“Service‐learning makes it real”

Abstract

At Minnesota State University, Mankato, the Anthropology Department pursued service‐learning as a means of educating and engaging diverse publics. An assessment of the service‐learning program began after it became clear that standard course evaluations provided an inadequate assessment of service‐learning's efficacy. We employed a mixed‐ method, multiperspective approach, combining interview data gathered from students, faculty, community partners, and program coordinators to complement existing archival and survey data. Through these interviews and participant observation, we explore the pedagogy of service‐learning, its effectiveness, and the relationship among anthropological theory and practice. Our research identified three forms of value regarding student and community partner motivation. Additionally, we consider the role of culture in what constitutes value. One emergent theme, “realness,” was vital for enhancing student outcomes through providing embodied examples of concepts and practical experience in field methods. Service‐learning enhances comprehension through practical application, demonstrating the relevance of anthropology while improving students’ learning outcomes.

Preparing Vulnerable Populations for Science Literacy and Young Adults for Global Citizenship through Service Learning

“…Studies reveal that this is the level of motivation and involvement that students participating in a SL project usually achieve [21,22]. This is so due to the level of prominence they play in the teaching-learning process of the specific population they work with, the opportunity to relate the theoretical content acquired in the classroom with practice in real educational contexts, the resolution of problems that they must address in those contexts or the cross-cutting attitudes and competencies they acquire during the process and which they could hardly acquire otherwise [23][24][25]. Motivation is directly related to one's personal goals, which are translated into different levels of commitment to the task that can predict the processes of students' achievement and results [26,27].…”

The Pandemic Pivot: Change and Adaptability during Quarantines, Social Distancing, and Anthropology in the Virtual Classroom

“…One assessment of a service-learning program at Minnesota State University includes projects with historical societies, a free clinic, Habitat for Humanity, and a leadership program for at-risk youth. The assessment found that students, faculty, and community partners appreciated the "realness" of projects, and that the experience also improved student comprehension and application of skills initially learned in the classroom (Schalage, Pajunen, and Brotherton 2018). Collaborative research, community projects, and other experiential learning techniques are valuable approaches in applied anthropology education.…”