Applying the Pedagogy of Client-Based ServiceLearning in
Emergency Management
Graduate Curricula
Thomas J. Carey III, EdD, CEM,CPP
Emergency and Disaster ManagementProgram
Metropolitan College of New York
60 West Street
New York, NY 10006
This paper provides insight for administrators, curriculum developersand instructors of Emergency Management Graduate Programs to implement a client-based service learning approach to existing academic curricula.Client-based service learning can be defined as real world instruction that produces a useful report or product for a client (Waldner & Hunter, 2008).Students take on the role of a consultant and work on a given assignment for a select organization. Both student and client collaborate to produce common goals in the form of products such as reports, plans, and assessments. Students obtain invaluable knowledge first hand from practitioners in the field while obtaining college credit. In turn, clients participating in this program benefit as they obtain needed services that can range from recommendations to tangible resources for their organization.
Trends Driving the Emergency Management Field
Scholars continue to note the trend of nontraditional learners being drawn to emergency management programs provided through higher education institutions(Goldberg, 2012; Maxfield, 2009; Russell & Fisher, 2014). The makeup of any given student body found today consists non-traditional students who are practitioners in emergency response fields coupled with traditional students who are new to the field.This mix of students is challenging for curriculum developers and administrators alike as varying degrees of applied knowledge must be appropriately dispensed simultaneously.A master’s degree program should emphasize analysis and management skills in the realm of decision making to include geographic information systems (GIS) mapping, financial management, project management, and grant-writing (Waugh & Sadiq, 2011).
As a crisis dictates the response and recovery efforts of any given emergency, incident commanders place high demands of service on the emergency manager to make timely decisions and acquire the needed resources for them. This environment does not provide one with a gradual learning curve as other occupations often allow for their college graduates. The position requires one to be versatile, results oriented and allows for a small margin of error. McCreight (2009) supports this argument in challenging educational programs to prepare students for rapid assimilation into the emergency management environment. For these reasons, administrators of emergency management graduate programs should consider implementing aclient-based service learning pedagogy into their existing curricula.
Client-Based Service Learning Initiatives
Perspective clients for this type of service learning approach can be drawn from various entities to include the government, private sector, and nonprofit organizations. Organizations can be sought using a variety of techniques to includeexisting relationships fostered by faculty and establishing new partnerships through a request for proposal (RFP).The posting of program information on an institution’s website via the internet would be most appropriate to draw possible clients.
Client-based service learning projectsallows students to take advantage of other experiential learning opportunitiesthat can be incorporated within this learning process. These opportunities include and are not limited to conducting hazard vulnerability assessments (HVAs), planning activities, and simulation exercises.Students not only observe events that occur but become actively engaged in the process. Client-based service learning also enables students to reflect on all learned activities. Students have recognized this capacity in that this pedagogy coupled with reflective assignments reinforces skill development (Carey, 2015).
In one of the most comprehensive studies to date, Kapucu and Connolly Knox (2013) conducted a national study to promote a greater understanding of how service learning is used in emergency management programs. Carey (2015) in his study found that an Emergency Management MPA Program using a client-based service learning pedagogy could aid the practitioner community in readying new professionals for the field. Through a longitudinal study, Connolly Knox and Harris (2016) were able to detail how a partnership evolved between a university and a local office of emergency management in strategically integrating a functional exercise into an undergraduate course. These studies highlight the significance of implementing the pedagogy of service learning within emergency management curricula.
Conclusion
The current state of emergency management MPA education reveals that there is a void in providing practical skills and applied knowledge to graduate students. These attributes must take center stage since emergency managers are expected to exercise them throughout a disaster or a routine planning activity. Emergency Management academic programs should consider adapting an experience-supported theoretical education in conjunction with the current traditional theory-based education. Service learning pedagogies allow emergency management students the ability to “try on” the various roles and functions while transitioning toward the profession (Kushma, 2003, p. 4).Institutions of higher education have a responsibility to impart knowledge and provide relevant experiences for tomorrow’s graduates of emergency management programs. Client-based service learning can be administered in a course format over several semesters or as a capstone in a condensed fashion within a curriculum.
References
Carey, T. J., III.(2015). The Utilization of Client-Based Service-Learning Applications in
Emergency Management Graduate Curricula for the 21st Century (Doctoral
dissertation). Retrieved from
Connolly Knox, C., & Harris, A. S. (2016). Evolution of an experiential learning
partnership in emergency management higher education. Manuscript submitted for
publication.
Goldberg, K. (2012). Reflective journaling: Building bridges between theory and practice. Journal of Homeland Security Education, 1, 63-69.
Kapucu, N., & Connolly Knox, C. (2013). Utilization of service learning in emergency management programs in the United States. Journal of Public Affairs Education, JPAE 19(1), 31-51.
Kushma, J. A. (2003). Incorporating service-learning in emergency management higher education curriculums. Retrieved from
Maxfield, R.J. (2009). Asynchronous Online Learning: Perceptions and Experiences of Nontraditional Adult Emergency Services Students.International Fire Service Journal of Leadership and Management, 3(2), 23-30.
McCreight, R. (2009). Educational challenges in homeland security and emergency management. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 6(1), 1-6. doi:10.2202/1547-7355.1576
Russell, E. J., & Fisher, J. R. (2014).The impressions of emergency services students in a Homeland Security course: The benefits of reflective thinking and journaling.Journal of Homeland Security Education, 3,14-24. Retrieved from
Waldner, L. S., & Hunter, D. (2008). Client-based courses: Variations in service learning. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 14(2), 219-239.
Waugh, W. L. Jr., & Sadiq, A. A. (2011). Professional education for emergency managers. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 8(2), 9.doi:10.2202/1547-7355.1891
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