Service Learning – L4: Living Lab Learning Library

May 31, 2025

Co-Creating a Code Glossary

Sandra Lloyd

Communication Design (COMD)

COMD 2451

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

In groups of 4-5, students use a real-time, collaborative spreadsheet (such as Google Sheets) to fill out several terms as part of a glossary of code terms they need to learn. If time, they teach one or two of the terms to the rest of the class. Each group is graded on the accuracy of their entries. Then, the class can use the directory throughout the semester as reference material.

This activity can be used for learning HTML, CSS, or other coding languages or frameworks where students need to learn a large number of basic elements and their behavior.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

Broadly, the learning goals are to build skills in reading comprehension, research, critical thinking, and collaboration.

In my class, I used the activity for the introduction to HTML.

The objectives specific to COMD 2451 are:
1) In order to get acquainted to semantic HTML so that they can create static websites, students will learn and retain:
a) what key HTML elements do
b) when and where to use these elements
c) how to write a line of code using these elements

2) Students will get to know each other and form bonds, while also building collaboration and teamwork skills.

(These learning goals can be adapted for CSS, W3.css, or other appropriate languages or frameworks.)

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

There are three points in the semester of COMD 2451 where this activity can be used:
1) Week 3: HTML & Design DIscovery;
2) Week 4: CSS;
3) Week 7: Web Design & Interaction (introduction of W3.css framework)

However, I only implemented it during Week 3, for the purposes of teaching HTML. This is because it is helpful to have this hands-on activity when coding is new to them.

I devote 1.5 – 2 hours of class time to the exercise. No out-of-class time is expected. The only exception is if a group does not finish their glossary terms in the allotted time, at which point they may opt to finish it outside of class.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

To prepare for this activity, the professor must create a Google Sheet (or similar real-time collaborative spreadsheet) as demonstrated in the HTML Glossary presentation on OpenLab. This must be populated with the desired html elements, along with columns for Definition, Characteristics, Example code, When to Use, and When NOT to Use. The first row will be populated with an example.

Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?

The activity is evaluated based upon a grading rubric that centers around errors. I assess the number of correct definitions or their quality.
My course is part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative.

Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?

The activity worked very well. Students were engaged throughout in their groups. It was also very clear that they quickly learned how to effectively search for information online and to problem-solve. Students tended to do better in my class this semester compared to last semester.

Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.

See the first post in the OpenLab to see more in-depth presentation deck and the site itself.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Vm4zWUqOLdgNg3SPudPRq6lxSKsf0Bxa22ou3rrkb0g/edit?usp=sharing

May 26, 2024

Promoting the SBAR Communication Tool with Nursing Students

Konstantina Caris

New York City College of Technology/Nursing

NUR-1110/Caring for Clients with Common Alterations in Functional Needs

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Knowing that patient handover is often poorly performed, with critical detail being omitted and irrelevant information included at patient handoff this activity stresses on implementing the use of the ISBAR tool with nursing students during clinicals. SBAR stands for situation (clearly and briefly describe the current patient’s situation), background (provide clear, relevant background information on the patient), assessment (state your professional conclusion, based on the situation and background), and recommendation (telling the person with whom you’re communicating what would you recommend correcting the problem).

This format ensures clinicians communicating significant information in continuity of patient care, preventing errors and harm in hospital settings or community settings. It provides a standardized approach to communication which is a core skill that needs to be taught to nursing students and junior clinicians. It highlights key elements and explores teaching techniques that aim to ensure the framework is rooted in practice effectively resulting in patient’s safety and better patient outcomes.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

The goal of this activity is to develop the student’s critical thinking and communication skills during patient’s handover by following the SBAR format. The need to assess, understand, analyze, prioritize patient health issues, and recommend solutions, is imperative among clinicians in healthcare. Communicating accurate patient information from team to team is an essential component of good patient care, effective management of the patient’s condition, and teamwork. However, critical thinking skills does not happen overnight. Students need to practice this format constantly during clinical rotations to enhance critical thinking and communication skills and at the same time prevent patient errors.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This activity was implemented step by step during clinical rotations the entire semester. For two weeks we devoted 60 minutes learning and understanding the importance of the SBAR tool and how it works.

Next, for four clinical days students practiced the format taking into consideration the information they obtained while caring and assessing assigned patients. Their report emphasized on the patient’s main problem, on communicating appropriate patient’s history, the right examination/observation, and creating a clear recommendation.

At midsemester, while each student gave report, the other students listen and observed. At post conference they had the opportunity to critique the report by asking questions, make suggestions, and reflect if the sequence of the SBAR format was followed. For example: “If the student highlighted key elements of effective clinical information”, “Did they give excess information or too little”, “How did they feel being the presenter as opposed to observer”, or “What they would have done differently and why”. This activity took between 30-45 minutes.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

This is an ongoing interactive high stakes assignment where the instructor assigned a patient to the student to assess and care the entire clinical day. During this time the student must think critically when deciding what patient information should be communicated to other healthcare professionals according to their assessment, knowledge, analysis, problem solving, and reflection. Practicing the ISBAR format during nursing clinicals increases their capacity to share key information, be mindful of their role as well as their team members, enhance their confidence on patient assessments, and implement optimal patient interventions.

High stakes assignment=level of engagement.
Students who observed as well as the instructor had to complete a four-point scale ranging “Not performed the SBAR format competently”, to “Able to perform format under minimal direction”. Student’s performance focused on “What is going on with the patient”, “ What was the patient’s clinical background or context”, “If appropriate assessment/observation was done”, and “ What would they recommend to correct the problem”.

A continuous effort to stress the importance to communicate key elements of effective clinical handover emphasized during clinicals with nursing students. By following the use of the SBAR format during clinical, prepares them not only for the clinical demands of the job, but also focuses on their critical thinking and communication skills that are so important for improving patient outcomes and recognizing a decline in a patient’s condition. At the same time instructors can explore teaching techniques that aim to ensure the framework is embedded in practice effectively.

Involving students to learn a structured way to communicate relevant patient information to other healthcare professionals was challenging due to overwhelming nursing material they had to cover during their semester. However, at the end of their clinicals they expressed that the SBAR format helped them organize patient information in a structured way saving time. Prioritizing on what information should they handover was also challenging because they had to focus on what is going on currently and taking into consideration patient’s general health status.

SBAR

Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation

Example

Mr. Barnes is a 72 y/o admitted to the oncology unit yesterday for his 5th cycle of in-patient chemotherapy for gastric cancer. He has a fever of 102.5 F. He’s receiving a continuous 48-hour infusion of Oxaliplatin and 5-FU. other than the fever, his vital signs are all normal: BP 124/64, HR 62, RR16, O2 98%. He has no complaint of pain or discomfort, NKA. As the primary nurse you’re concerned about the fever and neutropenia. You would like and order for Tylenol, blood cultures, and a CBC.

Organized structured format for SBAR

Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation

S=This is Jane Doe, the primary nurse for Mr. Barnes, on the medical oncology unit. He is febrile, 102.5 F.

B- He was admitted yesterday for his 5th cycle of in-patient chemotherapy for gastric cancer. He’s receiving a continuous 48 hors infusion of Oxaliplatin and 5-FU. He has no known allergies.

A-Other than the fever, his vital signs are all normal: BP 124/64, HR 62, RR 16,02 98%. He has no complaint of pain or discomfort.

R- I am concerned about the fever and neutropenia, I recommend an order for Tylenol, blood cultures, and a CBC. Is there anything ales you would recommend at this time?

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

May 21, 2024

LOOKING BEYOND THE OBVIOUS

JONNEL MORTLEY

DENTAL HYGIENE

Principles of Dental Hygiene Care III

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Students are tasked with developing two case studies in their final semester (DEN 2400)on their E-Portfolio. This assignment is a precursor to what they can use for their final project . Students will use all the information gathered from a Clinic Patient and develop a case study that meets the following criteria for vulnerable population: The patient must have had no dental care in past two years or limited access to dental care. The ideal patient has no dental insurance. The patient must be from an underserved community within the Borough . The students will use the following assessments -Medical history, Social history , dental history , Intra and Extra oral examination, Dental examination , Periodontal examination , Calculus detection ,Radiographs and Intra oral photos to create a case study and develop a comprehensive care plan. They will focus specifically on the management , compliance and health outcomes for this assignment.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

The students with use Critical thinking and Ethical reasoning when developing their care plan . They will use investigative questioning to gather pertinent information to meet their vulnerable population criteria . The students with learn key strategies for managing patient outcomes when limitations are involved . Students are expected to make the correlation between access and health outcomes. Students will consider cost as a barrier to compliance and make necessary recommendations .Students will learn how to compose a case study before their final semester's E-portfolio requirements.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This assignment can be started at any time in the Fall Semester as there are specific criteria to fulfill the assignment objectives. It will be an out of classroom assignment and students have until the end of semester to complete. This may take from 2hours – 4days to compose.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

Students first have to first identify the ideal candidate (patient) to study. They have to complete the in clinic assessments on the patient and the case study is only completed after that patient's treatment has been completed in our dental hygiene clinic .
Students will be instructed to carefully access the patient for treatment needs. This is a high stakes activity.

The AAC & U Value Rubric will be used to evaluate. ETHICAL REASONING VALUE RUBRIC
Definition
Ethical Reasoning is reasoning about right and wrong human conduct. It requires students to be able to assess their own ethical values and the social context of problems, recognize ethical issues in a variety of settings, think about
how different ethical perspectives might be applied to ethical dilemmas, and consider the ramifications of alternative actions. Students’ ethical self-identity evolves as they practice ethical decision-making skills and learn how to describe and
analyze positions on ethical issues.
We will use a sliding scale from 0-4 .
O for a case study that does not meet the benchmark.
1 for minimally reaching objectives
2 for stating pertinent information but fails to meet all requirements
3 meets the requirements with some room for improvement
4 meets all requirements and satisfies the objectives

This assignment has not yet been adopted. It will be proposed in the Fall 2024 Semester. This assignment can prepare students to complete their Case study requirements in the E- portfolio .

This assignment is a modification of the following assignment completed in the Spring 2024 in Principles of Dental Hygiene Care IV.
The link below shows the current E-portfolio requirement https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/den2400sp2024/eportfolio/

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

https://www.aacu.org/initiatives/value-initiative/value-rubrics

May 29, 2020

Design Your Own Culture

George Larkins

Communication Design

Motion Design

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

It is for students to become aware of people of diverse cultures who are doing design work that students hope to do themselves. And to invite them to question why the creative work of people of color is not recognized for their contributions to the design world.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

This will also give students insight into the possibility of a place to start when looking for a career.
Current research shows very few people of color are represented in the design field at all levels. And too often, their work has been obscured or taken credit for or they were asked to remove the attribution.
This assignment addresses cultural self-awareness
And knowledge of cultural worldview frameworks on the rubric.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This will be an introduction to the class in the first two weeks. A minimum of two weeks will be devoted to this project. Students should be prepared to spend two to three hours of research out of the classroom.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

In order for students to be successful. They must be prepared to spend at least two hours of research time before any production can be they will be able to move forward.

Discover at least five people from an underrepresented cultural group in the design world and be prepared to share their work with the class. Students will be asked to choose one of the five and analyze influences on that person’s design. Students will create a design campaign in the style of that designer celebrating an aspect of their culture. The campaign will include a combination of print, web, and video spots.

n/a

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

May 28, 2019

Dental Hygiene Community Education

Maria Dimino

Dental Hygiene

Living Lab

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Students will be divided in groups of four (three groups total). The assignment will be done on open lab as an E-Portfolio. This assignment is Place Based Learning. Each group will have an underserved population. The first group will have Head Start 0-5 years of age. The second group will have the YMCA ages 6-19 and the last group will have a group home ages 20-60. They will discuss and educate daily oral hygiene. They will assess their level of knowledge and perception.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

The main goal is to get them out of their comfort zone of the clinic they are in daily. Also, they will be exposed to a diverse population in need of oral hygiene education. They will create a daily home care plan for each patient. In addition, they will interview staff and see if oral hygiene is a part of their daily regimen. They will create the E-portfolio discussing the interview process with staff and the patient's perception of of daily oral hygiene practice. They also have to comment on two other student's E-portfolio.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

I plan on implementing this toward the end of the semester when the students are more comfortable with their own knowledge on oral hygiene. I plan on devoting one class per month on their assignment. The out of classroom time is around three-four hours.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

This is a low stakes assignment. I want the students to focus more on the communication process rather than the assignment being a big percentage of their grade. The students were instructed to interview the management staff and the patients. Then they are to create an E-portfolio with all the data collected from their assessments.

I plan on using a Value rubric and they will be mainly graded on communication (verbal and non verbal), writing skills and cultural self awareness. I developed the rubric based on the goals of the assignment and wanted to keep it focused on those three areas to grade.

I have not implemented this assignment as of yet, but I plan on in the near future. I truly hope the students will enjoy this opportunity to help others that do not have access to care. I definitely plan on doing this every semester and will probably make changes as I go along. I am looking forward to this Placed Based Learning activity.

In the future if the assignment goes well I will look into getting a grant. The funds would go towards toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

http://www.jdentaled.org

May 20, 2019

Patient Interaction

Lillian Amann

Radiologic Technology and Medical Imaging

RAD 1127 Patient Care and Management

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

This is an in-class lab activity which involves patient interaction. Students will create 2 scenarios in groups of 2 or 3 which will be randomly selected. Each member will participate and demonstrate in both scenarios the correct and incorrect way to perform radiographic procedures while interacting with patients of diverse cultural backgrounds, disabilities, language barriers, gender sexualities, mental illnesses, and age groups. Students will need to be creative and simulate real life situations in a clinical setting. After activity students will discuss the scenarios and give feedback. In addition, students are required to volunteer at facility of their choice, which incorporates one the patient types described above. After which, they will be required to write a one page reflection on their experience, with two responses to two student reflections and post on open lab.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

• Students will learn effective methods of communicating various patient types.
• Students will be able to identify qualities needed to be a compassionate radiologic technologist.
• Students will be able to interact with patients of diverse cultural backgrounds, disabilities, sexual orientations, age groups or illness with the utmost respect and care.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

The in-class portion of this activity will be in the beginning of the semester lecture two during lab hour, whereas the place-based learning must be done by mid-semester with no time restraints.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

The AAC&U Intercultural Knowledge and Competence VALUE Rubric will be used to assess the activity.

This activity includes General Education Learning Goals:
1. Skills:
• Communication- communicate in diverse settings and groups, using written (both reading and writing), oral (both speaking and listening), and visual means, and in more than one language.
• Inquiry/Analysis – Derive meaning from experience, as well as gather information from observation. Use creativity to solve problems.

2. Integration:
• Integrate Learning – Resolve difficult issues creatively by employing multiple systems and tools.

3. Values, Ethics, And Relationships:
• Global/Multicultural Orientation – Discern multiple perspectives. Use awareness of cultural differences to bridge cultural and linguistic barriers. Demonstrate proficiency and capacities in dealing with a diverse society. Communicate across cultural and linguistic barriers.

This activity also includes High-Impact Educational Practices:
1. Collaborative Assignments and Projects.
2. Diversity/Global Learning
3. Service Learning/Community–Based Learning

This activity was successful in the Lab. It will definitely be repeated but with the addition of place-based learning to help make the experience more realistic and better prepares the students for the clinical phase of the program. Thankfully the only challenge I experienced was time, which I rectified by my expanding the activity to two lab classes. The students were fully engaged, participated without hesitance and this activity was a great icebreaker.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

May 31, 2016January 5, 2018

Diagnose the Disease

Maria Dimino

Dental Hygiene

DEN 1200 Principles of Dental Hygiene

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Each student will be assigned a specific medical disease from their course text book. In a two page paper they should cover a description, how it manifests in the oral cavity, its etiology, prognosis and the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment. In addition, they need one outside source from a peer reviewed journal with the latest scientific evidence to support their paper using APA citations.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

The learning goals for the students are to conduct research from peer reviewed sources and add appropriate citations. In addition, to see if the latest scientific research supports the text book readings. They will also be able to make comparisons of relative effectiveness of alternate treatments and apply them in a clinical setting.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This assignment would be implemented at the end of the semester because the text book readings cover various medical diseases each week so in essence the students would need to be familiar with various disease etiologies and the manifestations in the oral cavity before they conduct their research. In classroom hours about 15 and out of classroom hours about 15.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

The students would need classroom preparation and clinical preparation for this assignment. They would need to see some etiology in a clinical setting in addition to their textbook readings in order to make the connection between oral health and systemic health. This is a high stakes assignment, there is a lot involved and it will take a semester of learning to develop a connection between the two. In addition, exposure to various patients in a clinical setting will help them better understand their research.

I would use a value rubric to do the assessment. My course is not a part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative.

Currently, we are using a journal format for each student and this is not working well because the students are not interested in doing these three journals per semester. The Spring of 2017 would be the first semester that we implement an open lab assignment. I anticipate more student engagement with this assignment.

Being that we are in a health related field, each student will be assigned a specific medical disease. It is the student responsibility to act as responsible health care professionals by investigating the disease and the the prescribed treatment. The results are to be presented in a two-page paper using the course text book and one outside source from a peer reviewed journal using APA citations. The paper should include a description of the condition and how it manifests in the oral cavity, its etiology, prognosis and the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

http://hypertension.cochrane.org/

May 9, 2016January 4, 2018

#TheGuide: An Academic Service Learning Project

Laura Westengard

English/School of Arts and Sciences

English 1101, Freshman Composition

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

This academic service learning project asked students to create a public OpenLab site to be used as a guide for the City Tech campus and the surrounding community, including the Brooklyn Waterfront. The client/audience for the OpenLab site was the City Tech community, including new and existing students at City Tech, faculty and staff, and friends and relatives of City Tech students. The students were asked to create the webpage itself, design the layout and visuals, and contribute three major essays from English 1101: College Skills, City Tech Places, and Local Grub.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

Write clearly and coherently in varied, academic formats (such as formal essays, research papers, and reports) using standard English and appropriate technology to critique and improve one’s own and others’ texts (Writing and Reading Processes, Knowledge of Conventions)

Demonstrate research skills using appropriate technology, including gathering, evaluating, and synthesizing primary and secondary sources (Critical Thinking, Reading, Writing, and Researching)

Support a thesis with well-reasoned arguments, and communicate persuasively across a variety of contexts, purposes, audiences, and media (Rhetorical Knowledge, Composing in Digital Environments, Critical Thinking, Reading, Writing, and Researching)

Formulate original ideas and relate them to the ideas of others by employing the conventions of ethical attribution and citation (Critical Thinking, Reading, Writing, and Researching, Knowledge of Conventions)

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This was a cumulative project that spanned the entire semester. The students created and launched the final site as an end of semester event, but the smaller assignments throughout the semester were all designed to contribute to the site. It is difficult to quantify the in-class and out-of-class time devoted to the activity because the scaffolded structure.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

This project was part of a First-Year Learning community partnership (Profs. Goodlad and Akana, Hospitality Management). Profs. Goodlad, Akana, and I introduced students to the assignment at the beginning of the semester with a handout. In my English 1101 course, each smaller assignment was designed to contribute to the site, and I reminded students of this throughout the drafting and revising process. After invention, drafting, and peer review, I gave students feedback and a grade on their essay. Then they were required to meet with me to discuss their strategy for revision, with the audience of #The Guide in mind. We spent about two class meetings designing, naming, and structuring the site itself. Students suggested ideas and voted on them, and they appointed certain class members to contribute graphics and images for the site. After revising their essays, students posted the essays on the website using the categorization that we had determined as a group. At the end of the semester, students wrote a brief reflective essay that discussed their experience working with a client, working with peers, the process of writing and publication, lessons learned, and a self-assessment. Their participation and reflection held moderate weight in the course but were not extremely high-stakes, but the cumulative weight of the essays themselves was significant.

Students’ individual essays were assessed using the English Department’s 1101 rubric along with the basic features of the specific genre (listed in the textbook St. Martin’s Guide to Writing). I did not use a VALUE rubric.

Rubric Assessment Categories: Content, Structure, Sophistication of Language, Mechanics

Basic Features for Explaining a Concept: A Focused Explanation, A Readable Plan, Appropriate Explanatory Strategies, Smooth Integration of Sources

Basic Features for Profiling a Place: Detailed Information about the Subject, A Clear Organizational Plan, A Role for the Writer, A Perspective on the Subject

Basic Features for Justifying an Evaluation: A Well-Presented Subject, A Well-Supported Judgment, An Effective Counterargument, A Readable Plan

Peer-review workshops

Informal oral and written responses to invention materials and drafts

While the students did not see the relevance of their work at the beginning of the semester, they grew increasingly invested in the project as they realized the great service they were offering to their community. By the end of the semester, the students exhibited pride in the work that they accomplished and many articulated the desire to continue to contribute to the project in future semesters.

The activity was a large-scale endeavor, but because I scaffolded the assignment from the beginning of the semester it was not overwhelming. I plan to repeat it again in some form. In future semesters, students will not have the opportunity to create the site from scratch, but they can work together on revision and supplementation.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/theguide/

October 12, 2015January 4, 2018

Court Observation and Report

Kerin E. Coughlin

Law and Paralegal Sudies/ SPS

LAW 1103

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Students will attend and observe a civil trial or hearing in a New York civil trial court (such as New York Supreme Court) for at least two hours, alone or in small groups. After the observation, each student shall:
1. post a short reaction on our course OpenLab site (to be constructed), as a preview of what they learned and to provide guidance and encouragement to fellow students who have not yet completed their observations, e.g., to note positive responses they received from court staff, or days/times when many trials and hearings occur, or future proceedings students may want to attend; etc.; and
2. draft a letter to a client of the (imaginary) law firm for which the student works, who will soon participate in the New York civil court system for the first time as a party to a litigation. The purpose of the letter is to prepare the client for her/his experience by explaining how our civil court system works and what the client should expect, based on the student’s knowledge obtained in our course and her/his observation of the proceeding; and
3. give a 3-5 minute oral presentation about her/his observation to the class.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

Students will conduct independent research to identify and locate a court proceeding to observe, and to learn individual courts’ and judges’ rules (e.g., if cell phones are permitted, etc.).
1. Students’ thinking about their academic and career goals will be informed, including by:
o witnessing first-hand what one type of legal practice in which they will probably work at some point – civil litigation – is really like; and
o interacting with legal practitioners and court employees.
2. Students will be able to relate what they learned in the classroom (e.g., rules of civil court procedure) to actual practice. Hopefully, this will enable them to recognize/appreciate the reasons behind such rules and other concepts we have learned.
3. Students will be able to communicate what they have observed and learned to others, orally and in writing.
4. Students will come to appreciate the value of teamwork in learning, including by encouraging other students and benefiting from others’ encouragement.
5. Students will achieve an understanding and appreciation of what it means that courts are a “public entity,” through the experience of being fully entitled to enter a courthouse and attend proceedings freely.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

I will reference this activity at the beginning of the semester, as a preview. I will introduce it in detail at the start of the second half of the semester, after we have covered a significant amount of the curriculum. Students must complete the assignment by a few weeks before the end of the semester.
I will devote about one total class session (1.25 hours) to assigning and providing guidance on the activity: about half a class when I first assign it, and occasional discussions thereafter as needed (e.g., if students bring issues to my attention that warrant addressing with the whole class.). I will also spend as much time as needed outside class working with individual students on the assignment. At the end of the semester, we will devote 2-3 class sessions to students’ oral presentations on their observations. Students are expected to devote 5 to 8 hours of out-of-class time, including researching and identifying proceedings to observe; observing proceedings for at least two hours; drafting OpenLab posts and letters; and preparing oral presentations.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

Preparation includes general instruction throughout the semester on civil court procedural rules (the topic of the course) and specific instruction on the activity (described above, under “Timing”). Instructions include a detailed handout (letter to students) and oral discussions with the class and with individual students (also described under “Timing”).

High-Impact Educational Practices: Which of these practices based on George Kuh’s High Impact Educational Practices (and other innovative approaches) does this activity incorporate? Choose all that apply.

First-year seminars and experiences, Service- or community-based learning, Place-Based Learning, Collaborative assignments and projects, Diversity and global learning (“difficult differences”)

I will assess this activity by evaluating students’ OpenLab posts, letters, and oral presentations, according to rubrics to be established. Evaluation will be included in grade calculation.

These issues will be addressed after I have used the assignment with my students.

Category: Service Learning

Co-Creating a Code Glossary

Promoting the SBAR Communication Tool with Nursing Students

LOOKING BEYOND THE OBVIOUS

Design Your Own Culture

Dental Hygiene Community Education

Patient Interaction

Diagnose the Disease

#TheGuide: An Academic Service Learning Project

Court Observation and Report

The OpenLab at City Tech:A place to learn, work, and share

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The OpenLab at City Tech:A place to learn, work, and share

Support

Accessibility

Copyright

Creative Commons