Service Learning Faculty Testimonials
"The benefit of service learning is two-fold: the students experience (the feeling of) being “of service” to others and have the opportunity to apply skills they are learning about in class to real situations. This makes the learning much more meaningful and long-lasting. Also, students bring problems and questions back to class, which enhances class discussion and learning. "
Sarah Patton, C.O.D. professor, Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)"Service learning opens students’ eyes to a variety of situations they are usually unfamiliar with. "
Gina M. Carrier, MBA, MS, RT(R), C.O.D. professor and coordinator, Radiography
"I highly value the fact that through service learning the students can help the community and be in touch with the real world. They also see firsthand some of the issues and problems discussed in class. Students get hands-on experience and exposure to a world (that) they would not get from a classroom lecture alone. Also, I’ve noticed that students become much more interested in the issues as they become real to them."
Shaheen Chowdhury, C.O.D. professor, Criminal Justice
"Service learning provides our students with the opportunity to experience respiratory care outside of the acute care setting, as well as (experience) the interaction of real-life situations. More importantly, (service learning offers) a chance for students to give back to the community in a meaningful way that is closely connected to their field of study."
Denise L. Kruckenberg, BS, RRT, C.O.D. coordinator, Respiratory Care
"The skills students practice in English 1105, a basic Technical Writing course, cannot be developed solely through textbook reading, in-class discussion and assignment completion. Integrating service learning into the course gives students hands-on involvement with the kinds of clients and projects they will encounter in the workplace. By working with real clients on real projects, students can apply the knowledge and skills that are critical to their use of basic technical writing concepts. Once students have worked with service learning clients and are writing and designing real projects, technical writing experiences become more meaningful to them."
Linda Elaine, C.O.D. professor, English
"Service learning provides students with the opportunity to do a project hands-on, incorporating what they are learning as it applies to our pluralistic society. I use (the service learning experience) to drive home ideas from class and for discussion purposes. For the course, Peoples and Cultures of the World, the students work with immigrants and refugees, many from the very areas they are studying. In my Cultural Anthropology class, service learning helps students develop critical thinking skills, as we study globalization, world problems, cultural change and applied anthropology. Students also learn about themselves, and their levels of tolerance (important in learning about cultural relativism), as well as naive realism."
Vicki Root-Wajda, C.O.D. professor, Anthropology"The hands-on approach of service learning provides students with a much more concrete understanding of what we discuss in class. They actually get to see how concepts are applied outside of the classroom setting."
Lauren Morgan, C.O.D. professor, Speech"Through service learning, students are able to be a part of the subject we're discussing in class; not only do they learn how campaigns work in the classroom, but they get to see firsthand how they operate. In addition, service learning encourages students to take a more active role in politics and their community, which is important in promoting civic responsibility for years to come."
Jim Allen, C.O.D. professor, English
"Having students do service in my composition class and making "service to community" the focus of the course, gives students a real-world subject they can engage with personally, physically, intellectually and academically. It also helps them to view themselves as citizens within a larger community and examine their own responsibilities as educated adults within that community. During the course, we read a book, articles and examine organizational web sites, but actually doing also becomes a sort of “text” they can reflect on, refer to and use as experience/evidence in their writing."
Lisa Higgins, C.O.D. professor, English