Where's the Learning in Service-Learning?

Where’s the Learning in Service-Learning

Institutionalizing service learning in higher education : to change or not to change?

While academic service learning has grown in popularity across disciplines and universities, the pedagogical strategies for service learning courses vary greatly, especially for courses focused on development in underserved communities. Ideally, service learning pedagogy should place equal importance on student and community benefits, build reciprocal relationships with community partners, and engage students in deep reflection about social cultural and economic issues. In designing a new service learning elective course to engage students in a rural town revitalization project, we intentionally framed the course to meet the aforementioned goals. We used a three-component service learning pedagogy model that: (1) embedded the course in an existing university–community partnership; (2) mobilized interdisciplinary teams of students for community-identified projects; and (3) promoted reflection on complex economic and social justice issues by integrating students' processing through blog, faculty–student–com...

Framing Service Learning in Social Work: An Interdisciplinary Elective Course Embedded within a University–Community Partnership

Service-learning is a pedagogical approach that integrates students’ classroom instruction with community experience. This article discusses qualitative results from a national survey examining service-learning in Council on Social Work Education–accredited baccalaureate programs. Almost 80% of the 202 program respondents required service-learning. They reported that benefits of incorporating service-learning in the BSW curriculum include assisting students in building community connections, applying theory and skills, socializing to the social work profession, and increasing self-awareness and exposure to diverse populations. Cited challenges include securing agency sites, time, and logistics. Findings support existing research suggesting that service-learning may benefit social work undergraduate education.

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Benefits and Challenges of Service-Learning in Baccalaureate Social Work Programs

Service learning is a powerful pedagogical tool linking community service to academic learning. Several steps are necessary to implement service learning effectively into the curriculum. This study uses a case example as an exploratory study to pilot-test data on how service learning impacts student outcomes. The paper will (1) provide an overview of the literature on service learning, (2) explain a model for incorporating service learning into graduate social work courses, (3) identify specific student issues in implementation, and (4) demonstrate how service learning can enhance the outcomes for educational policy and accreditation standards competencies in an advanced organization and community practice course.

Evelyn Marie Campbell

Papers

Implementing Service Learning into a Graduate Social Work Course: A Step-by-Step Guide