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Monitor Progress

Service-learning experiences involve many factors, some which are beyond your control. It’s wise to deliberately check in with both students and community partners… at least every few weeks.

Tips:

  1. Provide a timeline.  Students need benchmarks for contacting the community partner, and beginning and completing the service.
  2. Have a back-up plan for students who miss orientations, start dates, or encounter unexpected challenges. Sometimes the time delays are due to community partners’ constraints; these can be teachable moments about how to flex and redirect to what’s possible. SL staff can help faculty work through these challenges.
  3. Contact the community partner(s) at least once mid-semester to exchange feedback.
  4. Assess student progress using a “five-minute check-in” or some other formative assessment.

    Recommended timeframe: Weeks six, nine, and eleven.

Five-Minute Check-In:

Monitor student progress using frequent “five-minute papers” or some other formative assessment. Below are sample questions for five-minute papers.

WEEK 6 Five-minute paper:

  • Write the name of the community partner next to your name.
  • Have you received adequate orientation (do you feel prepared to start)?
  • Have you started your service/project? If not, do you have a start date?
  • What questions, concerns, or feedback do you have about your service, project, or community partner?
  • Would you like someone to follow up with you personally about your question/concern? If yes, write down your phone or email.

WEEK 9:

  • Write the name of the community partner next to your name.
  • Describe briefly what you’ve been doing for your service (1-2 sentences).
  • List one thing you are learning through your service.
  • What questions, concerns, or feedback do you have about your service, project, or community partner?

WEEK 11-12:

  • Write the name of the community partner next to your name.
  • What project milestone have you reached? or, if tracking hours, how many hours have you completed?
  • List one valuable thing you have learned so far from your SL.
  • Are you facing any challenges? If so, what?
  • How much connection are you seeing between your service and class concepts? (5 = very connected and relevant, 1 = not much connection )
  • What questions or feedback do you have about your service, project, or community partner at this point?