Why should I use service learning in my classes?
For faculty, service learning:
Service learning can connect traditional academic rigor to this existing passion for civic engagement. It shows students the complexity and applicability of course material, teaches responsibility and cooperation, and motivates students through the chance to help others. Professors, like their students, take satisfaction in making a difference.
What are the benefits of service learning for students?
Students benefit in many ways from service learning. It allows them to:
Why should we give credit for community service or volunteering?
Credit should be given for learning, not just for volunteering or community service. In service learning, both service and learning are integral parts of the whole project, and both contribute to a student’s intellectual and personal development within the context of a given course. In service learning, the “service” component is designed to provide an opportunity for students to apply and exercise their new knowledge and skills while meeting the needs of others. On the other hand, community service activities are not necessarily tied to the curriculum and, as a result, are often viewed as extracurricular.
How is service learning different from practicum/internship experiences or volunteering?
The goal of an internship/practicum is to provide students a practical work experience in a field of interest to them. Volunteer opportunities are generally unpaid positions with a local non-profit community agency, where students work because they find the mission of the organization interesting or important. The primary focus of service learning is to provide a deeper understanding of academic course content studied in a particular class through community service.
Does service learning fit into all courses?
While service learning is not right for every course, it's surprising how many disciplines are represented in the growing list of service learning success stories. Start by considering some of the projects you already include in your course. Could one of those be turned into a service learning opportunity? Think of the skills you want your students to learn. Could they develop those skills by working on a project that benefits the community?
Service learning seems to fit into my course. What is the next step in the process? How do I actually include service learning in my course?
Contact the Center for Service Learning. We will work with you individually or direct you to other resources, including workshops, printed material, the Center for Teaching Excellence, and other faculty who do service learning successfully.
How are service learning courses designed?
Collaboratively. Service learning is intended to help meet the needs of your community partners while also satisfying the academic goals of the course. Therefore, service learning courses should be designed collaboratively, with input from the faculty instructor and a community partner.
I would like to find an agency I can work with for a service learning course I want to offer. Is there a campus resource that can provide me with a list of agencies I can partner with?
The CSL staff has a great deal of experience collaborating with community agencies. We can help you find the agencies that work the best with your course curriculum.
Another way to find a service partner is to explore collaboration with community or neighborhood groups you are already familiar with or, through them, learn of others. Also, talk with other faculty who teach service learning courses. The Roger Hill Volunteer Center is another great Lawrence resource.
How do I determine if the needs of the agency are going to fit with the content of my course?
Arrange a visit to the prospective community sites and discuss your course content and objectives with them. After this meeting and exchange of information, you should be able to determine whether you have a good match.
How much time should faculty expect students to devote to the service component?
The number of actual contact hours will vary according to how the service component relates to the rest of the course and the nature of the community partner's needs and conditions. Nevertheless, it should be more than symbolic or an "add-on" activity. Service learning courses should attempt to avoid "one-shot" events (even if they are all-day or all-weekend projects) unless these are parts of a more sustained involvement with the community partner. If service learning is to seriously challenge student perspectives and enhance student learning, then students must develop a sustained relationship and reflect on a prolonged experience. We recommend that you require no fewer than 15 hours of service in a semester, with 20 - 25 being a good target. Any requirements above 30 hours become prohibitive for students who already work, have heavy courseloads, or are otherwise committed.
Do all students in a course have to do service or serve at the same site?
Not all students need to serve at the same site. You can use as many or as few agencies as you would like for your service learning experience. The specific sites, the number of sites, and the times of service will vary according to agency and student schedules, the nature of the course, and the needs the agency serves. This is something that faculty work with students and partners to determine. Our experience is that working with a greater number of sites requires more coordination on the part of the faculty member and more independence on the part of the students. However, because most Lawrence agencies are small, we recommend that faculty coordinate with (or at least recommend) a group of 2-4 sites for their students.
Can students find their own service learning sites?
We recommend that instructors work closely with a community partners in developing the service learning component of a course. In doing so, you assure that the students meet the educational goals of your course by working on projects that truly benefit the community partner. Neither agencies nor students get the most value from service learning when students suddenly show up at the end of the semester and demand to be given a project for a day. Also, it may be logistically difficult for even self-motivated students to find and complete substantive placements within a semester, especially if their site requires training or other pre-service preparation (which can range from paperwork to TB tests and background checks). However, some instructors successfully require students to find their own sites or to develop individual service learning projects.
What should I expect from a community agency?
This varies widely with the type of service learning experience you have designed. With some community agencies a representative needs to be amenable to work with students or at least available as a resource while students are on site. At other agencies, students need to have a contact person willing to set up times to meet and review work they have completed. At a minimum, you should have a contact person, phone number, and agency address. A letter or contract for students and agencies outlining expectations can prevent misunderstandings.
As a faculty member, what would be expected of me?
Students will have questions about service learning, so use resources on this site, on campus, and elsewhere to educate yourself and your students. Students will also need guidance in choosing a service site, coordinating plans with the site supervisor, and clarifying learning objectives. Students may need guidance on how to take experiences from their service to turn them into knowledge, and this is where group and individual reflection activities fit into the service learning course.
I am so busy already! How do faculty find time to do the "extra" work necessary to design and implement service learning experiences?
In the beginning, service learning will require a little extra time for planning and preparation, but you will find that the benefits strongly outweigh the additional time you spend. Service learning is a means of enhancing classroom learning. Take advantage of already existing resources for curriculum, utilize students and community members as resources, consult with faculty who already teach service learning courses, and of course, contact the Center for Service Learning. We will consult with faculty on site selection, syllabi revision, student orientation, the design of reflection activities, and assessment/evaluation of student work.
How much can really be accomplished during a semester?
In a course with twenty students, each serving 20 hours during the semester, there are 400 hours of service to the community produced. You can design projects with community partners that will be completed by different groups of students over several semesters, but for evaluative purposes, each student's involvement should achieve some degree of closure in one semester. Students can always choose to maintain involvement on their own once the course has finished.
I am teaching a course that fits the definition of service learning. Is there a special designation for service learning courses in the course catalog?
At this time, courses identified as service learning will be announced and advertised on this website, but there is no designation in the course catalog. If you have a course you would like to have reviewed and listed on the website, please email a copy of the syllabus and pertinent details to the Center for Service Learning.
How can I get students interested in service learning?
For students who are new to service or studying within disciplines that might not offer many community-based options, you may want to begin by asking a student who has already participated in a service learning project to share their experiences with your course to help generate some excitement. Most practitioners agree that the best approach is to bring students into the project from the very beginning. Not all classes are prepared to do this on their first try, so give it some time if necessary. You may ask your community partner(s) to visit your course and discuss service options. The more you involve the students in the planning process, the more ownership they take of the project. Ask students for ideas as to how they would apply what they are learning in the classroom to the community. The key is to capture student interest and connect them to organizations that will help them explore these interests as well as discover new ones.
What do students who have completed a service learning project think about their experience?
Most students will come away with a positive new view of both the subject matter being taught and the service in which they were involved. Students will feel the best about their service learning experiences if they feel the project is a good use of their time and if they get to use their talents in carrying out their projects. This is why we encourage faculty to assist their students in finding meaningful service learning projects.
How can we make sure that the "learning" part of service learning happens?
The “learning” part of service learning will happen when the instructor designs the course so that the academic, service, and reflection components form an integrated whole. Faculty should be able to articulate what they want students to learn in the course and make sure that all components of the course are helping their students achieve that goal. When this happens, service learning will greatly enhance the students’ learning experience, helping them to understand the complexity of the issues they study in the classroom and increasing their ability to apply the knowledge they have learned.
How much time should I spend with service learning in the classroom?
Time should be set aside to teach students about what service learning is, clarify your expectations for them, establish them in their service learning projects, and explain the expected writing assignments. Some faculty set aside time for student presentations of their service learning experience at the end of the semester. In addition, you should consider scheduling periodic check-ins on the students’ service learning experiences throughout the semester, or planning discussion questions that engage students’ ongoing service learning experiences.
How should faculty evaluate student participation in the service component?
There are many ways this can be done. You may consider visiting the service site to conduct limited observations or ask the students’ site supervisors to fill out evaluation forms. Many faculty members rely on sign-up sheets at the site, timesheets, or checklists of specific tasks that students must complete and have certified by the site supervisor. Other forms of evaluation include reviewing the portfolios or projects students produce through their work at the site. You may also wish to ask others who teach service learning courses which evaluative strategies have worked well for them. Points related to service learning typically represent 30-40% of the course grade.
What is the reflection component in service learning?
Because structured reflection on the experience is an essential feature of a service learning course, this should be among the elements evaluated by the instructor. Students must reflect on what they’ve learned from service completed, especially as it relates to the course material.
This can take place in the form of any type of guided reflection: journal entries, papers, discussions, and presentations. If the format is clearly outlined, then students are graded on both content and technical skills as they would be with any other assignment.
Reflection should also be included during class discussions. This creates a learning situation for all students (as well as the faculty member). Issues that arise may be important to more than one person. These discussions are often great learning opportunities.
While students are responsible for both the service and the learning, your assistance in the reflection process will help increase their understanding. Your assignments and the questions you ask will be critical in helping them connect their experiences inside and outside the classroom to the learning objectives you’ve set for your course.
What are the potential problems?
Are there other issues to be considered?
Yes. Students, faculty and community partners should be aware of other factors that could affect service experiences.
Reliability -Volunteers play an essential role in many understaffed and under-financed community partner organizations. Students must understand that people are counting on them to meet their scheduled commitments.
Sensitivity - Many service learning projects involve students working with people whose backgrounds and experiences are very different from their own. Participants must be very sensitive to the needs and feelings of their partners in the learning experience. Service learning is built upon the concept of mutual learning and respect between all participants.
Ethical Conduct -Students are expected to follow the rules and regulations commonly observed at the service learning site. These include observing the dress code, using good judgment, etc.
Confidentiality - Information concerning various aspects of the community partner organization, including clients, patients, or others, are often covered by strict rules of confidentiality. Supervisors will guide students affected by obligations of confidentiality.
Observations of Unethical Behavior - Students observing possible unethical or illegal conduct should not try to address these situations individually. They should immediately consult with their supervisors or instructor.
Stress - Service learning students often work in settings outside their known environment (e.g. in situations of poverty, illness, and great human need). What they see may be intrinsically sad and depressing. Students should be made to feel that they can discuss feelings with supervisors, professors, or service learning staff to ensure a healthy balance in their lives.
Safety - Students should discuss personal safety issues with supervisors and follow the instructions and procedures of professionals who work in these situations daily.
