Service-Learning in Online Courses

Posted by on December 05, 2010

Minnesota Campus Compact and Iowa Campus Compact are pleased to announce three upcoming webinars of interest to service-learning practitioners.

SERVICE-LEARNING IN ONLINE COURSES: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Wednesday, January 19, 2011, 11:00 AM – Noon (CT)

As online learning has developed and grown exponentially in recent years, there has not been a corresponding growth in the field of civic engagement within higher education. The opportunities to improve communities by effectively incorporating civically engaged teaching into online courses are numerous. Please join colleagues for an exploration of questions including:

* How are faculty currently implementing service-learning in online courses? What are the challenges and benefits?
* What types of service are online students engaging in? Community-based research? Separate, place-based volunteering at individual sites?
* Do  blended or hybrid courses that combine face-to-face and online learning offer unique opportunities?
* What opportunities might online service-learning open up? International partnerships? Serving more rural communities or communities without colleges or universities?

Presenter

Jean Strait, Ph.D.,is associate professor in education at Hamline University, in St. Paul, Minnesota. She published some of the earliest research on service-learning in online courses, and has vast experience as a service-learning practitioner. Jean is Co-editor with Marybeth Lima, of The Future of Service Learning, New Solutions for Sustaining and Improving Practice.

For more information and to register visit: http://onlineservice.eventbrite.com/

BUILDING CULTURAL CAPACITY
February 1, 2011, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM (CT)

We all have different experiences and abilities to work with members of different cultural groups. What gives us greater capacity as individual or organizations to be effective in cross-cultural situations?

The Building Cultural Capacity webinar will explore the attitudes, knowledge and skills needed to work effectively with diverse cultural groups.   The model of cultural competence will be discussed and the framework continuum of developmental stages will be reviewed.  Participants will asked to examine and reflect upon individual levels of cultural capacity, as well as applying the model to organizational practices that either facilitate or hinder cross cultural collaboration

Presenter

Dave Nakashima
For twenty five years, Dave has worked in the field of developing and implementing culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible educational, social and health services to diverse communities. As a national consultant, he focuses his facilitation, training, technical assistance and curriculum development to build individual and organizational capacities in the areas of collaboration, strategic planning and cultural competence.

Dave holds a Master of Science in Cross-Cultural Counseling Psychology from California State University and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz.  He is a Fellow of the Coro Policy and Public Affairs program.

For more information and to register visit:
http://culturalcapacity.eventbrite.com/

LINKING ADULTS WITH COMMUNITY
Friday, February 4, 2011 from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (CT)

With growing numbers of working adults seeking undergraduate degrees, colleges and universities are faced with the challenge and opportunity of engaging busy, older students in community-based learning. Not only do adults relish the opportunity to give back to their communities and to learn with a purpose, but community partners also appreciate the skills, self-direction and contacts that older students bring to a project. However, projects must be designed with adult students’ schedules, prior experiences and families in mind.  Given the developmental relevance of community engagement for adults, course design should also be informed by theories/principles of adult learning and development.

Presenters

Susan Reed, Ph.D., is associate professor at the School for New Learning, DePaul University, where she employs community-based learning to teach adults about health care access. Her published books and articles are in both the areas of health care access and community-based learning with adults.

Catherine Marienau, Ph.D., is professor at the School for New Learning, DePaul University, where she mentors graduate students who carry out individually designed community-based learning projects.  Many of her publications and presentations center on adult learning and development.

Reed and Marienau co-authored a special issue of New Directions in Adult and Continuing Education, “Linking Adults with Community: Promoting Civic Engagement through Community Based Learning” (2008).

For more information and to register visit:
http://engagingadultstudents.eventbrite.com/