Global service-learning in institutions of higher education: concerns from a community of practice

In order to better understand and determine priorities of global service-learning in higher education, this study used an empowering evaluation processes to assess the strategic trajectories needed for growth in this field. Researchers organised 36 focus groups during an international summit to map the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for global service-learning in higher education. These focus groups generated 121 summary statements, which were qualitatively coded and analysed to assess common themes. Participants identified six main needs that could strengthen the practice of global service-learning. These needs highlight common priorities and current dilemmas faced by the emerging field of global service-learning, and illustrate the priorities needed to move this field forward in the coming years.     

Engaging pre-service teachers in diverse communities through service-learning: a practical guide for application

Schools are becoming culturally and linguistically diverse. This means that pre-service teachers should be exposed to methods that prepare them for diverse classrooms. This article outlines a service-learning checklist that is practical and authentic to use in working with diverse communities. Faculty can adopt the checklist when infusing service-learning into their course. It is hoped that the checklist will guide faculty as they partner with culturally and linguistically diverse communities and engage in service-learning that is authentic.     

Preparing BSW Students for Service-Learning: Enhancing Epistemological Reflection

This article includes a review of the literature on personal epistemology and the reflective judgment model and applies these theoretical concepts to undergraduate students who engage in service-learning projects. The application will provide instructors with greater understanding of students’ abilities and limitations in their service-learning experiences. Included are traditional, modern, and expressive teaching activities that were designed, with literature support, to enhance students’ epistemological reflection and aid them in preparing for and completing service-learning projects.     

Implementing Quality Service-Learning Programs in Community Colleges

This cross-case comparative study at Western Community College and the University of the Coast explored through a constructive lens the characteristics that lead to sustainable, high quality service-learning programs and how they are implemented at institutions of higher education. The researchers determined that both Western Community College and the University of the Coast (a) have diverse collaborative partnerships that promote excellent communication between all of the entities, (b) offer a wide variety of service-learning courses to connect curricular and cocurricular experiences, (c) have a stable funding base, (d) provide the necessary resources, (e) have continuity in staffing, and (f) incorporate feedback and assessment into their respective service-learning programs. The findings from this study, based on one-on-one interviews, focus groups, observations, and document analysis, serve as a model on how to create quality and sustainable service-learning programs that combine academic scholarship, off-campus learning discoveries, reflection, civic engagement, and meaningful community service. The research may be applicable for educators at community colleges at various stages in developing service-learning programs, or who are transforming faltering programs, trying to make them sustainable.     

BENEFITS OF INTERGENERATIONAL SERVICE-LEARNING TO HUMAN SERVICES MAJORS

The study discussed in this article examined the benefits of service-learning using both (a) pre- and postcourse questionnaire data and (b) answers to open-ended questions from 214 students across four semesters of an undergraduate adult development and aging class. Of these 214 students, 117 (55%) opted for service-learning. Although service-learning in this course did not seem to have an effect on questionnaire scales assessing personal social values, civic attitudes, or academic achievement, data from the open-ended questions revealed numerous benefits associated with service-learning. Advantages of service-learning included improving understanding of course concepts, dispelling myths about aging, and reinforcing career choices. The main disadvantage mentioned by students was the time commitment involved in participating in service-learning. Students believed they learned more in a course based on service-learning than in a traditional lecture-based course. Thus, when appropriately used this instructional method is an effective means of engaging students in the learning process, reducing myths about aging, and introducing students to careers in gerontology services.     

Educating for the “Real World”: The Hidden Curriculum of Community Service-Learning

This study draws on interviews with community supervisors partnered with high school students and presents their perspectives on service-learning and youth. The results show that there was a hidden curriculum being played out at community sites that was in part facilitated by community agency supervisors who actively engaged in mediating, mentoring, and structuring the service-learning experiences of students. Agency supervisors' decisions about the curricular experiences of students had a significant impact on the social justice aims and intentions of the projects designed by the teachers. Consequently, it is crucial for schools and teachers to take into consideration the community supervisors' perspectives and interpretations of social justice and invite them into a collaborative partnership throughout the process of structuring service-learning experiences.     

美国研究型大学服务性学习的基本模式

在20世纪80年代兴起的高等教育改革运动中，美国高等学校把培养创新人才确立为大学教育的培养目标。为了实现这一培养目标，美国大学十分重视服务性学习在培养创新人才的过程中的意义和作用，并采取多种模式，开展服务性学习活动，如一次性和短期服务性学习、连续的课外服务性学习、课程中的服务性学习、集中的服务性学习等。     

Service-Learning Projects in an Undergraduate Gerontology Course: A Six-Stage Model and Application

Service-learning opportunities are prominent on many college campuses. The process of designing and implementing service-learning experiences, especially for students of gerontology, however, has rarely been addressed. The current article briefly reviews the background and utility of service-learning in gerontology courses, describes our service-learning project, outlines a general six-stage model for developing service-learning projects in gerontology courses, and describes our process of integrating the service-learning project into an introductory gerontology course. Finally, we demonstrate that in conjunction with the promotion of evaluative practices, service-learning in the gerontology classroom presents a promising practice for creating healthier communities.     

Examining Service-Learning Literature in Physical Education Teacher Education: Recommendations for Practice and Research

Service-learning is a teaching strategy designed to provide learners opportunities to transfer theory to practice in an authentic environment while concurrently meeting genuine needs in the community. The reciprocal nature of service-learning differentiates this pedagogy from other learning venues including field experiences, internships, and student teaching. Recently the interest surrounding, as well as the utilization of service-learning, has grown in numerous academic disciplines including physical education teacher education (PETE). PETE research investigating the impact of service-learning in regards to student and community outcomes is also emerging. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the current PETE service-learning literature. Components of the review include examination of theoretical frameworks, exploration of the impact of service-learning on PETE students and community participants, and recommendations for practice and future research.     

Exploring students’ perceptions of service-learning experiences in an undergraduate web design course

Service-learning is an experiential learning experience where students learn and develop through active participation in community service to meet the needs of a community. This study explored student learning experiences in a service-learning group project and their perceptions of service-learning in an undergraduate web design course. The data showed that the service-learning project helped students learn the course material, feel more connected to the surrounding community, and improve their communication and problem-solving skills for their careers. The participants appreciated the opportunity to work with the service-learning partner and will be likely to look for more opportunities to get involved in the community. Time constraints, group work, working with real clients, and technical limitations were reported as major challenges in the group project.     

Using a Critical Service-Learning Approach to Facilitate Civic Identity Development

This article highlights elements of civic engagement programs that have the rich potential to facilitate civic identity development. Focusing on research with alumni, the study examines 3 civic engagement programs, the approaches of which are guided by critical service-learning. It explores elements of the experiences that alumni name as influential to their learning, development, and present commitments to understand the ways that civic engagement programs based in a critical service-learning approach can encourage them to develop commitments to active citizenship as exemplified by Knefelkamp's (2008) vision of a mature sense of civic identity.     

论"服务学习"

服务学习有着将社区服务与学术课程结合起来的课程与教学取向.这一取向历久弥新,成为当今世界最主要的课程改革追求之一.服务学习最主要的特征包括:明确而真实的学习目标、适应真实的社区需要、儿童做决定以及分析性反思.时至今日,服务学习已经历三个历史时期,发展到制度化阶段.服务学习对学生的学术性学习成绩的提高、个性及社会性发展、公民责任感与职业意识的加强均有显著、积极的影响.而服务学习价值的体现,依赖于其高质量和创造性的实施.探讨服务学习对完善我国方兴未艾的"社区服务和社会实践"乃至整个综合实践活动课程具有不可替代的作用.     

EDITORIAL COMMENT

Service-learning is an ideal teaching approach to use in courses on the psychology of aging because it allows experiential education to be actively integrated with classroom instruction. This article describes the results of adding a service-learning option to a lecture course on the psychology of aging. For this course, service-learning took place at local nursing homes, area retirement communities, and the local community center, which houses an activity program for older adults. Each student was required to complete 30 hr community service-learning during the semester, maintain a journal, write a summary paper, join a reflection group, and participate in a group presentation. Students were involved in a wide range of activities, from assisting with a hot lunch program to spending time talking with nursing home residents. Evaluation of the effectiveness of this approach was established by using open-ended student evaluations that were completed at the end of the semester. Data were gathered over 2 years from the portion of the class (approximately one third) each semester) who chose to complete a one-credit service-learning experience. The service-learning component significantly enhanced the course experience for the students, instructor, graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants, and facilities involved. Overall, the majority of students affirmed that their participation in the service-learning project related well to the course, and facility responses to student service-learning participants were overwhelmingly positive.     

SERVICE LEARNING AND OLDER ADULTS

Youth and older adults are the most valuable sources of community volunteerism in the United States today. An important part of involving youth in service to others has been the proliferation and sophistication of service-learning programs that provide opportunities for meaningful engagement and reflection. Increasingly, service learning is recognized as an integral part of both community involvement and education, and youth are provided with growing opportunities to combine practice and knowledge. As this movement has developed, however, older adult volunteers have been largely excluded. Despite theory and observation that demonstrates older adults' desire to stay engaged in learning and service, programs providing them with structured opportunities are rare. After outlining the development and expansion of service-learning programs for youth in the United States, this paper asks the question, ''Why not service learning for elders?'' analyzes some of the potential benefits of institutionalizing such an approach, and highlights promising efforts in the field.     

Finding Community: Developing and Maintaining Effective Intergenerational Service-Learning Partnerships

As intergenerational service-learning becomes an increasingly popular means for providing gerontology and health professional students with “real-life” experience, it is essential to consider the importance of strong community partnerships. Drawing upon a range of intergenerational service-learning experiences from two programs at different universities in the Midwest, this article examines the role of community partners in intergenerational service-learning and offers strategies for developing and maintaining effective community partnerships.     

Asian Pacific Americans and Critical Race Theory: An Examination of School Racial Climate

We attempt to answer where the social justice is in service-learning by probing what it is, how it looks in the process of being institutionalized at a Jesuit university, and why it is important. We develop themes about institutionalizing service-learning from a social justice perspective. Our themes were developed through an analysis of service-learning research focused on institutionalization and social justice, and a case study of a Jesuit university attempting to institutionalize it, including five faculty action research service-learning projects. From these themes, we share lessons that we learned from this experience.     

Service-learning in early childhood teacher education: Using service to put meaning back into learning

Service-learning is defined as a teaching/learning method that connects meaningful community service with academic learning, personal growth, and civic responsibility. In this study, conducted at an American University, we describe a cascading model of integrating early childhood teacher education and service-learning for preservice teachers who then implemented the combined model in their field classrooms with young children. Examples of the projects from the two cohorts of 25 and 26 undergraduate students are provided. We demonstrate that service-learning projects provide an instructional avenue for preservice students to teach in an integrated and/or experiential manner in their field classrooms and discuss why service-learning is an appropriate and meaningful strategy to use with preservice teachers and children.     

Rearticulating Civic Engagement Through Cultural Studies and Service-Learning

Although service-learning has the potential to infuse technical communication pedagogy with civic goals, it can easily be co-opted by a hyperpragmatism that limits ethical critique and civic engagement. Service-learning's component of reflection, in particular, can become an uncritical, narrow invention or project management tool. Integrating cultural studies and service-learning can help position students as critical citizens who produce effective and ethical discourse and who create more inclusive forms of power. Rather than being tacked on, cultural studies approaches should be incorporated into core service-learning assignments.     

服务学习课程的设计：基于设计思维的实践框架

通过梳理服务学习课程设计理论和实践的相关文献，分析了我国高校服务学习课程设计的现状。根据现有文献和作者在高校服务学习课程设计中的实践经验，提出了基于设计思维的服务学习课程设计实践框架。从多元主体团队、课程目标、课程设计的过程与步骤、课程设计的技术与工具、课程的价值与产出五个维度论述其在实践中的应用，并在此框架下介绍了一门服务学习课程设计的实践案例。此外，还讨论了服务学习课程设计存在的一些挑战，尤其在评价标准、时间管理、情境限制、伦理风险等方面，须通过整合教学实践和学术研究进一步优化。     

The Value-Added Nature of Service-Learning

This research explores the benefits of service-learning among a group of Midwestern college students. Students enrolled in a section of a Juvenile Delinquency course served as volunteers at a juvenile detention facility and were studied using a pre-test/post-test survey design. This pilot project also included a comparison group of students in a section of the course which did not involve service-learning. The study compared service-learning to non-service-learning students in terms of attitudes regarding juvenile delinquency, punishment, and attributions of criminal behavior. We also examined any possible effects of service-learning on student academic skills, career goals, and comfort level with delinquents. Overall, we found that the service-learning project was a valuable educational tool having a positive impact on a number of student outcomes. We discuss the implications of these findings for service-learning research and practice.