Course Description

Based on the themes of critical reading, logical thinking, effective communication, and service learning, this colloquium will explore social and health issues in public school and community settings. The goal of participation in this colloquium is to assist first-year students in becoming engaged in the intellectual life of the university and to be involved in service learning projects held in after school programs, in school classrooms, and community settings. This course will help connect students to the community to promote better social and health education in the community, help students see their role in service now and in the future, and provide real life experience in the community. The course will utilize the Community Service Center at ECSU and the Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Collegiate Health Service Corps for community service learning sites.

Required Texts

• Stevens, C. (2008). Service Learning for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. A Step-by –Step Guide. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Additional readings and required course materials will be available on WebCT.
• Required Materials: Access to WebCT
  You will be required to have an active account. Many of the teaching materials and information necessary for this course will be on WebCT. The majority of your assignments will be “turned in” on WebCT. It is important you are very familiar with Vista so that assignments are turned in correctly and on time. Late assignments will not be accepted. Once the due date passes,

Course Outline and objectives

Class discussions, reflective journals, class activities, assigned readings, media (movies), and service learning projects will explore the theme of health and social issues in our schools and communities. The student will develop an awareness of health and social issues, participate in critical reading and logical thinking about these issues, receive mentoring from professionals in the health and social service field, develop their own philosophy of service in their future, and effective communication. This course will have a service learning component at its core. This course will include Issues of violence, physical activity, HIV/AIDS, suicide, mental health, substance abuse including alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, and sexuality.

As a result of participation in this colloquium, the student will be able to answer the following essential questions for LAP 130 Service Learning in Social and Health Issues in Public Schools and Community Education:

• What has been the evolution of social and health beliefs and practices?
• What are the essential tenets of social and health education philosophies and do you feel they are relevant to underserved populations?
• What is your own philosophy of social and health education?
• What is the difference between the theories/ model of implantation (planning model) and change process (behavior) theories and how is this relevant as we plan and implement social and health education in different community settings?
• What is the distinction between a primary, a secondary, a tertiary and a popular press health education literature source and why is this important in health education pedagogy?
• How do you critique the validity of the information obtained from a health internet source?
• What are some the reasons for the social and health disparities found among undeserved populations across the U.S.?
• What are the ethical dilemmas and considerations in a multicultural context when teaching social and health education?
• What do you feel are the major responsibilities of an educator teaching underserved populations?
• Reflect on your possible future in careers and/or service in settings that serve undeserved populations.
• Reflect on the experience of participation in the serving learning projects.
• Reflect on the curriculum including understanding underserved populations, social and health disparities, ethics and confidentiality, social and health promotion and health literacy.

Students will complete 25 service learning hours in a health education or social service environment and complete lesson plans and reflections for these sessions.

Methods of student performance assessment and evaluation

1. Attendance and participation: Eastern’s Student Handbook states “Every student is encouraged to attend every class lecture and lab section in each course according to the attendance policy of the instructor of the course. This policy does not prohibit any instructor from evaluating students based on class participation, seminar discussion, laboratory work, field experience, or the like that takes place during regularly scheduled class sessions. If these areas for evaluation involve activities that make class attendance essential, the student may be penalized for failure to perform satisfactorily in the required activities”. The attendance policy for this course is as follows: You are expected to attend every class and to actively engage in every class and show up for your education. You are allowed two skips for whatever reason including sickness, jury duty, participation in athletic team events, leaving early for spring break. Your skips are to be used at your discretion and it is advised to use them wisely. There are no excused absences. You use your skips for the instances you cannot come to class. You will also be asked to meet with the instructor on an appointment basis. This will be also be considered attendance and participation. In addition, Eastern’s Student Handbook states that any student who is unable to the attend class, take an exam, or participate in secular activities, etc. due to religious beliefs should not be penalized. In this circumstance, an equivalent opportunity to make up any work due should be provided by the faculty member upon notification by the student that the religious observance rule applies. Please contact the instructor immediately after the first class if this applies to you. (Prepared by Assistant Dean of Education)
As this is a discussion and participation intensive course and not lecture based, attendance by all students is essential. Check the WebCT calendar for any class cancelations. Weekly questions will be posted and students will be required to prepare through assigned readings, website investigation, observations, interviewing to fully participate in class discussions. There will be times I will ask you to meet with me one on one by appointment. This appointment will count toward attendance and participation as well. The class will be conducted in a discussion format in which theoretical content will be combined with experiential learning. Your participation will be essential. This format requires you to be prepared for class by reading the class material prior to class. If you leave early or arrive late, you will not be given attendance points. If you must leave early you need to let the instructor know before class There will be no make-up assignments for work missed due to absence There will be times that you will be scheduled to meet with the instructor for a progress update. This will count as attendance points as well You will be scheduled for your community service learning projects during or close to class meeting time. You are expected to arrive on time and stay for the entire learning session. If you are unable to do this, it is asked you make other arrangements.

Out-of-Class Requirements (attendance at Arts and Lectures events, University Hour events, field trips, other)
This course will be designed to emphasis flexibility in terms of class meeting times etc. Students will be expected to attend numerous out of class time events related to health both on campus and in the community. Please see the calendar section of WebCT for university events, arts and lectures events, student center events to attend.

2. Team Poster Presentation Teams of students will research and present information on a three section standing poster board format concerning specific health education issue for a marginalized population (separate rubric will be posted on WebCT). Selected posters will be presented at the ECSU Excellence expo.

3. Review of the Literature Report-3 documents report format and 3 attachments of the articles submitted WebCT (6 attachments)
You will be asked to find three peer reviewed research studies on health education topics of your choice and to provide a summary of the 3 original studies. Please do not use a Google or generic database but a study that is found through scholarly databases and peer review. A study will have a participant, methods, analysis, and results. If you are not sure, please allow enough time for the instructor to approve your study. Use the ECSU library staff for help in your search. Each student will find three scholarly/peer reviewed studies and write a one page, double spaced, typed summary of the study that should answer the following questions (submit on line via VISTA assignment section only): Your review must be from a peer reviewed scholarly journal. Please make sure your study is no more than eight years old.

Please include the following: 1. Include the authors (s), title of study, name of publication, and date of publication in your opening introduction sentence. 2. Include 3-5 major discussion points of the study’s results related to applying this information to health literacy in the classroom 3. Discuss what interested you in selecting the study and how it might apply to your future health education classroom. Please also attach a PDF. or html copy of the study article. No study article-no points! We will discuss these studies in class as each person will briefly present to the class the information they found. You will find these studies in the Databases of the School Library. Do not use generic databases to find your study. Use the library staff to help you. If you have any doubt if your study is peer reviewed, please ask your instructor. Please make sure your study is no more than eight years old.

4. Tests Two tests will be given during the semester. The tests will include information that comes from class lecture (with specific reference to text readings), and activities.

5. Community Based Social and Health Education Observations (two) You will be given numerous opportunities to observe social and health education throughout the campus, local, and state community. Examples are high school health education classes, recovery meetings, campus health fairs. You will be required to provide documentation that you did attend these programs/events. You will be asked to reflect on your observations of how these programs address the specific health education needs of the population observed. Rubric to be provided 6. Community service learning sessions-25 hours After in class training, students will be assigned partners and select community service learning sites. Preparation, implementation, evaluation and reflection of lesson plans will be included in the evaluation.