"You Learn How to Act": The Impact of Service with Elders on Student Learning

This paper describes a project in which faculty collaborated with two agencies to facilitate student learning about communication with elders. Data on student learning was collected via survey, focus groups, and reflective writing. Survey results showed that the five most important benefits students rated themselves as gaining from the service-learning experience were volunteering to help others, improving oral communication skills, helping others, developing new skills, and developing awareness of social problems. Themes derived from focus group interviews were "you learn how to act" and "a different dimension of a person." Analysis of data revealed that service-learning helps beginning nursing students improve oral communication skills with elders, develop sensitivity to aging issues, and make the transition to a clinical course focused on aging. [author]