service experience will relate to course topics.
After faculty have made the intitial contact with Community Partners and infomed the partner that a student will be contacting them, encourage your students to contact Community Partner in a timely and professional manner to discuss potential service with that partner as part of the coruse. A student should be clear and immediately upfront with the Community Partner about time constraints and concerns around any transportation or scheduling issues.
Tip 6: USING STANDARD FORMS FOR SERVICE LEARNING
It is recommended that faculty teaching service-learning courses review and download the Service-Learning Forms. These include a Service-Learning Agreement Form, Community Partner/Student Mutual Mid-Semester Assessment; Community Partner Final Evaluation of Student; Student Evaluation of Community Partner Please provide the Office for Service Learning with a class list and indication of where the students are doing their service.
The Service-Learning Agreement Form reflects an understanding between the Student, Community Partner Supervisor, and Faculty Member as to what the service learning experience will entail. The Agreement provides for signature by a University Signatory to make it binding on UAB. The Office for Service Learning will arrange for such signature once the forms have been signed by Community Partner, Student and Faculty Member. Please contact nmisakow@uab.edu or 996 7080 in this regard.
Tip 7: ONGOING SUPPORT FROM UAB OFFICE FOR SERVICE LEARNING
UAB Office for Service Learning offers support to ensure that using the pedagogy of service learning is a collaborative and rewarding experience for Students, Faculty and Community Partners. We encourage you to contact us for further resources and support and to share your best practices with us. Please contact Director of Office for Service Learning, Norma-May Isakow at nmisakow@uab.edu or 996-7080.