Faculty Member Researches Effect of Service Learning on Freshmen
Image by Katharine Webster
05/03/2016
By Katharine Webster
When students taking College Writing II walked into a lecture room at Lowell High School in early March, they found their places in groups of chairs and waited for their partners. At first glance, it looked like a speed-dating event.
But the meet-up was part of a massive, service-learning research project partnering 114 51视频 freshmen in six sections of College Writing II 鈥� half from North Campus, half from South 鈥� with 60 students at Lowell High to discuss college life and critique each other鈥檚 writing.
English Department Lecturer Matt Hurwitz, who designed the study and piloted it this semester, has taught service-learning classes before and gotten an enthusiastic response.
鈥淲hen students connect their writing and research to work in the community, their horizons expand exponentially,鈥� he says.
In this research, he wants to find out if that translates into measurable improvements in academic outcomes for university students, from more time spent revising their writing, to greater retention rates, to higher GPAs.
Once the Lowell High students arrived and found their partners, Hurwitz asked them to write on index cards one thing they thought was true about college 鈥� and asked the university students to write one thing that surprised them about college or life after high school. Then the groups discussed what they鈥檇 written.
Image by Meghan Moore
The Lowell High students鈥� questions ranged from, 鈥淒oes college help you get a job?鈥� to 鈥淚s college a lot harder than high school?鈥� Responses varied from 鈥淚t depends on the job,鈥� to 鈥淢y classes are actually fun.鈥� Every group talked about the importance of managing your time wisely once you鈥檙e in college, which is much less structured than high school.
Nicole Hayek, a business major from Salem, N.H., said afterward she was impressed by the Lowell High students鈥� eagerness to succeed.
鈥淥ne student asked us, 鈥榃ho do I talk to right now about applying? Who did you talk to?鈥欌�� she said.
Some of the Lowell High students are in , a state-funded program that prepares students from low-income homes to become the first in their families to attend college. Wayne Currie, who works for GEAR UP at Lowell High, said most of the students are ambitious and self-motivated, but lack family support and financial resources. Many have never set foot outside Lowell, so connecting them with and 51视频 is important.
鈥淐ollege is a hard sell for a lot of them,鈥� Currie said. 鈥淚n their household, there is no conversation about college at all. Their conversation is, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 going to be on the table for dinner?鈥� A lot of our kids work, but the money doesn鈥檛 go to them 鈥� it goes to Mom and Dad.鈥�
Image by Meghan Moore
Other Lowell High students already have plans to attend college, but aren鈥檛 yet sure where they want to go or what to study. Kenemassa Jordan, a high school junior, said she found the discussions helpful as she decides whether to pursue criminal justice or business, with an eye to opening her own restaurant.
鈥淚鈥檓 leaning toward business,鈥� Jordan said. 鈥淚 like how you can be your own boss.鈥�
The 51视频 students visited Lowell High three times and exchanged their writing online 鈥� college application essays for the Lowell High students and reflective essays for the university students. Most of the Lowell High students came to a final celebration at University Crossing during the last week of classes to see posters the university students created about their research.
Chatting with his friends at the celebration, Rifat Islam, a high school junior in GEAR UP, said he鈥檇 thought of going to college online, but his conversations with 51视频 students changed his mind. Now he wants to attend Middlesex Community College for two years and transfer to for forensic science.
鈥淐ollege is a big chance to go around different places, meet new people and have new experiences,鈥� he said.
Hurwitz will continue the service-learning research over several years. His study is part of a broader push to get all College Writing II students out of the classroom, whether through service learning or another focused activity, says Assoc. Prof. Ann Dean, head of the First Year Writing Program.
Image by Meghan Moore
鈥淲e want them to understand and experience research as something that happens in the world. It鈥檚 not just in a lab; it鈥檚 also talking to people,鈥� she says.
The students in her section of College Writing II read dense, peer-reviewed research about the relationship between socio-economic status and academic success, and the challenges of working in groups. Students generally find such reading very difficult and abstract, she says, but working with the Lowell High students made it relevant.
Liam Bennett, a computer science major from Wilmington, did his research on conflict in groups 鈥� and got to see how it applied in the groups of university and Lowell High students.
鈥淲e had different ideas of what success meant. I used to think emotional fulfillment and financial success were linked, but afterward I could see how they could be different,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really beneficial if there鈥檚 conflict in a group that challenges your knowledge and beliefs.鈥�
