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Although the PSY 495 service learning course described below is not part of research conducted by members of the ERPAS team, it is described on this website because (a) many NCSU students are interested in learning more about this course, and (b) some aspects of the course are aligned with what we learn and study through ERPAS projects—such as topics related to social justice, educational equity, community engagement, applied psychology, etc. If you are a NCSU student who is interested in possibly taking this service learning course, the following information may be helpful. The content summarizes the goals of the PSY 495 course and what NCSU students commonly say about the course after completing it.
After reading the below information, if you have questions, please contact your instructor for this PSY 495 course. You are also welcome to contact Dr. John Begeny, the lead developer of this course (jcbegeny@ncsu.edu).
Rationale and Central Goals for the Course:
Despite service-learning being one of the most important “high-impact” practices recommended for undergraduate students, a recent university-wide evaluation at NCSU revealed there are still very few service-learning courses available for students across the campus. For this reason, Dr. Begeny began developing and offering a critical service learning course in approximately 2009. A central goal was to design a course that allowed students to (a) apply what they learn about psychology; (b) engage regularly in topics related to diversity and social justice—in an effort to help students deepen aspects of intercultural consciousness and enhance awareness about systems of oppression; (c) enhance their understanding of research, theory, and policy pertaining to psychology and related disciplines; (d) interact with community partners from outside of NCSU (a necessity for service-learning) and do something positive to support their Raleigh community; and (e) improve their writing and critical thinking skills.
Our PSY 495 course involves a critical service learning experience. The course aims to increase students’ consciousness of social issues and empower them to take actions to address these problems. Embracing a dialogical pedagogy, we believe university instructors, university students, and community partners are all co-creators of knowledge, and we strive to build a reciprocal relationship with our communities.
What do Students Say about the Course:
Course evaluations and other input from students consistently show that this service learning course is one of students’ most unique and valuable course experiences. In 2023, a past student from PSY 495 wrote an article about the course for the NCSU Psychology Department's Newsletter, and that article shares this one student's perspective.
Also, the comments below are representative examples of what students say about the course in their end-of-semester evaluations (and their comments also help to highlight what the course entails):
This course provided the most meaningful, applicable learning experience of any class I have ever taken.
I learned how to think and write both clearly and critically which has been very useful for other classes. I learned more information about America’s education system. I enjoyed forming deep relationships with the students in the HELPS program. I am much more aware of our need for diverse teachers and the many ongoing issues of equity within our school system.
I really enjoyed taking this course! It has taught me how to think critically on difficult topics such as the ones discussed in class. I loved being able to express my ideas in a neutral place. Also, I loved helping a community in a way that will have lasting effects.
This course allowed me to experience the difficulty of being a teacher. It also allowed me to become involved in the community and grow as a person. This is a wonderful class that I think everyone should take.
Professor is very passionate about subject and field of work. Engages students with thought provoking questions and comments in discussions. Is very organized and easily accessible to students. Doesn’t consider us as students but rather “co-educators” of knowledge.
Very passionate, experienced, and organized. I am walking out of this course with a completely new perspective about educational inequity and a desire to find solutions because of the energy and passion he brought to every class.
The service learning aspect of this course was the most beneficial part of my college career. Working with the community, applying the information we’ve learned in class, and gaining such a new perspective benefitted me in ways that a textbook could not.
Would recommend that every psych student take this course and all students take a service learning course.
Overall the instructor was excellent. He made it a point to address controversial topics relating to education, race relations and community engaged scholarship. One of his strengths is his proactive stance towards transformative action.
Working with the children while utilizing the HELPS program opened my eyes as to the problems effecting education. Being a student in this class inspired me to take measures to learn more about equality and equity internationally, which I hope to build a research thesis to use in my application to Graduate School.
Very applied experience, learned 100x more than in a typical classroom.
The strengths of this class is that it made me aware of the grand issues that affect our society. This class opened my eyes and made me question my purpose.
The in-class discussions and readings had a big impact on how I thought about research. It changed my perception of research, that it could be engaged & still be objective and useful.
I really enjoyed this course. I loved that it was largely discussion based, making it a course where we not only learned from our teacher but also each other. Occasionally the readings were a bit long—but they were always worth reading. The topics for this class (such as Community Engaged Scholarship) were really interesting & new to me.
This course was one of the best I have taken. I enjoyed the community involvement and truly have no bad things to say about the course.
The professor has been one of the most enthusiastic, thought provoking & inclusive teachers I have ever had. I have never had a teacher that made himself feel like he was equal to us and the rest of the class. His ability to do this made me want to be more engaged & participatory in the class.
I love this course. It’s overwhelming at first, but the different aspects of the course are extremely valuable. The main thing I have learned from this course, and will take with me is that involvement is needed for change. Whether it’s a personal change or community change, nothing will happen if you don’t get involved. The class discussions allowed me to gain different perspectives and to critique ideas, sources, etc. at a more intense level.
I really enjoyed the service learning components of this course. You learn all you want in a classroom, but when you are able to take it to the real world, everything becomes much more useful. I liked the writing assignments least, but I found them extremely beneficial. I feel like my role in this course was a Change Agent! This course allowed me to see that I can make a change through my actions and involvement in the community, and even through conversations with my peers.
The class absolutely solidified what I want to pursue in grad school & in my future career. The readings were challenging but it’s time we learn to read & respond to academic articles that challenge our thinking. Loved the class discussions- I am usually fearful of inputting my opinion in those circumstances but this class has helped me get over that fear. I liked playing the game at the beginning of the semester & am glad the professor emphasized the importance of getting to know our classmates.
The course has honestly been the most valuable course that I have taken at NC State. I never felt that it was a waste of my time, and I gained experience that you simply cannot get in a class where you sit there and read the slides of a powerpoint. This class gave the students a chance to step up and be leaders, both inside and outside of the classroom. We had the opportunity to lead class discussions and we went to Boys and Girls Club where we were seen as role models to the children.
This course has been the best course I have taken since coming to NC State. I learned more than I can explain from the readings and now read and look for articles on my own time. I truly feel that being a student in this course made me a better person and transformed my way of thinking.
Having a class discussion as well as an applied section of this course really gave me the feeling of best of both worlds. I enjoyed the class discussions because it gave me the opportunity to reflect on the articles I had read and engaged in intellectual conversations about the various topics.
My favorite aspect of the class discussion was the student-led assignments. It gave us the opportunity to take the time to find articles that we found interesting and share with our classmates. I enjoyed seeing what all the groups brought to the table; the discussions were really thought provoking.
This has been one of my favorite courses during my time at state. Reading the articles and making comments on them definitely promotes critical thinking and the discussions provided perspective.
The class was fun and very informative. It allowed me to become more open-minded and be able to learn more about a subject of interest. The class also helped me learn more about the impacts of inequality on students and being able to do service reinforced and helped me see everything that was discussed in class.
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