2006 OPEN FORUM Abstracts
SERVICE LEARNING INCORPORATED INTO RESPIRATORY CARE CURRICULUM PROVIDES BOTH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Mary P. Martinasek BS, RRT
Hillsborough Community College
Tampa, Florida
Background: The concept of service learning as been evolving for
several decades and its implementation in community college and universities is
becoming increasingly more prevalent, not only for scholarship, but
additionally, as a form of experiential student learning and civic engagement.
Service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that incorporates actively
engaged learning beyond the classroom and fosters both the educational growth
of the student concomitantly with the observed needs of the community. Service
learning is a structured opportunity for students to gain valuable knowledge
through student teaching in the community and at the same time impact the
community.
Method: Hillsborough Community College's Respiratory Care
program partners with the Asthma Allergy Foundation of America/Florida to
provide asthma education to daycare center employees and parents. The
structured program entitled Essentials
provides an overview of asthma education at a basic community level. The
students are educated on the teaching methods and evaluation tools of the
program and are provided supplemental literature on asthma to provide to the
daycare centers. Specific learning outcomes are designed for the service
learning project in addition to opportunities for reflection. These can be
represented in a variety of forms including, discussions, essays, journals, and
portfolios. The purpose of incorporating service learning during the second
year of the respiratory care program is to further enhance and reinforce
previous attained knowledge of asthma. To meet the initial requirements of the
service learning project the students are required to provide a minimum of ten
hours of service learning during a given semester. The students are provided
with a list of available opportunities and arrange time outside of the
classroom to participate in service learning.
Results: Undoubtedly
learning is enhanced through teaching and subsequently teaching enhances
interpersonal skills, critical thinking skills, time management and a greater
appreciation for civic engagement. Since the students are required to teach Essentials, they are continually
practicing the presentation and reviewing the materials to assure confidence in
their presentations. The students accomplish both service objectives and
learning objectives through hands on community based teaching. Service learning
provides a knowledge benefit to the students and a health benefit to the
community.
Conclusion: Service
learning can enrich the learning experience of the student by helping them to
learn through teaching. It provides reciprocal advantages to both the student's
learning and to the community's needs. Asthma is the number one cause of school
absenteeism and education is the key to reducing the unnecessary doctor visits
and school absenteeism. With service learning the students gain a greater
appreciation for knowledge and have the ability to see first hand the impact of
education in the community.