Engagement+multiplied+-+The+impact+of+college-level+dialogue+and+reflection+experiences+on+civic+mindedness+as+professionals

**Engagement multiplied: The impact of college-level dialogue and reflection experiences****on civic mindedness as professionals**

Dan Richard, Director of Faculty Enhancement, University of North Florida [drichard@unf.edu] Cheryl Keen, Senior Researcher & Professor, Bonner Foundation, Walden University [Cheryl.Keen@waldenu.edu] Julie A. Hatcher, Associate Professor, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis [jhatcher@iupui.edu] David Beane, University of North Florida [d.beane.99241@unf.edu] Heather K. Pease, University of North Florida [h.pease@unf.edu]



**Keywords:** Civic identity, Civic-Minded Professional Scale, Bonner Scholars

**Track:** Community outcomes and impact

**Format:** Research paper


 * Date & time: ** Thursday 9:30-10:40
 * Location: ** Wilson

Service-learning programs seek to engage students in meaningful learning experiences that help students become civic-minded and engaged citizens. Although studies have demonstrated a link between service-learning activities and student learning outcomes, few studies have observed the connection between widely-accepted pedagogical techniques and civic engagement as adults. Researchers in this study analyzed data from a survey of over 900 Bonner Scholars Alumni to assess the relationship between program activities, the reported impact of these activities, and the civic-mindedness of Alumni as professionals.
 * Summary: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Service-learning courses and co-curricular service activities as well as structured reflection activities are hallmarks of excellent service-learning programs (Hatcher & Bringle, 1997). Service-learning educators structure programs to match theoretical knowledge instruction with students’ practical experiences. According to Kolb (1984), practical service-learning experiences inform and frame students’ understanding, which help students apply abstract principles in practical settings. It is this complex representation of everyday problems that seems to be most relevant for practitioners who attempt to create public good within the context of their professional lives (Schon, 1983; Sullivan & Rosin, 2008). Civic-minded professionals likely are those who connect their professional identity with a call for community service and a responsibility to use one’s expertise and skill for the public good (Hatcher, 2008).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">The results from this large-scale survey of Bonner Scholars Alumni indicate that having conversations with people who are different from oneself was a substantial predictor of one's civic identity, commitment, and volunteerism activities as professionals. This relationship is further supported by meaningful structured reflection activities during service-learning experiences in college. Results indicate that important conversations with others and reflection activities contribute independently to the development of civic-mindedness as professionals. The results further validate the Civic-Minded Professional Scale and support previous work on the importance of students making meaning from experience with challenging conversations across difference.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">**References:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Astin, A.W., & Sax, L.J. (1998). How undergraduates are affected by service participation. //Journal of College Student Development//, 39, 251-263.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Hatcher, J. (2008). //The public role of professionals: Developing and evaluating the civic-minded professional scale//. (Doctoral dissertation, Indiana University). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1805/1703

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Hatcher, J.A., & Bringle, R.G. (1997). Reflection: Bridging the gap between service and learning. //College Teaching//, 45, 153-158.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Keen, C.& Hall, K. (2009). Engaging with difference matters: Longitudinal student outcomes of co-curricular service-learning programs. //Journal of Higher Education//, 80, 59-79.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Kolb, D. A. (1984). //Experiential learning. Experience as the source of learning and development.// Englewood Cliffs, NJ; Prentice-Hall.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Markus, G.B., Howard, J.P.F., & King, D.C. (1993). Integrating community service and classroom instruction enhances learning: Results from an experiment. //Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis//, 15, 410-419.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Parks Daloz, L.A., Keen, C.H., Keen, J.P., & Parks, S. (1996). //Common fire: Lives of commitment in a complex world//. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Schon, D. (1983). //The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action//. New York: Basic Books.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Sullivan, W.M. & Rosin, M.S. (2008). //A new agenda for higher education: Shaping a life of the mind for practice.// San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">**Brian Ó Donnchadha /Brean O Donaka/ National University of Ireland, Galway.**
Congratulations on undertaking such an interesting and worthwhile research project. Even though the focus of this study was on the long-term civic development of alumni, I would like to ask the panel if they think it would be possible to replicate the study to examine a different sector: i.e. to assess the relationship between program activities (using service-learning), the reported impact of these activities and the civic, professional and personal development of the engaged //faculty//. If service-learning is to be truly reciprocal, does that not imply that there is a role for 'learning outcomes' (for want of a better term) for those who use pedagogies of engagement? Many thanks for considering my question, enjoy the rest of the conference, I wish I could be there.