DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

SERVICE-LEARNING STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLO’s)

Assessment Procedure:

Each course must include a final written assignment to assess the SL SLO specified below(this should be written towards the end of the semester). This embedded assignment tool will contribute to Service-Learning Program assessment. Please ask students to turn in an extra copy of assignment without their names (eitheran electronic versionor hard copy). Collect these and send them via email or through inter-campus mail Jenny Bray or

The Student Learning Outcome (SLO) for the SL Program Assessment is as follows:

Student will demonstrate the ability to:

Apply theory to practice and practice to theory. [You can use your course specific language to clarify this outcome in the context of your curriculum and service-learning activity.]

Course embedded assignment:

Write afinal 4-6 page essay that reflects on your service-learning experience and refers to at least three course texts or readings. Use direct quotes to explore which text/viewpoint became most relevant in your work.* Which academic concepts were illuminated by your work with community partners? Be specific and use evidence from both the academic and the practice that shaped your learning.

*Please adapt as relevant to your course materials.

Examples of Service-Learning Prompts from various courses:

Nutrition:

  1. Briefly explain what you did for your service-learning experience.
  2. Use specific examples of experiences or events to address how your service-learning project may have enhanced or changed your understanding of your class work. The following topics were covered in class:
  3. The science of nutrients and what the human body needs to maintain health throughout the lifecycle.
  4. Theories on preventing and treating malnutrition and diet/ lifestyle related chronic disease.
  5. Current statistics on malnutrition, the obesity epidemic and the incidence of diet and lifestyle related chronic disease. The growing incidence of health disparities by income and race on the lifespan and chronic disease rates in the U.S.
  6. How the U.S. culture, medical system, national priorities do not yet consistently support dietary and lifestyle disease prevention strategies.
  7. How culture, the media and one’s immediate living/school/work environment can affect diet and lifestyle choices and health.
  8. Theories on stages of behavior change and types of interventions that support behavior change.
  9. Use specific examples of experiences or events during your service-learning visits to address how your service-learning project may have enhanced or changed your perceptions/prejudices or understanding of the issues related to the at-risk population that you worked with.
  10. What are your feelings about having participated in this service-learning project? Has this experience changed you personally or your dietary or lifestyle choices in any way?
  11. What do you think are the key health issues facing children today? How might Dominican students assist in resolving some of these issues in the future?

Watercolor:

  1. First Visit: Describe the students, teachers, the location and your interactions.
  2. Describe an event/person that stands out in your mind.
  3. How can this experience apply to other aspects of your life?
  4. How was I able to apply a skill, perspective, or concept related to our academic material?
  5. How did this experience make me feel (positively and/or negatively)?

Latin American Liberation Theology:

In your paper answer the following questions:

  1. What did you do in your Service-learning project? Give a physical description of the project.
  2. What did you learn from the project, both academically and non-academically? How did the theories and ideas discussed in class work in the environment of your Service-learning project? Were theories accurate? Did you observe theories being disproved, or proved? Be specific about academic theories and ideas you observed during your project.
  3. What insights did you gain about yourself and the community with whom you served? How did the project influence your growth intellectually and personally?

Expository Writing:

Write an essay in which you reflect on your experience of Service-Learning, integrating that experience with the course content and value of citizenship. In doing so respond to these 3 questions:

  1. What did you do? (the description of your SL work)
  2. What did you learn from the experience—academic as well as life learning?,
  3. What insights did you gain about yourself, those you served, etc. that influenced your direction and growth as a person?

Accounting:

Write a 4-6pg double spaced essay that reflects on your service-learning experience and refers to at least three instances where you had to look up the proper tax treatment of a client’s tax situation. How you integrate the class research tools and other materials is entirely up to you but you should keep a log of such research client situations so that you can easily incorporate these experiences into your final report.

  1. Which tax research material did you find most relevant in your work?
  2. Describe the ways in which your experience with clients affected or changed your perceptions, or understanding of the skills that you are practicing.

Service-Learning Assessment Rubric
Criteria / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Awareness of Purpose of Service-Learning / Student demonstrates awareness of purpose of SL as a means to become actively engaged in social responsibility & civic dialogue beyond course material, furthering their understanding of the rights & responsibilities of living in a democratic society. / Student expresses awareness of how SL is an intentional means to further understanding and awareness of core societal issues and become actively engaged but doesn’t completely make connections beyond course material. / Student expresses awareness of how SL is integral to course and understanding of the relevance of their personal engagement. / Student demonstrates limited awareness of the purpose of service--learning in the course.
Application of Theory to Practice & Practice to Theory / Student develops informed perspective based on both theory & service. Compelling evidence from both course materials & service appear often and develop the author's thesis well. / Student develops a perspective based on both theory & service.
Appropriately detailed evidence and explanation appear in most paragraphs, although he/she may require more interpretation/detail and clearer connections. / Student expresses some connection but little interpretation or framing. Evidence and explanation appear in some paragraphs, but the evidence may be overly general or the explanation assumptive. / Student does not apply theory, or there is a limited, unclear connection of theory/ideas to service. Evidence and explanation do not appear, or they are random and unrelated to the thesis.
Critical Thinking / Student states how personal assumptions have shifted or original perspective expanded or reinforced. Is able to contextualize community experience, making new connections regarding complexity of societal issues especially in relation to root/ structural causes, systemic change. / Student states and begins to question original personal assumptions based on theory & service. Begins to delve deeper into larger core issues but without making connections regarding complexity of societal issues. / Student asks questions and tries to see and respond from different perspectives using evidence/insights but original perspective has not been enhanced or expanded. / Student accepts ideas and observations at face value. Opinions are stated without argument or support. Fails to identify issues and stakeholders.
Thesis, Overall Structure, Content, Mechanics & Writing Style / Thesis provides writer’s clearly defined purpose. Structure and content present a clear sense of beginning, middle, and end. Transitions distinctive and clear. Grammar, spelling, mechanics, and punctuation are practically flawless.
Sources are cited expertly, using the appropriate style. / Thesis describes writer’s purpose but lacks depth of detail. Structure and content present a clear sense of beginning, middle, and end. Transitions generally connect but may be unclear. Grammar, spelling, mechanics, and punctuation are practically flawless, and if errors occur, they do not confuse meaning.
Sources are cited appropriately. / Thesis makes a point, but unconnected to purpose. Structure and content present an imperfect sense of beginning, middle, and end. Transitions awkward. Grammar, spelling, mechanics, and punctuation contain regular, patterned errors, suggesting poor proof reading or under-developed writing skills.
Sources are not cited consistently / No thesis statement. Structure and content present an incoherent sense of beginning, middle, and end. Transitions confusing if at all. Grammar, spelling, mechanics,and punctuation render the paper incoherent, suggesting poor proof reading and under-developed writing skills.
Sources are not cited.