Instructor Hub for Service Learning Course Development + Instruction
What is Service Learning?
Service learning is a pedagogy that offers students opportunities to apply classroom learning to community-based work and social change. Through service learning, students apply what they learn in class to community-defined issues, learning the practical application of their studies and becoming engaged citizens and community members. Through critical reflection, students learn to integrate their learning about community needs with the learning goals of the course.
Service learning can be incorporated into a class by working with a wide range of entities, including schools, university departments, and community-based organizations. It can involve a group of students, a project in a class, or an entire course.
Service Learning, Defined:
Service-learning is a "course-based, credit-bearing educational experience that allows students to (a) participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and (b) reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility" (Bringle & Hatcher, 1995, p. 112).
Bringle, R., & Hatcher, J. (1995). A service learning curriculum for faculty. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 2, 112-122.
Key Components of a Service Learning Course
Genuine Community Needs
It is important to identify needs with community, avoiding making assumptions about what is best for those being served. Students should engage the community as partners. This process helps students understand the project's beneficiaries, strengthens relationships between students with the broader community, and generates service activities with a tangible impact.
Reflection
Throughout the service learning process, reflection is the key to growth and understanding. Students use critical and creative thinking to ensure that the learning makes sense and has meaning for them. Reflection activities can be used to assess where students are in the learning process, help them internalize the learning, provide opportunities for them to voice concerns and share feelings, and evaluate the project
Connections to Learning Objectives
Service learning doesn't supplement existing curricula- it plays an integral role in the learning process. Practitioners carefully tie projects to specific learning objectives, often connecting across multiple subjects and disciplines. Through this process, learning becomes experiential and deepens students' understanding of the material, how it's used, and why it's important.
Student Engagement
In service learning experiences, students are active partners with important perspectives in identifying community needs and planning service activities. They also play a role in evaluating the project and its community impact. Service learning empowers students to take control of their learning, develop leadership skills, and take their places as valuable, decision-making members of their communities.
Benefits of Service Learning
Service learning experiences can benefit students, instructors, community partners, and the university.
- Practical experience that challenges their perceptions and assumptions
- Opportunities to apply classroom learning in real-world settings
- Deeper understanding and commitment to civic engagement
- Awareness of broad range of lived experiences
- Better sense of personal efficacy, personal identity, and moral development
- Leadership, communication, and teamwork skills
- Increased student understanding of course material
- Innovative and creative teaching methods
- Increased student engagement and motivation
- Establish connections between theory and application
- Promote an environment that encouraged personal and civic responsibility
- Valuable service accomplished by enthusiastic and creative students
- Strong partnership with schools, colleges, and universities
- Access to resources of educational institutions
- Creative ways to expand capacity
- Education of students about mission and work of organization
- Positive exposure in the community
- Future lifelong volunteers and contributors
- Help with planning, evaluation, and advancing the organization’s mission
- Motivated students who report improved satisfaction with college
- Expanded learning opportunities
- Strong partnerships with community-based organizations
- Access to community resources
- Positive exposure in the community
- Stronger student-faculty relationships
- Better retention and graduation rates
- Practical experience that challenges their perceptions and assumptions
- Opportunities to apply classroom learning in real-world settings
- Deeper understanding and commitment to civic engagement
- Awareness of broad range of lived experiences
- Better sense of personal efficacy, personal identity, and moral development
- Leadership, communication, and teamwork skills
- Increased student understanding of course material
- Innovative and creative teaching methods
- Increased student engagement and motivation
- Establish connections between theory and application
- Promote an environment that encouraged personal and civic responsibility
- Valuable service accomplished by enthusiastic and creative students
- Strong partnership with schools, colleges, and universities
- Access to resources of educational institutions
- Creative ways to expand capacity
- Education of students about mission and work of organization
- Positive exposure in the community
- Future lifelong volunteers and contributors
- Help with planning, evaluation, and advancing the organization’s mission
- Motivated students who report improved satisfaction with college
- Expanded learning opportunities
- Strong partnerships with community-based organizations
- Access to community resources
- Positive exposure in the community
- Stronger student-faculty relationships
- Better retention and graduation rates
Service Learning Steps to Success
Identify ways service learning can meet your student learning goals. Ask yourself:
- What areas of the course/program curriculum could best benefit from real-world experience?
- What skills and knowledge does your class/program have to offer?
- What can your students do to advance the mission of a community-based organization?
- What kinds of service learning would you like to participate in?
Decide if you want to work closely with a few organizations or loosely with many. Ask yourself:
- Will students be integrated into established volunteer processes, or will you work with the organization to define a project?
- Student reflection is critical in service learning. What reflection tools will you employ, and what reflection assignments will you include?
Tip: getting started is often the hardest part. Begin with simple projects, then build.
Plan collaboratively.
- Get to know your community partners, and discuss goals and challenges early.
- Ensure that the community needs informing the service are community-defined.
- Address learning goals for the students AND service goals for the organization.
- Assign service requirements of at least 20 hours per student. Students will experience more, and the community partner will get a better return on their investment.
Create well-defined roles.
Reminder: Community-based organizations rely on good volunteers to function.
- Work with your partner organization to define to student service assignments, supervision plans, and reporting expectations.
- Make sure students understand and respect the responsibilities associated with their service.
Tip: Students will be more motivated if they have choices and a role in planning their involvement.
Monitor progress, evaluate, and adapt.
Reminder: Community organizations cannot always fulfill student needs for service hours and may have to turn away students seeking last-minute opportunities.
- Determine how you and your community partner organization will evaluate and/or document student service.
- Keep evaluation and documentation measures simple.
- Ask students and the organization what is working and what is not.
- Discuss with your community partner what improvements could be made for a better collaboration.
CSL Course Development Support
The CSL is available to help instructors integrate service learning into their course objectives, whether you are new to service learning or you want to improve what you have already been doing.
Ways We Can Help:
- Individual consultations: contact us to set up an appointment
- Assistance with community partnerships: we can help identify potential community partners or facilitate meetings with representatives from community organizations. Making this arrangement at least a semester in advance allows enough time to fully explore mutually beneficial partnerships and best ways to achieve student learning outcomes.
- Service Learning Course Development Workshops: sign up for one of our open sessions or request a custom session for your department or unit.
- Review sample syllabi: to gain a better idea of how service learning can work in your course, feel free to peruse sample syllabi of courses submitted by KU instructors (coming soon) as well as a clearinghouse of syllabi from Campus Compact.
- Communities of Practice: Join the CSL's Service Learning Ambassador group to connect with other faculty and staff with similar interests. Join national discussion groups and access webinars with Campus Compact and the Engagement Scholarship Consortium.
- Faculty/Staff Newsletter: The CSL sends a newsletter to subscribed faculty and staff twice per semester. Subscribe today.
The University of Kansas retains the Carnegie Foundation's Classification for Community Engagement.