TY - JOUR
T1 - Service learning
T2 - Meaningful, community-centered professional skill development for occupational therapy students
AU - Witchger Hansen, Anne Marie
AU - Muñoz, Jaime
AU - Crist, Patricia A.
AU - Gupta, Jyothi
AU - Ideishi, Roger I.
AU - Primeau, Loree A.
AU - Tupé, Debra
N1 - Funding Information:
Number of community partners and differing agency purposes Duration of community partnerships Agency service provision Number of clients receiving services Amount/type of services provided Agency and staff satisfaction with services Survey instruments, individual/focus group interviews, faculty/student fieldnotes Commitment to the project and its sustainability Hiring of new staff Inclusion in funding applications Client knowledge, skills, and/or performance Tests, assessment batteries, survey instruments Client satisfaction with services Survey instruments, individual/focus group interviews Participation and follow-through such as attendance frequency or monitoring changes Client health and quality of life Tests, assessment batteries, survey instruments Frequency of use of community and health care services Costs for health care and healthier living Educational system Number of students involved Student development (leadership, cultural sensitivity, commitment to service, personal and professional development) Survey instruments, individual/focus group interviews, faculty/student field notes Hours and types of community service prior to graduation and after Number of graduates working in community settings Educational curriculum Number of service learning into curriculum objectives into courses Curriculum content related to practice in community settings Incorporation into curriculum philosophy and model including periodic student and alumni learning outcomes assessment Value placed on service-learning needs observable measure or delete as really the above are the actions demonstrating this value Number of faculty involved Participation in and leadership of service-learning-related faculty development activities Influence on faculty teaching Development of new teaching skills Implementation of new teaching methods Time spent on service-learning components Time spent in student mentoring Student satisfaction surveys and course evaluation Influence on faculty scholarship Number of research projects Quantity of applications for funding support Amount of grants awarded Frequency and quality of conference presentations, and publications Influence on faculty practice Hours spent in community practice
PY - 2007/6/18
Y1 - 2007/6/18
N2 - The profession of Occupational Therapy advocates for new and emerging areas of practice that more fully embrace our moral responsibility to address significant social injustices that exist in our communities (Kronenberg, Algado, & Pollard, 2005). The service-learning pedagogy is impacted by the philosophical and theoretical influences of John Dewey, the mission and purpose of American higher education including Boyer's (1994) call for an engaged citizenry, and the social vision of occupational therapy. The pedagogy of service learning provides a natural context for students to experience community practice while contributing to reducing existing social injustices. This paper provides an overview of service learning (SL) as a philosophical and pedagogical approach in occupational therapy education, key processes in developing successful service learning experiences and community partnerships to support service learning. Characteristics of effective service learning, assessment of community and institutional outcomes of service learning and the scholarship of service learning are also discussed. Most importantly, strategies for developing service learning scholarship, an important but frequently neglected requisite to validate any educational practice, are delineated. The authors conclude that service learning provides educators with an opportunity to provide students with experiences in natural, community contexts while developing life-long commitment to civic engagement and social responsibility.
AB - The profession of Occupational Therapy advocates for new and emerging areas of practice that more fully embrace our moral responsibility to address significant social injustices that exist in our communities (Kronenberg, Algado, & Pollard, 2005). The service-learning pedagogy is impacted by the philosophical and theoretical influences of John Dewey, the mission and purpose of American higher education including Boyer's (1994) call for an engaged citizenry, and the social vision of occupational therapy. The pedagogy of service learning provides a natural context for students to experience community practice while contributing to reducing existing social injustices. This paper provides an overview of service learning (SL) as a philosophical and pedagogical approach in occupational therapy education, key processes in developing successful service learning experiences and community partnerships to support service learning. Characteristics of effective service learning, assessment of community and institutional outcomes of service learning and the scholarship of service learning are also discussed. Most importantly, strategies for developing service learning scholarship, an important but frequently neglected requisite to validate any educational practice, are delineated. The authors conclude that service learning provides educators with an opportunity to provide students with experiences in natural, community contexts while developing life-long commitment to civic engagement and social responsibility.
KW - Civic engagement
KW - Educational pedagogy
KW - Service learning
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U2 - 10.1300/J003v21n01_03
DO - 10.1300/J003v21n01_03
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:34447307718
SN - 0738-0577
VL - 21
SP - 25
EP - 49
JO - Occupational Therapy in Health Care
JF - Occupational Therapy in Health Care
IS - 1-2
ER -