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Rebecca Joseph

Prof. Dalke

Food For Thought #10

11/16/09

Denson, Nida, Lori J. Vogelgesang, and Victor Saenz. "Can Service Learning and a College Climate of Service Lead to Increased Political Engagement After College? ." 11/04/2005. Higher Education Research Institute, Web. 12 Nov 2009. <http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/PDFs/Atlantic_AERA_Final.pdf>.

This paper focuses on the connection between service learning during college and political engagement after college. The results of the study showed a positive correlation between the amount of service learning during college and people’s levels of political engagement post- university. The paper is set up like a scientific paper, opening with an introduction and containing a results section and a discussion. This format gears the paper mostly to a scientific and academic audience, but the writing is accessible to anyone. The paper was presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association and cites many other sources.

"Learning Communities for Freshmen Help Community College Students Succeed in Developmental...." Reuters. 11/03/2008. Thomson Reuters , Web. 12 Nov 2009. <http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS116831+11-Mar-2008+PRN20080311>.

This article talks about an experiment done at Kingsborough University about how to help college freshman who enter college with inadequate. The experiment consisted of organizing students into “learning communities” within which they took specialized classes. This support proved effective in helping the freshman adjust to college. This study was sponsored by U.S. Department of Education, MDRC and the National Center

            for Postsecondary Research. The source is short and very easy to understand.

"College students think they're so special." msnbc. 27/02/2007. The Associated Press, Web. 12 Nov 2009. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17349066/>.

This article discusses how the current generation of college students is extremely narcissistic. This is based on work done by five psychologists using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. The article concludes that this widespread narcissism could have negative effects on American society. The article is directed at a general audience and is accessible since it is published on the msnbc website.

This week I looked at three sources that all explored different aspects of the psychology of education. By looking at these sources I was hoping to gain insight into what is important to consider when designing a college curriculum. One source that I came upon caught my eye because of the striking claim made in the title of the article. The article is called “College students think they’re so special: Study finds alarming rise in narcissism, self-centeredness in ‘Generation Me.’” As a college student I thought about whether I should be offended by this claim. However, when I read the rest of the article, it began to make sense. The article goes on to explain how “narcissism can also have very negative consequences for society, including the breakdown of close relationships with others” (College Students, 7). This led me to consider whether it would be possible to design a curriculum that would decrease the narcissism of our generation.

One of my other sources discussed the efficacy of service learning in a college environment and its effect on political engagement of college graduates. The study proved that there is a positive correlation between service learning and people’s participation in politics and social activism after graduating. The idea of service learning supports hands-on community projects that accompany a more traditional college curriculum. The article made me wonder whether the inclusion of community service and service learning projects as a central part of a curriculum could change the mindset of a generation that is currently so narcissistic. I believe that this exposure to the “real world” during college could better teach students how to be good citizens.

However, clearly service learning could not be the only component to a curriculum. The third source that I read talked about how “learning communities,” groups of freshman that take classes together their first semester, are extremely effective in helping students who enter college with inadequate preparation adjust to school.  This could be another piece of a successful curriculum. These three sources together gave me a better understanding of what to consider in designing an effective college curriculum.