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Service Learning at the Center for the Study of Local Issues
Review CSLI History/Mission
The Semi-Annual Survey: An Opportunity for Student
Learning and Civic Awareness Next Steps
Dan Nataf, Ph.D., DirectorCenter for the Study of Local IssuesAnne Arundel Community College
101 College ParkwayArnold, MD 21012-1895http:www2.aacc.edu/csli
CSLI History and Mission
Historical Background: In business since 1978!
1. Creation and operation as part of Division of Social Sciences: 1978-1999 – a community college ‘research center’
2 .Operation as part of Paul S. Sarbanes Center for Public and Community Service 2006-present
– Advisory Board: 20 +/- community activists, elected officials, government administrators, students, faculty
Provides guidance and link to the community both within and outside the campus
– Staff: Director, Program Specialist, Student Interns
CSLI History and Mission
Provide students opportunities to better understand applied social science research methods while encouraging civic awareness and engagement
Serve community and local government by offering research services and communicating survey findings
Provide opportunities for faculty professional development
Help AACC understand its environment through relevant data collection and analysis
Mission – four elements
Mission: Provide students opportunities to better understand applied social science research methods while encouraging civic awareness and engagement
Activities providing student opportunities:
Participation in community surveys
Participation in client based research projects
Student internships
CSLI student club
CSLI History and Mission
Semi-annual Survey
The survey process at a glance…
1. Conducted in March and October2. Telephone interviews – 350-550
completions3. Press releases4. Public presentations5. Media outreach6. Web site (http://www2.aacc.edu/csli)
CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey
Service Learning Process
Semi-annual survey – how students participate for service learning credit
Five contacts with CSLI• Introductory meeting • 3 nights of telephone interviews• Final meeting – review of survey
process, findings, SPSS/hypotheses testing
CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey
Semi-annual Surveys -
Why is your role so important?
How do surveys work?
1. Identify a population whose characteristics and attitudes are interesting to us
2. Our population – Residents of Anne Arundel County at least 18 years of age
3. Our goal – Ask a small group (the “sample”) questions 4. Generalize the findings to the whole population (the
“universe”)
CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey
How do surveys work? (continued)
Find a proper sample size: costs vs. margins of error – Example: Population of 100k+, confidence interval 95%
Error Sample Size
3 1111
5 400
7 204
10 100
CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey
Semi-annual Surveys -
Why is your role so important?
How do surveys work? (Data collection)
How shall we collect the information?
Choices:1. Face to face – personal interviews2. Telephone – personal interviews3. Self-administered - by mail, exit poll, group setting4. Online – a version of ‘self administered’
Semi-annual Surveys -
Why is your role so important?
CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey
How do surveys work? ( Data collection continued)
CSLI’s process:
1. Telephone – personal interviews – that’s what you will be doing
2. Self-administered - by mail
CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey
Semi-annual Surveys -
Why is your role so important?
How do surveys work? ( Data collection continued)
How do we choose whom to call (or mail)?
Two choices: (1) Randomly select from listed phone numbers (2) Use computer generated “likely unlisted residential numbers within your target jurisdiction”
CSLI’s lists of numbers are a 90/10 percent mixWe start with over 8000 phone numbers!
CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey
Semi-annual Surveys -
Why is your role so important?
How do surveys work? ( Survey assumptions)
What are we assuming in using telephone numbers?
That everyone in our target universe is equally likely to have a landline phone and willing/able to answer a survey
Should other methods be used?
Ideally, yes! But the other data collection methods are harder to implement and/or more expensive…
CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey
Semi-annual Surveys -
Why is your role so important?
How do surveys work? (Sources of error)
What are other data collection challenges?
* Interviewer bias * Social desirability* Unclear questions* Non-attitudes* Non-response bias* Unequal representation of subgroups
None of these is necessarily a fatal flaw, but should make us sensitive that there are more sources of error than just the statistical ‘margin of error’
CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey
Semi-annual Surveys -
Why is your role so important?
How do surveys work? (Getting to the finish line!)
What happens to all the completed surveys?
1. Data entry. This means we need to enter all the answers into a database for statistical processing.
2. Statistical analysis3. Write a report4. Send it out as a “press release”5. Post it on the Web.6. Use it in public presentations
CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey
Semi-annual Surveys -
Why is your role so important?
Semi-annual Surveys: Recent Major Topics
Semi-annual survey – topics over the last couple of years • Major issues facing the county• Economic conditions in the county• Perceptions of BRAC’s impact on the county• The vision for public schools in the county• Cigarette Tax• Death Penalty• President Bush’s job approval• Lots of demographic info: age, income, occupational
status, race, religion, gender, party, ideology
CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey
Semi-annual Surveys: Sample of FindingsPresident Bush’s Job Approval Fall 2005 to Spring 2007
CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey
Semi-annual Surveys: Sample of FindingsEconomic conditions in Anne Arundel County
CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey
Semi-annual Surveys: Sample of Findings Anne Arundel County Public Schools
CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey
The Fall 2007 Semi-annual Survey
Major sections
1.Benchmark Questions2.General Development Plan – what’s the role for the public?3.Maryland State Budget Deficit – which taxes could you live with to put the State’s finances in order?4.Global Warming – perceptions and policies5.Miscellaneous – bow hunting, Iraq, Bush’s job approval6.Demographics
CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey
Next Steps
1. Make sure you know which evenings you are spending with us2. First night – come at 5:30 p.m. training in telephone interviewing
methods and questionnaire marking3. Last two nights – no need for more training, come at 6:00 p.m.4. Final meeting – November 6, 8, 9 (2-4 p.m.)
See you next week!
CSLI: Your Next Steps