Sample SL Application - Biology

Lane Community College
Service Learning Application
(Please find the typed responses to the application below. These are answers to the questions found on the website).

Applicant: Pat Boleyn (ext. 5083)
Dept: Biology
Type of Proposal: Revised Forest Biology 102 Course

Description of Proposal:
Revise Forest Biology course to incorporate opportunities in the area of forest ecosystem management and environmental awareness.

Course Prefix and Title: Forest Biology 102

Agencies where Students would perform :
These may include Oregon Natural Resources Council, Umpqua and Willamette National Forests, the Bureau of Land Management, and Mt Pisgah Arboretum.

Detailed description of what you will require students in terms of community service:
I would require approximately ten hours of service per individual to an agency. This would be offered as an optional assignment to replace an exam or several exams in the course. The work would be evaluated after the completion of a four page, double-spaced, paper describing a summary of service completed, dates, objectives of the work, description of how the objectives relate to forest biology, and the student’s impressions and evalution of the work. There may also be a required product that will be submitted to the agency, using a format acceptable to the agency and to me.

Will all of the students in the course be required to perform the service?
Not all of the students will be required to perform the service. All of the students will be offered the opportunity for instead of completing in-class exams. The project will have the same possible points as the exam(s) that it replaces.

How will the project benefit the community?
The community service projects proposed would benefit the community by increasing the number of volunteers that would become active in conserving and managing our local public forests. Many of the public agencies, such as the US Forest Service are required by law to include public opinion and participation in their forest land management decisions. Active student participants would be a welcome part of their policy making.

How does the project offer the student’s cognitive benefits?
Community service with above mentioned local forest land management agencies will help students become aware of environmental and forest management issues. The student’s will improve the quality of their education through invaluable, practical experience with local forest and educational agencies. The students will become active learners and develop better self-esteem by practicing newly learned skills.

For example, in the class we learn about the life cycles of the major groups of forest plants, some animals and other organisms. A potential project involving restoration of forested land at Mt Pisgah, or survey of potential roadless areas for Oregon Natural Resources Council would give the student an opportunity to practice their identification skills learned in the classroom. It would also provide the student with knowledge of how each organism functions within the ecosystem where it lives.

How does offer me an alternative to traditional teaching methods?
will enhance my current course because it will give the students an opportunity to gain invaluable hands-on experience in forest biology. My current field trips in this course allow hands-on experience but they are conducted with large groups. A experience will give students a chance for more in depth study of organisms and ecosystem relationships and issues in smaller groups with more individual attention from professionals.

Mainly, the in-class and field trip activities are not always sufficient to convey many of the important concepts in this course. I am excited to experiment with this pedagogy because I think it will provide students with a more fulfilling and more complete understanding of local forest ecosystems.

How will I evaluate my overall success?
I will ask the students and the participating agencies to evaluate my participation in the contract. I will present each party with a written evaluation form.

How will I communicate with the agencies? Will I work with the co-operative education coordinator?
I have already communicated with the Oregon Natural Resources Council and organized an appropriate project with one of their staff. I will continue to communicate with this group via e-mail and some visits to their office.

I will communicate to the other agencies via e-mail, telephone and personal visits.

I will not be working with the co-operative education coordinator.

Resources needed:
My needs are financial and these are itemized on the attached budget.

Timeline for preparation
Following is an outline of my timeline:
November and December 2004:
Visit off-campus sites to coordinate with agencies
Develop curriculum to include for a class that will be taught in winter of 2005
Drive to off-campus sites that agencies suggest for

Is this a revision of an existing course?
Yes.

Division Chair signature:

Signature: ____________________________________________

Division: Biology

Date: ______________________________________________