EnsuringSuccesswhenTeachinga

ServiceLearningCourse
AmberC.Satola
TheOhioStateUniversity
satola.3@osu.edu

Abstract
InthispaperIsummarizemyexperiencewithaservicelearningcourse,andthe
difficultiesthatstemmedfromit.IoutlinethechallengesIfacedwhiletakingthecourse,andthe
subsequentresearchthatIcompleted.IdetailhowtheresearchthatIcompetedpertainingtothe
servicelearningcoursecouldbeusedtoimprovethestructureandplanningoffuturecourses,
specificallypursuingrelationshipswithcommunitypartnersthathaveneedsthatwouldbenefit
fromthepredetermineddeliverables,establishingacleardistinctionbetweeninternshipsand
servicelearning,clearlycommunicatingthecoursestructureandrequirementstothecommunity
partner,andbeingflexiblewithstudentswhentheyfacedifficultieswiththeircommunity
partner.
Keywords
Servicelearningcourseplanningcommunitypartnershipcommunicationcoursestructure
Introduction
InJanuary2015IbegantakingaservicelearningcoursethroughTheOhioState
University.Attheoutset,thecoursewasextremelywellstructuredourprofessorworkedto
individuallymeetwitheachcommunitypartnertoconsulttheirneeds,andhowtherequirements
oftheclasscouldmeettheirneeds.Iwaspairedwithacommunitypartner,andbeganworkwith
them.AtourinitialmeetingwediscussedthatIwouldpotentiallybeeditingworks,creating

videocontent,andcreatingsocialmediaposts.However,therewasachangeinwhomycontact
was,andbecausetheyhadanotherinterndoingthatwork,Iwasgiventhetaskofmakingcold
callstopotentialdonors.Thisrenderedmeunabletocompletetherequirementsofthecourse.
Throughdiscussionwithmyinstructor,wedecidedthattheclasswouldinsteadserveasmy
nonprofit,sothatIcouldcontinuetobenefitfromtakingthecourse.However,thissituation
couldhavebeenavoidedthroughmorethoroughcommunicationbetweenmycommunitypartner
andmyinstructor.
Methods
IdrewuponmytheexperiencesIhadwhiletakingRhetoricandCommunityService,a
servicelearningclass,duringspring2015atTheOhioStateUniversity.WhilsttakingthisclassI
wasunabletocontinuetoworkwithmycommunitypartnerduetomyinabilitytofulfillthe
requirementsofthecoursethroughtheworkIwasdoing.Further,Iresearchedservicelearning
classesthroughtheeducationresearchcompletedatabaseonEbsco.ThroughmyresearchI
foundtwosourcesthatdescribehowateachersofservicelearningcoursescanstructuretheir
classsothattheclassisbeneficialforstudentsandcommunitypartners.Drawinguponthe
combinationofmyexperiencesandthesources,Icanmakerecommendationsabouthowto
structureaservicelearningcoursesuccessfully.
Results
Uponreflectingonthesituationthatoccuredwithmycommunitypartner,Idetermined
therewasalackofcommunicationbetweenmycommunitypartnerandmyinstructoratthe
initialmeeting.Myresearchshowsthatthekeytoasuccessfulexperienceinaservicelearning

courseisintentionalplanning,design,andimplementationwhichrequirescommunicating
withthecommunitypartnertocreateplanneddeliverablesforthecourse(Kalles145).
AnotherissuethatIfacedwasthechangeofmycontactatthenonprofit.Becauseofthis
change,mynewcontactwasunclearoftherequirementsofthecourse,andhowIwasoperating,
notasavolunteer,notasanintern,butasaservicelearner.Becausethereweretwootherinterns
doingtheworkwehadoriginallydiscussedmedoing,mycontactassignedmetoworkthatdid
nothelpmefulfilltherequirementsofthecourse.AccordingtoJamesMcDonaldandLynnA.
Dominguez,makingacleardistinctionbetweenavolunteeractivityandservicelearningis
criticaltothesuccessofanyservicelearningproject(52).
Luckily,Iwasabletocontinuetomeettherequirementsofthecoursebyworkingwith
myinstructortocreateanalternativeplansothatIstillmetthecourseobjectives.Further,she
servedasaliaisonbetweenmyselfandmynonprofittomakecertainthatthesolutiontothe
problemwasmutuallybeneficialandamicable.Weworkedtogethertocreatedeliverablessothat
thecoursewasstillarewardingexperience,andsothatIwasabletoworkwithmultiple
mediumstoproduceworksthatpromotedthecoursetootherstudents.Theflexibilitythatmy
instructoraffordedtomewasessentialtoensuringmysuccessinthecourse.
Analysis
InJamesMcDonaldandLynnA.Dominguezs
DevelopingUniversityandCommunity
Partnerships:ACriticalPieceofSuccessfulServiceLearning"planningisemphasizedasoneofthe
mostimportantaspectsofasuccessfulservicelearningcourse(53).Whilethecourseobjectivesand
conceptswerewellplannedoutinthiscase,whatwasexpectedtobedoneatthecommunitypartners
wasnot.Whilethisallowedthestudentstocatertotheneedsofthenonprofit,itmadeitdifficultto
ensurethatthestudentwasdoingwhattheysupposedtobedoing.McdonaldandDominguez

recommend[selecting]afewpotentialcommunitypartnerswhomaybenefitfromtheproject
outcomes(53).Thiswouldensurethatstudentsareachievinggoalsandgainingexperiencefromthe
course.
Wheninteractingwiththenonprofits,itisessentialthatthecommunitypartnerunderstandsthe
roleofthestudent,aswellasthecourserequirements.Asitwasinmycase,mycontactwasnotclear
aboutwhatIwassupposedtobedoing,andtheyalreadyhadinternsdoingtheworkthatwouldhave
beenmostbeneficialtomydevelopmentandlearning.AsSusanKallesandThomasG.Ryansaid,in
orderfortherelationshipwiththecommunitypartnerisreciprocalitrequiresthatcommunication,
commitmenttooutcomes,andresponsibilityforrelatedandrelevanttasksaresharedamong
stakeholdersinthepartnershipfromfacultytoagencypersonnel(141).Further,itisessentialthata
singlecontactisestablishedatthecommunitypartner,sothattheexpectationsanddeliverablesarenot
lostintranslation.
Myinstructorsflexibilitywithmyuniquesituationwasextremelybeneficialtogrowthand
developmentwithinthecourse.McDonaldandDominguezsaythattheneedtobeawareofand
responsivetostudentcomplaintsisessentialtothesuccessofaservicelearningcourse,whichis
exactlyhowmyinstructorhandledmysituation.Shewasopentohearingmycomplaintsandhelping
mehandletheminaprofessionalway.HerresponsivenesstomycomplaintsalsomadecertainthatI
completedthecourseobjectives,whichwasessentialtomyexperienceinthecourse.Sheestablished
anopenlineofcommunicationwithherstudents,whichmadeapproachingherwithproblems
comfortable.

Discussion
GiventheinformationthatIfoundregardingservicelearningcourses,althoughmy
instructorthoughtfullyplannedoutthecourse,shedidnotcreateconsistentdeliverablesformy
communitypartner.Inreturn,mycommunitypartnerwasnotabletodistinguishmyposition

fromthatoftheinterns.Further,duetothetransitionofmypartnershiptoadifferentcontact,the
requirementsofthecoursewerelostbetweenthem.Inordertoavoidsituationssimilartothis
arising,Irecommendthatinstructorscreateconsistentdeliverablesandarediligentinensuring
thatthecommunitypartnersneedsmeettheobjectivesoftheproject.Instructorsshouldalsobe
clearincommunicatingwithpotentialcommunitypartnerstoclarifytheroleofthe
servicelearner,sothatthetasksthatthestudentscompletearemutuallybeneficial,andestablish
acontactthatwillcontinuouslyhandletheservicelearnerthroughoutthesemester.Finally,if
problemsshouldarise,itisimportantthattheinstructorisopenwithstudentsandwillingtotalk
abouttheirconcerns,andbeflexiblesothatthestudentscanstillmeettheneedsofthecoursein
theeventthatthecommunitypartnershipfallsthrough.

References
Kalles,Susan,andThomasG.Ryan."ServiceLearning:PromiseandPossibilityinPostSecondary
Education."InternationalJournalofProgressiveEducation11.1(2015):13248.Education
ResearchComplete[EBSCO].Web.18Apr.2015.
McDonald,James,andLynnA.Dominguez."DevelopingUniversityandCommunityPartnerships:A
CriticalPieceofSuccessfulServiceLearning."
JournalofCollegeScienceTeaching
44.3
(2015):5256.
EducationResearchComplete[EBSCO]
.Web.18Apr.2015.