Ethical Issues Are Arising from Service Learning - Essay Example

Service learning of Literature review Service learning is a learning pedagogy that incorporates many academic courses with the aim of improving the students development skills through community work in their academic learning (Rice & Stacey, 1997). Scholars argue that service learning is important and should be adopted by every institution of higher learning as it encompasses all faculties, students, community and even the institution. Additionally, service learning is considered an experience, which benefit the students by providing credit and educational services that allow them take part in communally organized services and help them get deeper and broader understanding in their course content. It also gives the students a broader civic responsibility and appreciation of their discipline. Many universities and colleges have incorporated service learning, since they are aware of its advantages to the students. Scholars encourage the faculties to adapt to service learning arguing that the only people who are aware of its unlimited advantages are those members who already understand it (Stringer, 2007). He also supports that service learning equips the student with excellent development skills that eventually leads to faculty development. The Office of Academic Learning, located in Michigan University, illustrates that, being focused in the implementation of service learning in educational institutions assists the faculty in many ways such as enhancing cooperation, coordination, and leadership among the students (Rice & Stacey, 1997). Through research, it is identified that dividing individuals into small group formats has many benefits since it enhances long-term commitment, more sources of information, and better satisfaction of members while using service learning (Shaw, 1981, p. 45). Additionally, other researchers came up with other advantages of using a small group format in service learning as increasing the learning abilities, increasing ideas and methodologies of solving problems, and eventually increasing the satisfaction of members, giving them a better understanding of the course (Edington & Duffy, 1996). Choosing a service learning activity should be done with much caution, as it needs to be in line with the specific course the individual is studying (Rice & Stacey, 1997). Most of the students must K;HIYB8GFUHOVALNJFBVI;YGundergo an interview that assists in identifying a helpful service-learning course that would develop their skills efficiently. Additionally, the participants must attend a seminar that informs the student of the skills expected of them after they attend the service-learning course. The seminar also informs them of the activities to take place in community service such as travelling, timing, supervisors, content, among other necessities. Through research, service learning has been identified to improve faculty development in every learning institution since it is the cornerstone to its success (Edington & Duffy, 1996, p. 12). Jacoby, an author who majors on service learning supports it, outlining that it is beneficial to the students and other members who participate as they are able to improve their learning skill. The community businesses, industries, and agencies also benefit much from service-learning (Rice & Stacey, 1997) Conclusively, service learning is beneficial to the student, the community, and the faculty in the institution of study. All institutions should ensure that they introduce service learning as part of their study. Service learning will greatly improve the skills of the students by incorporating community work in their academic learning that results to increased interpersonal, personal and development skills that increase students’ knowledge. Section Service learning is benefactions to the university since its personal, social, and learning outcomes are always positive. Service learning also leads to career development and increased relationships in the university. The university is able to achieve success since its students gain understanding complexity and are able to handle critical problems, leading to highly skilled graduates from the university. The university also benefits greatly since its relationship with the community improves. The faculties in the university also have a stronger relationship after the implementation of service learning, leading to improved rates in the university’s graduation (Anon, 2014). Consequently, its public image improves greatly since most of the people are satisfied and contented with the proper services offered by the institution. Various issues emerge questioning the efficiency of service study to the community and institution. Research shows that service learning is not very efficient since it does not address the community issues at a structural level as the learning orientation demands. Research shows that most students carry out ameliorative services, whose benefits are very individualistic. Consequently, students end up developing negative and truncated understandings on the social problems they encounter during service learning. The main purpose of service study is to enhance the traditional classroom study through incorporating relevant community services, relevant to the student’s course of study. The service benefit the community, student’s and the university since it offers skillful values and increases students knowledge leading to better ASL understanding (Stringer, 2007). Many questions can be asked to the constituents regarding the types of projects that students undertake during the service learning process. Consequently, many people do not understand the difference between volunteer work and service learning since the two seems almost similar. Ethical issues are arising from service learning Service learning is beneficial to individuals since it increases their social responsibility and develops most of their learning tools, which in the end embeds best qualities and culture in their skills. All the activities performed must be in line with the communal ethics to ensure that they have a positive impact to all the individuals affected (Stringer, 2007). Service learning should provide comfort to all the students, community members and even the faculty of institution of study. High ethical standards must be maintained during the study for it to be successful. Research has proved this right because maintaining proper ethical standards leads to peaceful service learning, eventually leading to success. Anon argues that service learning should have diverse and established connections with the community in order to succeed. He suggests that the four ethical issues that must be achieved during the service learning process include; development of a curriculum that benefits the student always, attending to all public concerns, ensuring that the relationship between the mentor and teacher is perfect and finally, ensuring that the individuals maintain good communication, interaction and relationship with the community (Anon, 2014). Additionally, through maintaining good ethical issues, a strong relationship can develop between the community members and the students. What data need to be collected? The data to be collected must be accurate, well defined, and relevant to the service learning study. All data that is relevant to this study needs to be collected. The data includes the qualitative and quantitative data. Additionally, the data collected should at least exceed the amount of the required data to increase the efficiency of the service learning process, unlike collecting fewer data that would be less detailed leading to inaccurate results. One, the quantitative data that need to be collected includes the numerical value data, which can be collected, measured, and analyzed so that change can be measured with time (Anon, 2014). Consequently, the qualitative data that should be collected include data that is descriptive. Many people devalue this type of data since it depends on individuals perspective leading to inaccurate results, however, it may also be very benefactions since it incorporates context that may not be available in the quantitative data. It is always advisable that before any data collection process, there should always be an evaluation of the service learning process to make sure that it will be successful (Anon, 2014). Additionally, the data collected is evaluated through designs, which are very useful while measuring it during service learning. The types of designs include the Ex-post Facto Designs, the Interrupted Time Series Design, and the Cross Sectional Design. The Interrupted Time Design is efficient in ensuring that it measures the variable periods that do occur during, and before the service-learning period. The experiments in this design must be repeated severally during the implementation process of the program for it to be successful. The repeated measurements are necessary since they are able to give time for analysis to change a bit while measuring the outcomes of the interests as these designs subjects serve as the experimental and control groups. The Ex-post Facto Design, which is also referred to as the Quasi-Experimental designs is a data collection design, whereby all the data are collected after completion of the whole program (Anon, 2014). Unfortunately, this method has been proven inefficient in measuring accurate data especially the pre-test data and the post-test data collected after the program is completed. The cross-sectional designs are also efficient in measuring the data, through measuring the interesting outcome after completion of the program. Cross-sectional designs have no control group but can identify the links that connect the outcomes of the process and the offered services. Methods of data collection Qualitative and quantitative data have specific methods of data collection (Rice & Stacey, 1997). In qualitative data, the data is collected through various methods, which includes; interviews, focus groups, interviews, critical incident reports, and observation. Quantitative data is collected through surveys and document review methods (Rice & Stacey, 1997). The data collection methods must be accurate for the evaluation and implementation process to flow smoothly and efficiently giving the desired results. Surveys are data collection methods where participants are asked questions, in which they must answer. The questions may be closed-ended, whereby individuals are asked to choose from pre-determined questions or open-ended questions whereby the individuals have the right to express their views (Rice & Stacey, 1997). Document reviews are documented results that are found in forms, timesheets, transcripts, board scores, among others. Interviews are set to gain perspectives and opinions of the participants, whereas the observation method only requires one to observe and fill a developed checklist, which is useful in filling the collected data. Finally, a critical incident report is a form of a document where individuals are able to evaluate the impacts of service-learning programs and evaluate its efficiency to its outcomes. Through the methods discussed above, all data can be gathered with ease. The types of data include data provided by individuals, statistics, commentaries, among other sources (Anon, 2014). Potentially analyzing data All collected data need to be analyzed to come up with best results of the service learning process. One common method that is used to analyze data is the inferential statistics method, which analyze the standard deviations of the data and the mean values of the variables in the data that is obtained from the different groups in service learning process (Anon, 2014). The inferential statistical method of canalization incorporates the T-test, which is very efficient as it can be used in both the quasi-experimental designs discussed above and experimental designs (Anon, 2014). This method of canalization is efficient since it compares two or more groups together in the service learning process. Additionally, inferential statistics also incorporates other statistical softwares such as the SPSS and the SAS, which are very effective in analyzing data collected in this process (Rice & Stacey, 1997). EXCEL is also another database packages that is very efficient in ensuring that all the data is analyzed, however, there are also limitations to this method as it is prone to many errors leading to inaccurate results. Descriptive analysis is an important method used in analyzing and evaluating the collected data. This method of analysis looks at the datas frequency and ensures that all continuous data is analyzed maximally by identifying the mean, median, mode, and ranges of different values collected in service learning process. Additionally, descriptive analysis is also accurate in calculating the variance, standard deviations among other measurements (Rice & Stacey, 1997). Qualitative analysis is also established as a reliable method through which data can be analyzed efficiently since it can analyze all data starting from the simplest to the most complex data. This type of data analyzing method is efficient since it codes each variable in the data, highlights all the missing data, saves the original work to prevent alteration of the information, check all errors, and finally analyze the data leading to desirable work. Limitations and delimitations of service learning from the study in a methodological perspective Service learning, as a learning pedagogy incorporated in many academic courses, has many advantages and disadvantages as identified from this study. One of the delimitations of service learning is that it improves the relationship between teachers and students. The community members also have an improved relationship with most of the students since they are taught on better communication skills and how to comply with ethical standards in the community (Edington & Duffy, 1996). Students are also equipped with many skills, in which they are able to conduct the service learning study, boosting their performance in the course of study. From a methodological perspective, service learning assists in improving development skills in students by incorporating community work as part of their academic learning. Service learning however has limitations in data collection methods, openness and honestly. Addatinally, it also has limitations during the interview processes since there is misinterpretation of data. Additionally, this data could also be misconstrued, leading to inaccurate results in the end. References Anon, T. J. (2014). Service-learning: Motivations for k-12 teachers. Journal of Personality and Service-learning, 66, 1034-1048. Edington, E. & Duffy, D. K. (1996). Collaboration in action: Service learning at Middlesex Community College, in T. Pickeral and P. Peters. Compact National Center for Community colleges, 12(2), 9- 14. Rice D. & Stacey K. (1977). Small Group Dynamics as a Catalyst for Change: A Faculty Development Model for Academic Services-Learning. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 57(4), 64-71. Shaw, M. E. (1981). Group dynamics: The psychology of small group behavior. NY: McGraw- Hill. Stringer, E. T. (2007). Action Research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc. Read More