The Altruism Project

by Hannah Barton (Hannah.Barton@iadt.ie)
The Altruism Project initially was conceived as a research project to examine the topic of altruism in society within the Social Psychology module. But in response to feedback from students it evolved into a more interactive community based learning project. The project is one of the assessment strategies embedded within the Social Psychology module of our Applied Psychology degree course. The project starts in September and runs until April. Students are required to complete at least 25 hours in an community organization. The students find the organizations that best match their interests and future career aspirations. The type of projects have moved from hands on (direct) to recently more indirect projects like fundraising (concerts) to designing websites for non–profit organizations. When evaluating the outcomes of the project, the students have reported many interpersonal and intrapersonal benefits which they detail in their reflective journals for their portfolios. The project has been evaluated through an online questionnaire and through the qualitative feedback from the students for the past 3 years. The data collected from the evaluations have been analysed and presented at the Campus Engage Conference in Croke Park in 2009 and at the First World Congress of Positive Psychology in Philadelphia in 2009.

Discipline:	Social Sciences
Institution:	Institute of Art, Design and Technology
Activity:	Service Learning/Community Based Learning

Additional Information

Academic Discipline:	Applied Psychology
Module Title:	Social Psychology
Typical number of students:	30 -35
Year(s) of Programme:	Year 3
Credits (ECTs):	Module is 10 credits
Mandatory:	Yes
Assessment method:	Oral Presentation ( Progress report) Portfolio consisting of reflections on the experience and made of a variety of multimedia materials such as CD, DVD and photos Academic paper on the topic of Altruism – linking theory and research to practice
First established:	In 2003
Typical number of hours:	25 – 30 required but typically students do more, 1 did 90
Learning outcomes:	At the end of the module the student will be able to: Apply what they have learned about social psychology to a real world context by engaging in a service learning assignment (The Altruism Project) To apply classic and emerging social psychological theories and research in the field of Altruism to a real world context To develop an understanding of the three different levels of analysis- personal, interpersonal and group/ societal and how these can impact on individual behaviour Describe and discuss the main theories and models in social psychology and apply these to real or virtual world settings
Case study website/link:	–
Community Partners:	Intell Club House, National Rehabilitation Hospital DSPCA