Service-learning is an educational approach that combines learning objectives with community service in order to provide a pragmatic, progressive learning experience while meeting societal needs.
55-790: Service-learning involves students (k–12, higher education) in service projects to apply classroom learning for local agencies that exist to effect positive change in the community. The National Youth Leadership Council defines service learning as "a philosophy, pedagogy, and model for community development that is used as an instructional strategy to meet learning goals and/or content standards." Author Barbara Jacoby defines service-learning as "a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities for reflection designed to achieve desired learning outcomes." Service learning combines both experiential learning and community service . Service-learning "occurs when there
110-468: A constructivism in engineering education as well as match the teaching styles to the learning styles of typical engineering students. As a result, many engineering schools have begun to integrate service learning into their curricula and there is now a journal dedicated to service learning in engineering. Students have reported developing personal leadership skills from their participation in service-learning. Service-learning has also been shown to create
165-461: A Service-Learning Exhibit in Fall and Spring that allows students to showcase their service-learning project through a professional poster or video. Duke University's service-learning program focuses specifically on assistance to faculty members interested in integrating service-learning into their courses. This includes consultation, training, research opportunities, funding, resources, and advocacy for
220-571: A critical learning service status. These are: redistributing power to marginalized groups of people; developing meaningful partnerships with community members/partners and those in the classroom; and, approaching service learning through the lens of making impactful social change. National Youth Leadership Council The National Youth Leadership Council ( NYLC ) is a national nonprofit organization located in Saint Paul, Minnesota , that promotes service-learning in schools and communities across
275-476: A direct impact in their own communities. Nielson (2016) argues that online service-learning (aka e-learning) helps students take responsibility for their own education. A study of 81 students in an online business class found "that hours completed exceeded those assigned, and students identified outcomes for themselves, their university, and nonprofit organizations where they served" (p. 80). Another study involving 35 students demonstrated that e-learning fosters
330-470: A group activity. Wartburg College in Indiana published a list of reflection activity suggestions on their website. These included various types of journaling, brainstorming as a group, using quotes, writing essays and papers, structured class discussions, and class presentations among other ideas. Effective service-learning programs also include required written reflection. Not only does writing permanently record
385-501: A pedagogical framework for tribes to address community needs. One such example is provided by Sykes, Pendley, and Deacon (2017) who provide a qualitative case study of a tribally-initiated service learning project embedded within a partnership at a research university. This case is unique in that it recounts how service learning students (who were also tribal members) came to collectively understand their responsibilities of citizenship through service. Moreover, tribal elders came to appreciate
440-435: A personal connection with clients only to break it off soon after can be more hurtful than helpful. Some scholars argue that service learning in itself only gives students satisfaction without little or no benefit to the communities. Eby makes the claim that traditional service learning has no real connection with communities and their problems. Without addressing the root of social issues, students gain no real understanding of
495-807: A sense of meaning and purpose in their academics. Janet Eyler and Dwight E. Giles Jr. identify five key personal growth outcomes of service-learning: self-knowledge, spiritual growth, the reward of helping others, career benefits and careers in service, and changes in personal efficacy. As one goes out into the community with the intent of reaching out to those within it, this broader social context causes one to see himself more clearly. Service-learning may motivate individuals to become better citizens of their communities, as it has "cultivated civic and social responsibility as part of education for citizenship." As individuals acquire knowledge about serving those around them, they can apply that knowledge to community problems. Those serving may encounter certain social problems for
550-424: A sequence of experiences needs to be of a long enough duration to have a developmental impact." This view is expanded upon by Alexander W. Astin and Linda J. Sax. In their opinion, "the amount of time devoted to providing service carries additional benefits beyond those benefits associated with the type of service performed, especially in the areas of civic responsibility and life skill development." But how much time
605-535: A series of topical research articles from leading scholars in the field as well as qualitative profiles of several U.S. states and territories and, increasingly, state-by-state data on service-learning and positive youth contributions. In 2008, NYLC released the K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice that detail the eight standards of quality service-learning, with three to five accompanying indicators for each standard. The standards are
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#1732855237354660-478: A student learn how to more effectively serve a broader array of people. One of the goals of service-learning is positive interactions and service-learning provides the opportunity for students to not only appreciate other cultures, but to appreciate their shared humanity. Service-learning contributes to the presence of more volunteers, which enables the organizations to accomplish more and to serve more clients. Students can use specific skills they possess to benefit
715-522: A student's service-learning experience, but it also provides a helpful tool for continued reflection long after the program has been completed. Written reflection assignments also require students to stop, think, and articulate their learning. This evaluation is of incredible value to students. Service-learning has been applied across a host of cultural settings, including numerous Native American communities. Guffey (1997) notes credible service learning begins with tribal ways of knowing and value systems, which
770-562: A toolkit for faculty and instructors interested in incorporating service-learning into their classrooms. The Student Community Engagement Center (SCEC) at Portland State believe that community members can create social change. They encourage engagement activities/opportunities in order to support this cause. Portland State University also offers one of the few graduate certificates in the United States that focuses on service- learning . At Purdue University , service-learning focused on
825-641: A week interacting with a faculty member." Service-learning has a tremendous impact on students and how they learn, but also how they interact with others. High quality placements are a key to the success of a service-learning program. This requires the service learning establishment to have a broad network of connections within the community. Students must have a positive connection with the establishment they serve, to maximize their learning. Service-learning offers an opportunity for students to experience and learn about many different cultures. The appreciation of different cultures in service-learning may happen because of
880-602: Is a balance between learning goals and service outcomes." Robert Sigmon's Service and Learning Typology describes four varieties of service learning based on their aims, using changes in capitalization and hyphenation to indicate different emphases on service and learning: Service learning experiences are intended to benefit both the students and the community served. Service learning allows for publicly engaged scholarship (PES), which allows students to collaborate with their local communities to promote peace and social betterment. The value of reciprocity between students and community
935-726: Is an onsite course with online service-learning. Type III eService-Learning is a hybrid (traditional and online format) mixed with online service. Type IV eService-Learning (extreme service learning) is fully online. Online reflection assignments can be completed in multiple formats, including online discussion boards. This format allows students to participate in discussions with their peers regarding eService-Learning based on an instructor's prompted questions. Classes utilizing eService-Learning may also use Social Networking Services (SNS) as another form of online discussion. Examples of apps which have been used for this purpose include WhatsApp , Slack and Trello . Over time, educators have noticed
990-415: Is enough? According to J. Beth Mabry, "students should spend at least fifteen to nineteen hours in their service activities to have adequate exposure to the people and issues their service addresses." An essential feature of service-learning programs , reflection is a period of critical thinking performed by the student. For many advocates of the pedagogy, reflection may symbolize the learning that occurs in
1045-510: Is important to point out the importance of the role of reflection in service-learning. The hyphen in between the service and learning links to the key role of reflection or “learning” after the physical act of service has taken place. Some higher education programs require a reflection component in their service-learning classes. The University of Minnesota is one such institution that includes required reflection activities with its service learning classes. Reflection may be done individually or as
1100-442: Is mostly done by scholars, while community locals and organizations are left out from the discussion. These community organizations and partners are left without a voice and there is no connection between the academic learning and the service. The emergence of critical service learning as a new sector addresses some of these critiques of traditional service. eService-Learning is either an online course that embeds service-learning into
1155-465: Is prioritized through relationships that are not hierarchical; they are collaborative. In Building Partnerships for Service-Learning , Barbara Jacoby writes that Service-learning "is based on the work of researchers and theorists on learning, including John Dewey , Jean Piaget , Kurt Lewin , Donald Schon , and David Kolb , who believe that we learn through combinations of action and reflection." Service learning programs have developed rapidly within
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#17328552373541210-432: Is to address political and social power relations and how it leads to the systemic inequalities that marginalized communities face. The goal is to connect students' services to their learning discourses. Critical service learning gives students the chance to ask themselves how their services create political and social change in these communities. According to Mitchell, there are three different approaches required to achieve
1265-447: Is to say that outsiders should not impose service learning projects. Rather, tribal communities should devise projects that reflect needs unique to the community being served. This parallels Matthew Fletcher's (2010) assertion that tribes, and other historically marginalized communities, should unique develop educational programs, as opposed to merely adopting Westernized forms of education. According to this view, service learning provides
1320-646: The University of Notre Dame provides opportunities to be in several different service learning activities that include Catholic theology, ministry, spirituality, and formation. The university offers a unique experience called the Echo Graduate Service Program where you can earn a Masters of Arts in theology. At Vanderbilt University , community engagement pedagogies, often called “service learning,” are ones that combine learning goals and community service in ways that can enhance both student growth and
1375-693: The common good ." Georgetown University's Center for Social Justice (CSJ) designates community-based learning courses. Community-based activities have been called “service-learning.” Students must complete a specific amount of 20 to 40 hours of community-based work which includes course assignments." Some universities do not require specific hours. The Center of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement at Michigan State "provide active, service-focused, community-based, mutually beneficial, integrated, learning opportunities for students, building and enhancing their commitment to academics, personal and professional development, and civic responsibility." MSU provides
1430-674: The Learning in Service-Learning? , among the students in their survey, "40 percent reported that learning to work with others was among the most important things they learned from service-learning, and 81 percent indicated that it was the most or very important." Service-learning also encourages connection within the community. As stated in Where's the Learning in Service-Learning? , "Service participants in their assessment of Learn and Serve America were more likely than their peers to spend at least an hour
1485-551: The National Service-Learning Conference in 1989. In 1993 the organization became the main training and technical assistance for the Corporation for National Service focused on service learning. NYLC publishes an annual research publication, Growing to Greatness , that seeks to document the scope, scale, and impacts of service-learning. An edition has been published each year since 2004. Each edition features
1540-478: The Spring 2008 issue of the journal Academic Questions , argued that service learning does not really teach useful skills or develop cultural knowledge. Instead, Egger maintained, service learning mainly involves the inculcation of communitarian political ideologies. Tulane Professor Carl L. Bankston III has described his own university's policy of mandating service learning as the imposition of intellectual conformity by
1595-441: The United States. Founded in 1983 by Dr. James Kielsmeier , NYLC is the host of the annual National Service-Learning Conference . The organization is a proponent of service-learning and national service in the United States. Founded in 1983, to "create a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world with young people, their schools, and their communities through service-learning". The National Youth Leadership Council began hosting
1650-553: The United States. The universities listed (in alphabetical order) have exemplified service-learning as an academic philosophy on their campus. Boise State University's service-learning center supports faculty, students, and community organizations to connect classroom learning with hands-on community engagement. BSU believes service-learning "enhances student learning, addresses critical community issues, and builds students’ capacities to be change makers in their local, national and global communities." Boise State University also offers
1705-469: The benefits of service learning in undergraduate public health education course using the Civic Attitudes and Skills Questionnaire. Overall, students reported increases in their civic attitudes and skills. However, individuals reporting poor team dynamics consistently reported lower levels of improvement than those reporting great team dynamics. According to Eyler and Giles, " Placement quality refers to
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1760-456: The curriculum or a traditional course where the service-learning action takes place online. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the availability of online courses, service-learning has been increasingly integrated online. There are four types based on Faulconer's research. Type I eService-Learning has online course curriculum that involves some type of onsite service. Type II eService-Learning
1815-455: The development of generic skills, including global citizenship, adaptability, and teamwork. CAPSL Identifies four constituencies on which a program for service learning must focus its principal activities: institution, faculty, students, and community. CAPSL also identifies a sequence of activities (Planning, awareness, prototype, resources, expansion,; recognition, monitoring, evaluation, research, and institutionalization) to pursue for each of
1870-480: The education and academic aspect of service-learning: a) participate in an organized service activity that meets community-identified needs; b) use knowledge and skills directly related to a course, discipline and/or specific learning outcomes; and c) reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content and/or learning outcomes and an enhanced sense of personal values and civic responsibility." Purdue University provides students
1925-402: The equation; the other three focus more on the campus side. On the community side: the student provides some meaningful service, that meets a need or goal, that is defined by a community (or some of its members). On the campus side: the service provided by the student flows from and into course objectives, is integrated into the course by means of assignments that require some form of reflection on
1980-612: The extent that students in their community placements are challenged, are active rather than observers, do a variety of tasks, feel that they are making a positive contribution, have important levels of responsibility, and receive input and appreciation from supervisors in the field." According to their research, placement quality has measurable effects on such things as "personal development outcomes," "increased leadership and communication skill," and connection to community, faculty, and other students. In The Importance of Program Quality in Service-Learning, Eyler and Giles state: "a program or
2035-424: The first time, thus transforming their view on the world. Beyond that, students may be transformed in the way of developing better problem-solving skills to address those problems about which they now know. A service-learning experience may be the catalyst in the life of a student to dive into the complexities of the social issues they have encountered and to seek to develop innovative solutions. According to Where's
2090-445: The four constituencies (institution, faculty, students, and community). CAPSL provides a heuristic for guiding the development of a service learning program in higher education. It is general enough that the execution of each cell can be tailored to local conditions, however, it is not possible to detail how each step can be successfully accomplished to take the sequence of activities from the whole CAPSL model and apply it to any cell in
2145-545: The importance of civic engagement. The university focuses on a research agenda that encompasses students, faculty, and community partners. APPLES Service-Learning is a student-led program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that transforms educational experiences by connecting academic learning and public service. Since 1990, APPLES has strengthened civic engagement by bringing together students, faculty and communities in sustained and mutually beneficial partnerships". The McGrath Institute for Church Life at
2200-462: The importance of young citizens in maintaining and growing tribal culture. Thus, service learning can also be a means to explore cultural identity. In Where's the Learning in Service-Learning? , Janet Eyler and Dwight E. Giles Jr. wrote, "Although fewer students chose spiritual growth as an important outcome of service-learning—20 percent selecting it as among the most important things they learned and 46 percent selecting it as very or most important—it
2255-533: The interaction that often occurs while completing a service. A survey on students who participated in service-learning found that, "57 percent reported that they had frequent chances to work with people from ethnic groups other than their own." By working with people of different ethnicities, lifestyles, and socioeconomic statuses, a student's learning and tolerance increases. By serving in a diverse learning environment , students are more likely to reduce stereotypes and increase their cultural appreciation. This can help
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2310-511: The last 30 years. From 1995 to 1997, 458 universities received grants from the Corporation for National Service's Learn and Serve Higher Education (LASHE). This facilitated development of 3,000 new service-learning courses that benefit an average of more than 60 students per course. In 1979, Robert Sigmon said the term, which was relatively new, was being used to describe a number of different volunteer actions and experiential education programs. In
2365-873: The late 1960s, Sigmon wrote that the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) popularized a service-learning internship model that defined service-learning as "the integration of the accomplishment of a public task with conscious educational growth." In 1992 Maryland adopted statewide service-learning requirements for high school graduation. In the same year, the District of Columbia also adopted such requirements. A number of other states have allowed credit toward graduation for service-learning/community service. According to Eyler and Giles Jr., who conducted nationwide studies on service-learning, factors that influence its impact on students include placement quality, duration, and reflection. A recent sample study assessed
2420-403: The matrix. Critical service learning allows students to take their learning discourses and use it to connect to their personal experiences for social development and the welfare of others “Critical service learning forces students to see themselves as “agents of social change” and use their experiences of service to address and respond to injustice in their communities”. This sector's main focus
2475-590: The opportunity to showcase their service-learning and community based projects in an undergraduate journal titled Puarning and International Engagementrdue Journal of Service-Learning. Purdue University also has a service-learning program specifically in the engineering department called EPICS (de-abbreviate). Tulane University writes believes in “learning by doing” which enables students to apply academic knowledge and critical thinking skills to meet genuine community needs. Through deep reflection and assessment, students gain deeper understanding of course content and
2530-828: The organization, and can be a source of new ideas, energy, and enthusiasm. Through partnering with a college or university, the organization can gain access to new knowledge and opportunities to connect with other organizations that have partnered with the same school. Service brings community together as a whole, towards a common goal or purpose. The action of service in and among the community, provides challenges to socio-cultural norms and prejudices. Eyler and Giles Jr. have found that service-learning students, upon reflecting on their experience, find reward in helping others and in developing close personal relationships. In 1979, Robert Sigmon acknowledged criticisms that called service-learning, "a utopian vision" and "too demanding and impractical." Towson University Professor John Egger, writing in
2585-404: The problems facing the communities in which they volunteer/serve. Instead, they will unknowingly be pawns in the systemic institutions and use their privileges to “preserve” these systems in place. Service-learning has become popularized but it has less focus on the people and more focus on the individual's “good deeds”. Another critique of service learning is that the research focus on this sector
2640-416: The result of a national review process that began with research from the field and vetted the previously-published Essential Elements of Service-Learning through a series of reactor panels to arrive at the final document. Service learning programs There are differing definitions of service-learning . Weigert states that in service-learning "three of the elements focus more on the community side of
2695-460: The service in light of course objectives, and the assignment is assessed and evaluated accordingly." Many universities, community colleges, and K-12 schools offer programs that focus on service-learning. Some schools have a well-embedded program that offers credit, while others may utilize it as a classification on a transcript or as a certificate. Below is a list of examples (not all inclusive) of different service-learning programs offered throughout
2750-505: The student. Janet Eyler and Dwight E. Giles provide an example of this opinion in their book, Where's the Learning in Service-Learning? when they state: "learning occurs through a cycle of action and reflection, not simply through being able to recount what has been learned through reading and lecture." Also, the National Service Learning Clearinghouse considers reflection a "core component" of service-learning. It
2805-403: The university administration on both students and faculty. According to Bankston, by identifying specific types of civic engagement as worthy community service, the university was prescribing social and political perspectives. He argued that this was inconsistent with the idea that individuals in a pluralistic society should choose their own civic commitments and that it was contrary to the ideal of
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#17328552373542860-625: The university as a site for the pursuit of truth through the free exchange of ideas. Communication with faculty is often inconsistent, so organizations do not always understand their roles and the roles of the faculty in students' service projects. Some organizations' representatives stated that faculty assigned students projects that were not allowed in their organization.Also, the small number of hours students are required to spend volunteering can cause problems for organizations and their clients. Some organizations require more hours for volunteer training than students are required to volunteer, and making
2915-472: The value of incorporating service-learning online. Students have the ability to meet with nonprofit organizations and other stakeholders through Zoom and/or Google Chat to collaborate when it is inconvenient or impossible to do so in person. Service-learning can be applied to students who have difficulties being in the traditional classroom, such as disabled students and rural students. Students can complete service-learning projects in any location and can make
2970-437: The work of university faculty, staff, and students as they work with communities. The Kernodle Center for Civic Life at Elon University focuses on inspiring and preparing students to work with diverse communities while addressing local and global concerns and issues. Their goal is to help students become active and civic members in their community. The Center emphasizes student learning opportunities that specifically address
3025-412: Was important to many students...Some saw service as a definite opportunity to fulfill their religious commitment." Many engineering faculty members believe the educational solution lies in taking a more constructivist approach, where students construct knowledge and connections between nodes of knowledge as opposed to passively absorbing knowledge. Educators see service learning as a way to both implement
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