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Center for Teaching Excellence Division of Student Success

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What is Service Learning?

Service learning is a method of teaching that combines classroom instruction with meaningful community service or practice. It models the idea that giving something back to the community is an important college outcome (Kuh, 2008). This form of learning emphasizes critical thinking and personal reflection, while encouraging a heightened sense of community, civic engagement, and personal responsibility. Service learning is an innovative high-impact practice that is gaining increased attention in higher education. Educational research suggests that service learning, along with other high-impact practices, increases rates of student retention and student engagement. According to Brownell and Swaner (2010) this practice is thought to lead to higher levels of student performance, learning, and development than traditional classroom experiences.

What is the purpose of a Service Learning Program?

Service Learning,

  • meets the unique needs of new generations of students
  • leads to desirable learning and personal development outcomes
  • gives students direct experience with issues they are studying in the curriculum and with ongoing efforts to analyze and solve problems in the community (Kuh, 2008)
  • connects community service to the classroom by giving students the opportunity to both apply what they are learning in real-world settings and reflect in a classroom setting on their service experiences (Kuh, 2008)
  • brings the resources of the institution on important local, national, and international problems
  • is good student preparation for citizenship, work, and life (Kuh, 2008).

What are the components of a successful Service Learning program? 

(Brownell & Swaner, 2010)

  • Create opportunities for student reflection.
  • Ensure that faculty connect classroom material with the service experience.
  • Require enough service hours to make the experience significant.
  • Focus on the quality of the service, ensuring that students have direct contact with clients.
  • Oversee activities at the service site.

Why Should Faculty integrate service learning to their course?

(Loyola University New Orleans)

  • Service learning can help students learn more and be more engaged during class time.
  • More than three-quarters of faculty who teach service learning classes report that it brings positive recognition from departments, colleges, and professional associations or networks.
  • Service learning is a form of community engagement which can enhance a faculty member's CV.  Service learning can also be considered in promotion and tenure decisions.
  • 80% of faculty who have taught a service learning course say the experience gave them new teaching ideas.
  • Service learning can generate ideas and partnerships for community-based research and scholarly projects.

Resources 

Ballard, Sh. M., & Elmore, B. (2009). A labor of love: Constructing a service-learning syllabus. The Journal of Effective Teaching,9(3), 70-76.

Brownell, J.E., & Swaner, L. E.  (2010). Five high-impact practices: Research on learning outcomes, completion, and quality.  Association of American Colleges & Universities.

Kuh, G. D.  (2008).  High-Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access to Them, and Why They Matter.  Association of American Colleges & Universities. (High-Impact Educational Practices: A Brief Overview)

UTRGV Service Learning Course Designation http://www.utrgv.edu/engaged/

How To Designate Your Service Learning Course sl-designation-faculty-resource-packet.pdf (utrgv.edu)

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