(short little disclaimer…I am so proud of Mason for offering such a course which gives students an oppurtunity to learn about social engagment and context!) So, if you have visited the Mason website recently, I am sure youhave seen the news headline about Psych 427. In this class, students get to learn about social contexts and the complexities of a situation(e.g. homlessness).
The instructor of this course is Lauren Catteneo. According to Catteneo, students combine the aspects they’ve learned in class with the experiences they have in the world. I believetwo Wednesdays ago we talked about basing how much impact we’ve made on a number In this article, it mentions that students have to complete 20 service hours in order to complete the course. Although I see how making 20 hours a requirment defeats the purpose of actual engagment I can also understand the reasoning behind this being an obligation. because the context of this course is to not only engage students in service learning, but to unveil the “layers” of a situation; I find it necessary for students to engage in their community. To ensure that students do engage in their community, the hours are implemented.
Although some may do volunteer in surrounding areas of Fairfax and ignore their experience, some may also become inspired by the time they contriubuted and continue in service. Students like Brianna Greene and Ruby Lyon are examples of students who have come out the class inspired.
Tell me, what do you think about requiring students to complete the hours?
What do you think about social contexts or the layers that a situation may have?
April 24th, 2013 at 7:05 pm
Required service hours can be benefitial if a student allows them to be; the hours could be simply a bothersome requirment that one is trying to get out of the way (the unhelpful way of going about it) or the student can take up a challenge and put their whole heart into it (benefiting themselves and the organization/community they’re working with). In one extreme, the student looses sight of the purpose and there is not benefit for either the volunteer or the community in need. In the other, both sides benefit and/or learn from each other, which is the way required hours are meant to work.