The interview provides evaluators with an increased understanding of a project while allowing students to share their passion for their project. This is not a prepared presentation, but a conversation between students and evaluators.
One question for all
All interviews address the step in the problem-solving process that was most important to the project.
- Which step in the problem-solving process made the biggest difference to your project and why?
Sample questions
Evaluators prepare additional questions from the student work like the examples below.
- How did you select your project topic? What prompted your interest in this area?
- All of us have great expectations for what we do. What expectations did you have for the success of your project?
- What obstacles did you encounter? Did the obstacles change the focus of your project? How? How did you overcome any obstacles?
- Have you been surprised by the results of your project? What result surprised you the most?
- How did you locate and contact your outside resources?
- What challenges did you face in acquiring approval or assistance?
- What have you learned about community involvement?
- How successfully were you able to carry out your plans? What other plans do you have to continue your project?
- How was your project received by your community?
- How did you publicize the project? What was your favorite method of publicity? Why?
- If you have not completed your project, how do you plan to continue working to complete it?
- What accomplishments have you made since your report was submitted?
- Tell me about your display. How did you decide what was important enough to be included in your display?
- How was your promotional video created? Who, if anyone, assisted you with its production? What areas of your project do you wish you could have included in the video, but due to the time constraints were unable to include?
- What do you think you will remember most about your project twenty years from now?
- What do you think your community will remember about your project twenty years from now?
- What skills have you learned from working on your project?
- What was the most disappointing moment?
- What was your most rewarding moment?
Many of the more general sample questions can apply to any service-learning projects and reflections on other types of student projects.
