Speaking to Learn and Learning to Speak: Service-Learning Involving Communication in the Chemistry Curriculum

Community-based learning (CBL), also known as service learning (SL), provides students with an active and meaningful learning environment and has been studied in STEM courses for several decades. Chemistry for the Community is a novel chemistry curriculum that weaves service-learning projects throughout multiple courses, including gateway courses, and allows students to build self-efficacy and transferable skills. Over a three-year period, students experienced multiple projects while enrolled in two-semester general and organic chemistry courses and one-semester organic survey, environmental, and analytical chemistry courses. Student experiences, gathered by surveys, reflections, and interviews, were compared to those of students conducting equivalent non-SL projects, as well as projects conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Public communication and community partner interaction emerged as major themes from the data and were explored through the lens of self-determination theory. Results indicate that students were anxious about their role but were motivated by community partner interaction. Project completion corresponded to an increase in self-efficacy regarding similar future tasks with students perceiving benefits of multiple experiences.