A Practical Guide for Designing a Course with a Service-Learning Component in Higher Education

Abstract

Developing course with service-learning component includes several factors. One common mistake among faculty members involves the practice of sending students into the community without plan for connecting the experience with the learning objectives of the course. Invariably, the service component is where the experience ends for the students and the learning objectives fail to be key element of the experience. The purpose of this article is to provide faculty members with several considerations necessary for designing an effective course with service-learning component that will make lasting impression on both the students and community partner. During span of more than 50 years, general societal perceptions of institutions of higher education have grown increasingly cynical. Many view institutions of higher education as place where the self-serving interests of faculty and administration have overwhelmingly taken precedence over societal needs despite continuously growing problems plaguing local communities (Boyer, 1990; Lawson, 1997). This ominous perception is not completely without merit as many institutions and their respective faculty members have demonstrated indifference to growing problems within society. In recent years, however, shift of research priorities in higher education has taken place, whereby the boundaries of research have expanded to make community-based service efforts viable form of scholarship (Boyer, 1990). One example of this shift became evident with the emergence of service-learning, which combines elements of teaching and learning with specifically designed forms of service to the community. Service-learning is defined as, a course-based credit bearing experience in which students (a) participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs (b) reflect on the service in such way as to gain further understanding of the course content, broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility (Bringle & Hatcher, 1995, p. 112). For more than decade, servicelearning has emerged as pedagogy that has created partnerships between many universities and their surrounding communities. It has paved pathway from the university directly into the communities addressing specific identified needs. Moreover, it has helped students connect with course content through applied experiences and improves academic achievement in way that transcends traditional classroom learning (Furco & Root, 2010). Service-learning differs from community service in that the emphasis placed on learning is the cornerstone of the experience for students (Pederson, Woolum, & Gagne, 2007). In community service, the emphasis focuses primarily on the service component. Service-learning accentuates both the service and the learning as the two learning aspects merge through critical reflection, which continues throughout the experience. By applying classroom content to community settings, service-learning is way to provide authenticity and purpose for classroom learning. Conversely, community service merely calls attention to the techniques and skills of volunteerism. When making the decision to develop course with service-learning component, faculty member is actually making several commitments. First, commitment is made to the students whereby the experience of being actively engaged in the process of serving community partner will enhance and elevate the learning experience. The idea is to create learning opportunities that transcend those typically seen in traditional classroom formats. Second, the faculty member is making commitment to the community partner. This commitment is made when the community partner's needs are identified and the resources to be provided are determined through extensive dialogue. This is an important part of the process that simply cannot be taken for granted. …