Identification of core goals and related outcome measurements for the development of community service-learning programs in selected institutions of higher education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify important educational goals and valid and feasible outcome measures that could be used in the design and development of campus based service-learning programs. The study was designed to utilize the consensus of a panel of experts responsible for the administration notable college or university campus-based service-learning programs. In addition to responding to questionnaires that indicated the perceived importance of the identified goals, followed by the validity and feasibility of the identified outcome measures, the selected panelists were asked to identify potential problems associated with using the outcome measures. The findings may be useful in understanding which goals and outcome measures would be most valuable in the design and development of a campus based service-learning program. Utilizing the Delphi method, three structured questionnaires designed by the researcher were used to collect responses by the identified experts. The first questionnaire included important core goals and related outcome measures for campus-based service-learning centers as identified through an extensive review of the literature and constructed based on sequential reasoning. After each set of outcome measures, respondents were asked to evaluate each goal according to their perceived importance, and each outcome measure according to their perceived validity and feasibility using Likert-type scales. The panelists were then asked to identify potential problems associated with using the outcome measures and suggest additional outcome measures. A second and third questionnaire was distributed to the panel members, with a summary of responses from the previous round. Panel members were asked to review their individual response in comparison to the group mean score and reevaluate their response if it fell outside the interquartile range (IQR) of the combined response ratings. Responses stabilized following round three and the process ended. Statistical analysis of inter-rater agreement and agreement between rounds was done to determine if the Delphi process was successful in promoting consensus on ratings. A final review of ratings of goals and outcome measures was used to identify the important goals and the outcome measures identified with the highest validity and feasibility ratings. In addition, panelist comments were used to interpret final ratings.