Service-learning in engineering

Abstract

Service learning is a pedagogy that integrates academic learning with community-based work. Service learning has been widely adopted within higher education nationally in many disciplines and offers engineering a compelling environment to meet many of the EC 2000 criteria that may be difficult to integrate into traditional engineering courses. There is also a growing case that service learning presents opportunities to attract underrepresented groups to engineering through the context of community-based projects. Despite the vast potential for service learning, engineering has lagged behind most other disciplines in the acceptance of this pedagogy. To encourage more widespread adoption of service learning within engineering, a panel session presents several successful models of engineering service learning and discuss the benefits and outcomes of the programs. This paper provides overviews of the participants' service learning programs along with contact information.