Integration and influence of Community Service Learning (CSL) Water Project

Community Service Learning (CSL) is an experiential learning approach that integrates community service into student projects and provides diverse learning opportunities to reduce interdisciplinary barriers. A semester-long chemistry curriculum with an integrated CSL intervention was implemented in a Canadian university to analyze the potential for engagement and positive attitudes toward chemistry as a meaningful undertaking for 14 post-secondary students in the laboratory as well as for 400 K-12 student partners in the community. Traditionally, introductory science experiments typically involve repeating a cookbook recipe from a lab book, but this CSL project allowed the post-secondary and K-12 students to work collaboratively to determine the physical properties, chemical properties and total dissolved solids in the water from the fountains at the K-12 students' schools. This is a multi-year study, where part one focuses on the process of the CSL project and student attitudes in a chemistry laboratory setting with the integration of the different instructional methods that were involved. In part two of this study, we are interested in further investigating whether reflection in the laboratory setting will also deepen post-secondary students’ learning.

Presenters: Karen Ho, Instructor, Department of Chemistry, Mount Royal University Sahara Smith & Catharina Venter

Presentation Time: Friday May 28, 2021 10:45-11:45am MDT