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Faculty Resources for Service Learning

What is Service Learning?

Service learning is the collaboration between the community and reflective education.  Successful service learning has clear objectives, encourages self awareness through reflection and directly relates to a need in the community.

 

In order for service learning to be successful there must be 4 components:

Preparation, Action, Reflection and Evaluation.

Preparation includes logistics, information about the project site, information about the broader issues in the community i.e privilege and oppression.  Action could be direct, non-direct and indirect.  It is best to find service that best suits the needs of the agency and also the needs of the student.  Reflection is a key component in service learning.  Students will think critically about their experience, relate it to their coursework, challenge their attitudes, beliefs and assumptions and discover broader issues that may turn into future projects. Lastly Evaluation will continually improve the service project by evaluating the success of the project for the agency, the people who use the agency, the students, and what changes could be made to make the project better.

PARE model can be found at: www.nationalserviceresources.org

 

Service Learning as Experiential Education

Service learning is a great example of experiential education.  Experiential Education is best explained using David Kolb’s experiential learning cycle:
   
This model can directly mirror service learning.  Students perform a service, they reflect and make observations about their experience, they relate it to general concepts in their coursework and lastly they put their new knowledge to the “test” in their life.  This model allows students to have a hand in their learning and encourages critical reflection, the key to a quality education.  (Kolb, David. (1984).  Experiential Learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.)

 

Benefits of Service Learning

• Students can apply what they learn in the classroom to real needs in the community
• Students gain self awareness through reflection
• Students are exposed to diverse and new environments
• Students will begin to ask questions about broader issues, i.e. privilege and oppression
• Faculty will see engaged and motivated students
• Faculty will be able to use service learning action as an example in their curriculum
• Faculty will work side by side with the community to encourage lifelong civic engagement
• Collaboration between higher education and the community
• Sustainable social change

Where can I learn more?

http://www.compact.org/resources/service-learning_resources/
Recent publications on service learning and its impact in higher education

 

http://www.compact.org/syllabi/
A searchable database of service learning syllabi according to discipline

 

http://www.compact.org/disciplines/reflection/index.html
A guide on structured reflection for service learning

 

http://www.servicelearning.org/instant_info/online_documents/assessmentevaluation/service-learning_and_assessment_a_field_guide_for_teachers/
Service Learning and Assessment: A Field Guide for Teachers

 

http://awardsforexcellence.project.mnscu.edu/
Awards for Excellence (an opportunity to integrate service learning in your courses)