PARENT SESSION
Contributed Oral Session 68: Ecology Education II
Tuesday, August 9, 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM, Meeting Room 521 A, Level 5, Palais des congrès de Montréal
Service Learning is the art of meeting community needs with student experiences in ecology.
MacFall, Janet*,1, 1 Environmental Studies, Elon, NC
ABSTRACT- Service learning is a pedagogy that can be used in the intellectual integration of classroom concepts with life beyond the classroom walls. A successful service learning experience requires close cooperation between the teaching faculty and the outside partner, as well as application of disciplinarily grounded knowledge by the students to the project. It must extend well beyond simply volunteer activities, providing an opportunity for students to develop professionally in a true partnership with community members addressing an identified need. At Elon University, Environmental Studies seniors are asked to address a specific question, scaffolding their experiences from coursework into a constructive project. Although Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary major, it is grounded in applied ecology integrated with the social sciences and humanities. The final product is a report suitable for implementation and a stakeholder presentation. Past projects have included environmental assessment and design of a riverfront park for a small town, with the goal of creating an environmental education center. A second project required an environmental assessment of a major river corridor connecting two urban areas. Students worked with a Council of Government, residents, and other stakeholders to design a protection plan, identifying specific parcels for restoration or preservation. The COG then extended the study, using student developed methods, to a much longer river segment, with work now beginning on plan implementation. Both projects requirement field assessments including vegetation, soils, wetlands, bank geomorphology, unique organisms and features, and land use. Following completion of each project, students were assessed on how disciplinary knowledge was applied and whether the project had helped with professional development.
Key words: service learning, education