Notes: Integrating Community Service and Classroom Instruction Enhances Learning: Results From an Experiment

TLDR

The study reports results of an experiment integrating service‑learning into a large undergraduate political science course to inform the educational value of community service. Students in service‑learning sections reported higher engagement, better application of course principles, greater societal awareness, improved grades, and shifts in personal values, indicating that experiential learning compensates for some classroom pedagogical weaknesses.

Abstract

To help inform discussion of the educational value of community service, we report results of an experiment in integrating service-learning into a large undergraduate political science course. Students in service-learning sections of the course were significantly more likely than those in the traditional discussion sections to report that they had performed up to their potential in the course, had learned to apply principles from the course to new situations, and had developed a greater awareness of societal problems. Classroom learning and course grades also increased significantly as a result of students’ participation in course-relevant community service. Finally, pre- and postsurvey data revealed significant effects of participation in community service upon students’ personal values and orientations. The experiential learning acquired through service appears to compensate for some pedagogical weaknesses of classroom instruction.