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Service-Learning Faculty Handbook

What is Service-Learning? Definitions and Guidelines

The goals of service-learning at Virginia Tech are consistent with the goals of the University: to provide students with a comprehensive education that prepares them to be leaders in their chosen professions as well as productive and responsible citizens in a democratic society. These definitions and guidelines for service-learning courses at Virginia Tech are adapted to help faculty who wanted to incorporate service-learning into their teaching.

Definitions of Service-Learning:
Service-learning is:
"Any carefully monitored service experience in which a student has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what he or she is learning throughout the experience." (National Society for Experiential Education, 1994).

"A method under which students learn and develop through active participation in... thoughtfully organized service experiences that meet actual community needs, that [are] integrated into the students' academic curriculum or provide structured time for [reflection, and] that enhance what is taught in school by extending student learning beyond the classroom and into the community..." (Corporation for National and Community Service, 1990).

"The union of public and community service with structured and intentional learning." (Howard Berry, 1988).

What is Service-Learning?
What is Service-Learning anyway? For over a quarter of a century, educators have grappled for a definition that best describes what service-learning is, and how it is distinct from other forms of outreach and experiential education. The hyphenation of the terms "service" and "learning" strongly suggests a balance between learning goals and service outcomes that can be achieved only through an integration of each. Service-learning, as a method of teaching and learning, emphasizes hands-on tasks that address real world concerns as a venue for educational growth.

The service experience provides a context for testing, observing, or trying out discipline-based theories, concepts or skills. Likewise, the academic context enriches the service experience by raising questions about real world concerns and providing a forum for probing these concerns in-depth. Service-learning, as an educational philosophy, fosters reciprocal learning and critical engagement, preparing students to be full and responsible participants in both their profession and their communities. Informed by John Dewey's theory of the primacy of experience (1896-1916), service-learning is interactive and democratic, engaging the whole student and transforming the learning process.

Service-Leaning as a Distinct Mode of Experiential Education
The combining of service with learning has generated an abundance of terms: action research, civic literacy, collaborative learning, community-based education, community education, community service, cooperative education, cross-cultural learning, education for social responsibility, experiential education, field studies, internships, participatory research, public service, reciprocal learning, service-learning, servant leadership , social action, study-service, volunteerism, youth service. While these terms continue to be used interchangeably, the language of service-learning has emerged because it best expresses the dialectic of meaningful community involvement with reflective learning.

Service-learning is an inclusive term, broad enough to cover initiatives that have strong research components, social justice or multicultural orientations, or leadership development objectives. Yet it is also an exclusive term that distinguishes itself from other kinds of educational and co-curricular experiences through the particular relationship of service to learning. Service-learning is distinct from other forms of outreach and experiential education because it attributes equal weight to both service and learning goals. It is curriculum based, meaning that the service work is profoundly connected to and enhanced by a proposed course of study. The service performed is done as a way of learning about concepts in a course or discipline. Likewise, the learning that occurs in the course or discipline is intended to improve students' ability to respond meaningfully to important real world concerns and problems--such as those evident at the service site.

How Service-Learning is Different From:
Volunteerism... where the primary emphasis is on the service being provided and the primary intended beneficiary is clearly the service recipient.

Community Service... where the primary focus [is] on the service being provided as well as the benefits the service activities have on the recipients. The students receive some benefits by learning more about how their service makes a difference..

Internships... [that] engage students in service activities primarily for the purpose of providing students with hands-on experiences that enhance their learning or understanding of issues relevant to a particular area of study.

Field Education... [that] provide students with co-curricular service opportunities that are related, but not fully integrated, with their formal academic studies. Students perform the service as a part of a program that is designed primarily to enhance students' understanding of a field of study, while also providing substantial emphasis on the service being provided.

From: Andrew Furco. (1996). Service-Learning: A Balanced Approach to Experiential Education. Expanding Boundaries: Service and Learning. Corporation for National Service.

Principles of Good Practice for Combining Service and Learning

The Principles of Good Practice for Combining Service and Learning is the product of a two year process by experienced practitioners to articulate what they learned and discovered to be the best practices for combining community service with student learning and development. Finalized in the spring of 1989 at the historic Wingspread Conference, hosted by the Johnson Foundation, the Principles represents the collaborative effort of more than seventy-five national and regional organizations committed to community service and experiential education. The Prnciples have since been regarded as the foundation for all effective service-learning programs by schools and campuses across the nation.

An effective program engages people in responsible and challenging actions for the common good.
An effective program provides structured opportunities for people to reflect critically on their service experience.
An effective program articulates clear service and learning goals for everyone involved.
An effective program allows for those with needs to define those needs.
An effective program clarifies the responsibilities of each person and organization involved.
An effective program matches service providers and service needs through a process that recognizes changing circumstances.
An effective program expects genuine, active, and sustained organizational commitment.
An effective program includes training, supervision, monitoring, support, recognition, and evaluation to meet service and learning goals.
An effective program insures that the time commitment for service and learning is flexible, appropriate, and in the best interests of all involved.
An effective program is committed to program participation by and with diverse populations.

Honnet, E.P., and S.J. Poulen. (1989). Principles of Good Practice for Combining Service and Learning, a Wingspread Special Report. Racine, WI: The Johnson Foundation, Inc.

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Principles Of Good Practice In Community Service Learning Pedagogy

As service-learning becomes more prevalent throughout the formal academic curriculum, service-learning faculty and administrators have deemed it necessary to augment the original Principles of Good Practice. The Johnson Foundation/Wingspread Principles, while applicable to service-learning courses, are primarily focused on non-curricular community service programs. The Principles of Good Practice in Community Service-Learning Pedagogy, prepared by Jeffrey Howard of the University of Michigan, offers a set of principles that, if followed, insure full integration of students' service experiences and course learning.

Academic Credit Is For Learning, Not For Service.
Do Not Compromise Academic Rigor.
Set Learning Goals for Students.
Establish Criteria For The Selection Of Community Service Learning Placements.
Provide Educationally Sound Mechanisms To Harvest The Community Learning.
Provide Supports For Students To Learn How To Harvest The Community Learning.
Minimize The Distinction Between The Students' Community Learning Role and The Classroom Learning Role.
Re-Think The Faculty Instructional Role.
Be Prepared For Uncertainty And Variation In Student Learning Outcomes.
Maximize The Community Responsibility Orientation Of The Course.

For the full text see: Jeffrey Howard. (1993). Community Service Learning In The Curriculum. Praxis I, A Faculty Casebook On Community Service Learning. OCSL Press. Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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MODELS OF SERVICE-LEARNING

How does service-learning work within the context of your class or department? It depends on the kind of class being taught, and the objectives of the particular course. There are several models of service-learning operating at Virginia Tech. The table below describes each model.

Course Option	Description	Example
4th Credit Option	The fourth credit option is a model that allows a student to add a community service component to an existing course for an additional credit hour.	Introduction to Women's Studies once offered students the chance to earn an extra credit by volunteering with an organization serving women and writing a journal of their experiences.
Placement	The placement model integrates an optional or required community service component in an existing course. Students select a service placement from a menu of options.	Professionalism in Computing offers students the chance to fulfill course requirements by providing technology education or assistance to schools and other nonprofits.
Service-Centered	The service-centered model builds a course around a community service experience.	Crossing the Border Through Service-Learning links Spanish language students with the immigrant Hispanic community. Students' outreach is supplemented with extensive writing and reading.
Service-Leadership	The service-leadership model connects community service with the development of leadership skills and competencies.	Exploring Leadership Praxis sections involves students in a variety of team projects that require leadership and student initiative, as an extension of their class work.
Problem Based	The problem based model incorporates the actual product of service with the course objectives.	Technical Writing requires students to produce materials for nonprofits, which are then evaluated against course objectives.
Action Research	The action research model makes the study of community problems and the application of research findings the center of service-learning activities.	Stroubles Creek Watershed Initiative is an interdisciplin-ary research project that monitors the Stroubles Creek Watershed in order to identify problems and remove it from the impaired waters list.
Disciplinary Capstone	The disciplilnary capstone model invites students to demonstrate their accumulated knowledge in a specific discipline through a project.	The Leadership minor in Management offers a capstone course that allows students to choose and implement a hands-on experience as a culmination of their work in the program.

Adapted from "Service-Learning in the Curriculum" by Sandra L. Enos and Marie L. Troppe in Service-Learning in Higher Education, pp.156-181.

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How Do Courses Become "Service-Learning"?

Traditional courses that become "service-learning" typically originate with one common idea: that students will derive more substantial benefits from the subject matter if they can connect it with personal experience and actual circumstances. From there, faculty redesign their syllabus, conceive of new writing assignments, and seek out opportunities for their students to get involved in the community. The function of the Service- Learning Center is to assist faculty in this process by providing resources, establishing institutional standards, and handling logistics such as site identification.

In order for the Center to understand the specific goals and needs of each participating faculty member, the Center provides faculty with a Faculty Course Planning Guide. The Faculty Course Planning Guide is a useful tool for working out the service and learning objectives for a course, and communicating these objectives to the Center and the site partner. The Center requests that faculty complete this worksheet at least one month prior to the start of their course, and send a copy to the Center.

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How Much Time Does Service-Learning Require?

Calculating the additional time required by service-learning depends on several factors such as your teaching style, the kind of projects you are wanting your students to do, and the amount of assistance you desire from the Service-Learning Center.

When planning a service-learning course, consider the following:
How does the service-learning experience meet the academic objectives of my class? How much course redesign is required in order to integrate a service-learning experience into my course objectives?

What kinds of experiences are best suited to my class? Are these experiences available through existing volunteer programs or extension projects, or do they require planning on my part? Do I need to meet with my community partners to clarify the kind of work I want my students to perform?

What kinds of preparation will my students need in order to fulfill the service-learning? Do the sites offer this training? Is it something that needs to be embedded in the classroom lessons? Do I need to coordinate with my community partners to ensure that my students are properly prepared and well supervised?

How will my students demonstrate learning acquired through their service-learning experiences? How will I help my students to make the connections between their service experiences and course concepts? Does the service-learning experience require additional classroom discussions or special writing projects? Or, can I weave the service-learning into the discussions and assignments I already use?

How will I assess the service-learning component of the course? Do I need to design new criteria for evaluating the hands-on learning?

Whether you apply a placement model that is coordinated by the Service-Learning Center, or design a problem-based course that requires your involvement at every step, you should figure in the following administrative tasks to your course planning:

Completing a course registration form (5-10 minutes)
Adding the service-learning requirement to your syllabus (20-30 minutes)
Explaining the service-learning component to your students (15-20 minutes)
Providing the Service-Learning Center with a copy of your syllabus (1-5 minutes)
Distributing the end of semester Evaluation form (5-10 minutes)
Completing an end of semester activity report (5-10 minutes)

How Can The Service-Learning Center Help You?

Resource Library
The Service-Learning Center maintains a collection of books, articles, pamphlets, syllabi, program models, videos and Internet links pertaining to service-learning and related topics.

Faculty Development
The Service-Learning Center hosts annual Orientation and Development Workshops at the start of the Fall and Spring semesters to provide technical support to SL faculty, as well as an annual Faculty Service-Learning Course in May.

Resource Development
The Service-Learning Center assists in procuring funds or other resources that enable faculty to revise existing courses, pursue service-oriented research, or build service projects in collaboration with the community.

Community Partnerships
The Service-Learning Center links faculty with sites whose needs are relevant to their course objectives, and facilitates communication between community organizations and schools, and the university.

Logistical Assistance
The Service-Learning Center handles logistical matters such as site descriptions, travel directions, placement, training, and, when needed, transportation to the site.

Evaluation
The Service-Learning Center provides a standard assessment and evaluation form for service-learners and site supervisors, and handles distribution and collection of these forms. In addition, the Center monitors students' progress at the sites throughout the semester.

Awards and Recognition
The Service-Learning Center sends a letter of acknowledgment to the department head of all faculty at the conclusion of the academic year. In addition, the Center will prepare letters of support that may be used for tenure or promotion upon request. The Center also recognizes 1-3 faculty annually as "Outstanding Service-Learning Educator."

The SLC can do the following for you:

Identify sites
Establish contact with community partners
Distribute brochures about procedures to your students
Present service-learning to your class during the first week of the semester
Provide descriptive information on the sites (available on-line)
Lead a (required) one-hour orientation during the second week of the semester
Place students
Provide you with information on who attended orientations, who met the application deadline, and who is placed where
Make a mid-semester e-mail contact with your students and their site supervisors
Troubleshoot for problem placements
Offer general or course-specific reflection sessions
Solicit feedback from site supervisors at the end of the semester
Collect timesheets from students (sites also have a system for recording hours)
Customize training, reflection, or assessment for your class
Provide resources to you or your students to insure the best experience possible
Showcase your project at our annual Expo in April.

What Does The Service-Learning Center Expect From You?

Communication
The Service-Learning Center expects SL faculty to communicate details about themselves, their course and their service-learners. Specifically, the Center expects faculty to:

respond within one week to requests for information;
register your course at least two months in advance of the semester;
provide the Center with a copy of the course syllabus at least two weeks prior to the first day of class;
provide a contact name, telephone number and address for any site placements arranged independent of the Center;
provide the Center with a copy of any news articles featuring their service-learning projects or students;
inform the Center of any significant incidents related to the service-learning experience.
report on service-learning activities at the end of the semester.

Cooperation
The Service-Learning Center expects SL faculty to cooperate with the Center's procedures for placing, training, monitoring and evaluating service-learners. Specifically, the Center expects faculty to:

incorporate an explanation of the service-learning component and its relationship to the course objectives into the course syllabus;
discuss the service-learning component during the first class meeting;
distribute and collect the Participant Inventory by the second class meeting; distribute and collect the Service-Learning Application (if applicable) by the end of the first week of class;
enforce all training requirements;
implement some kind of Service-Learning Agreement with their community partners and their students;
meet all due dates and encourage their students to do the same.

Collaboration
The Service-Learning Center expects SL faculty to collaborate with their colleagues and the Center in designing and implementing successful service-learning experiences for students. Specifically, the Center expects faculty to:

attend at least one Faculty Development workshop each year;
create a link between their course, program or department homepage and the SLC homepage;
nominate at least one service-learning student and one service-learning colleague for recognition at the end of the academic year;
attend and promote the annual Expo in support of service-learning at Virginia Tech.

Why Work With The Service-Learning Center?

There are distinct advantages to working with the Service-Learning Center, as compared to working independently. The most obvious advantage is the logistical and resource assistance that SL staff provide faculty. SL assistance enables faculty to focus on teaching rather than troubleshooting. The SL staff is abreast of innovative practices in the field of service-learning, and applies these practices to the particular context of Virginia Tech. Further, the SL staff has access to a wide range of resources that can enhance service-learning endeavors of faculty. These resources include academic tools such as sample syllabi or evaluation instruments as well as more practical forms of assistance such as a motor pool fund to cover students' transportation to their sites. Because the Center is a recognized academic support unit within the university, Center-related activities have institutional legitimacy. Faculty who coordinate their work with the Center are more likely to receive institutional recognition for their efforts. The Center sends the deans and department heads of all SL faculty a letter of acknowledgment which documents faculty involvement in service-learning. Further, initiatives coordinated with the Center are represented in the Center's annual report on service-learning campus-wide. Perhaps the best reason to work with the Center is the opportunity it provides faculty to coordinate their efforts across disciplines. Service-learning brings faculty into a community of educators who are concerned about making a difference. By working together on common projects, service-learning faculty and their students deepen their overall understanding of their role in society, and, as a result, have a more significant impact in the communities and societies of which they are a part

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Understanding The Placement Procedures

Because service-learning is an academic endeavor, experiences must be well formulated, structured and continually monitored through reflection and assessment. In order to promote the formation and implementation of service-learning projects that are both personally fulfilling and academically meaningful, the Center has devised a series of standard program elements. These program elements facilitate the placement procedures, as well as provide essential training and assessment guidelines for all service-learners.

The chart below describes each program element, its purpose, and its place in the semester calendar

Program Element	Purpose	Placement	Required?
Service-Learning Application (SLA)	The SLA collects contact and identification information on students, as well as requests information about project interests, talents, skills, and special needs. All service-learners complete the first section of the application. The information collected here allows us to build a database of participants. Service-learners in Placement Model coursescomplete the second section of the application. The Center uses the information in the second section to match students to their sites. The SLA is not intended to substitute for any application or screening procedure the site may have in place.	SLA's must be completed by the end of the second week of classes. Late SLA's delay placement.	Yes but be aware that portions of the application pertain to Placement Model classes only.
Participant Inventory (PI)	The PI is an anonymous survey that requests demographic and attitudinal information about participants. The Center uses this information to compile profiles about service-learners, as well as for its research on social and cognitive impacts through service-learning.	PI's are distributed at the Student Orientation. Classes not attending the Orientation should distribute the PI during the first week of the semester.	Yes
Student Handbook	The Student Handbook covers students' rights and responsibilities, as well as risk management guidelines.	The Student Handbook is available online. Key points from the Handbook are covered in the Orientation.	Yes
Student Orientation	The Orientation covers common issues students face when working in the communiy, as well as what is expected of them as service-learners. The Center's Orientation is intended to provide students with a baseline of information, but does not substitute for a site-specific orientation. Students who already participated in service-learning and attened an Orientation in the past year may opt out of the session. Students unable to attend any of the scheduled Orientations may view the online training.	Orientations are offered during the second weeks of classes.	Yes for Placement, 4th Credit Option, and Service-Centered Courses.
Service-Learning Agreement	The Agreement asks students to discuss their service and learning objectives in relation to their course and their designated service project. The Center recommends th at all courses use the Agreement form, or adapt a form that is more appropriate for their course, as a way of demonstrating a shared understanding of goals and intentions between students, site supervisors, and course instructors. The Agreement should be shared with the site supervisor.	Agreements are completed after the first or second meeting with the site supervisor--ideally by the end of the fourth week of classes.	No however it is strongly recommended that all service-learning courses develop some kind of written agreement with their community partners.
Mid-Point Checks	The Mid-Point Check is an interview conducted by e-mail or telephone whereby a Center staff person inquires about students' progress at their sites. The Center conducts these Checks as a way of determining whether or not students have begun their projects, identifying problems where intervention is needed, and offering support to students at a critical point in the semester.	The Mid-Point Check is conducted approximately 6-8 weeks into the semester.	No
Evaluation	The Evaluation is an anonymous survey that parallels the Participant Inventory. The Center uses this form to build program quality and for its research on social and cognitive impacts through service-learning.	The Evaluation is distributed during the final two weeks of the semester in the individual classes.	No However, full participation increases the reliability of our research findings.

Building A Syllabus

How clearly does your syllabus communicate the role of service-learning in achieving course goals and objectives? The first step in the process of integration is the discussion of service-learning within the context of goal selection. While goal selection is unique to each learning situation, there are some general principles that can be applied:

Principles of Effective Goal Selection

The selection of goals goes hand-in-hand with the selection of the service activities themselves...Select and structure service experiences and select goals for the experiences which comport well with the academic goals for the course and which are achievable within the particular service setting available.
The objectives need to be explicit in showing students how to relate service experiences and academic course content. Without such direction, many students will not make the connection at all, some will see the connection vaguely, and only a few will see the connection clearly.
The goals and objectives need to be expressed simply and clearly...Use quantification whenever it helps clarity.
Goals and objectives need to be written so that the instructor as well as the student can tell when they have been achieved.
If an agency (or school) is involved in the service experience it should be informed of the goals and objectives; if the agency (or school) wishes to be, it should be involved in goal and objective selection as well.
Goals and objectives need to be selected with consideration of the well-being of the service client as well as the student.

Adapted from Redesigning Curricula, Models of Service-Learning Syllabi, Katherine Jackson, ed., Campus Compact, (1994).

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Being Proactive

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for projects to suffer because one of the stakeholders fails to fulfill its responsibilities to the Service-Learning Agreement. Here are some things you can do to lessen the chances of problems in your course:

Register your course at least two months in advance of the semester.
Clarify your expectations in writing.
Meet with your community partners to discuss your common objectives.
Establish in advance procedures for communicating.
Maintain a relationship with your community partners.
Stay involved with your students?progress throughout the semester.
Be prepared for some problems. To a certain degree, these "problems" are part of students? learning curve.
Advise your students to take the initiative rather than wait needlessly for direction.
Inform the Service-Learning Center of any problems immediately.

Why Reflection?

Reflection is the key ingredient for transforming service experiences into learning. It is basic to the process of integrating service with the academic concepts presented in the classroom:

"(T)he academic payoffs of having students engage in community service are substantial when the service activity is integrated with traditional classroom instruction. The key word here is integrated. The kinds of service activities in which the students participate should be selected so that they illustrate, affirm, extend, and challenge material presented in readings and lectures. Time in class meetings should be set aside regularly for students to reflect upon and discuss what they are learning in the community. These recommendations are consistent with conclusions of others who have studied service-learning (e.g., Barber, 1992; Hedin, 1989; Station, 1990)."

Markus, G.B., J.P.F. Howard, and D.C. King. (1993). Integrating Service and Classroom Instruction Enhances Learning: Results from an Experiment. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. 15 (4): 410-419.

3 Basic Questions of Reflection	Components of Reflection
What? What will / are / have you been doing?	Analysis
So What? What will / are / have you been learning? Why is your service work needed?	Critical Thinking
Now What? What should others do about it? What are you going to do about it?	Decision Making

Virginia Campus Outreach Opportunity League. (1995). Reflections - A Resource Book.

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Reflection Activities

Discussions
Exchange of ideas between students and faculty about the subject matter of the course can provide service-learners a chance to relate their service to course concepts and share their experiences with traditional learners. Discussions need not be focused on the service aspect of the students experiences, but course concepts. Discussions offer a forum which encourages students (both traditional and service-learning) to process and relate what they are studying, doing, and learning, and is an opportunity for the instructor to emphasize key concepts through the examples provided by the students. Faculty may arrange discussions separately for service-learners and for traditional students, however this is not necessary. With content-focused discussion questions and encouragement for service-learning students to apply their service experience in the discussion, all class members can be included and benefit.

Journals
Reflective writing is a primary tool used by educators engaged in service-learning. Asking students to consider their experiences can be very effective, however, it is important to guide students in their journals so that they are not simply logs of events. The students should be encouraged to address objective events, subjective impressions, and an analytic response, at the very least, in each journal entry. In addition, some instructors include specific guided questions which assist students to integrate their experience with particular course concepts. Journals are reviewed periodically by the faculty member during the semester.

Microcosm
In the classroom, students explore a broad concept or issue by examining its impact on a local entity, incorporating the experience of the service-learning students whose service addresses the issue. For instance, students might study the availability of health care in the community by studying the local Free Clinic. Local issues and problems are a microcosm for studying broader topics.

Analytical Papers
In contrast with a traditional research papers, service-learners can incorporate examples from their service experiences with course material to demonstrate their learning. Analytical papers might include: a detailed description of the type of work they did, the environment and goals of the agency and/or project, and a summary of their experiences; an evaluation of the purpose and meaning of their service and the needs met by it, what they learned from their experience, the strengths and limitations of those addressing the issues and needs, and changes and improvements they would make in their service and the project or agency; and an integration section in which students elaborate on how their service experience related to and/or conflicted with course concepts, affected their evaluation of or changed their assumptions about the material discussed in class, demonstrated ways in which academic learning is relevant and can be applied in the community, and ways in which their experience impacted their educational and/or career goals.

Portfolios
Compiling an array of materials related to their service can help contextualize students experiences. Some service-learning portfolios consist of other reflection elements, such as a journal, a paper or presentation. They can also hold artifacts from the service project, such as pictures, brochures, as well as additions items which might relate to the service project and the course, such as newspaper clippings, articles, etc. As a practical tool, portfolios can further serve as an organizer for the various documentation for the service-learning experience, such as the time-sheet, handbook, service-learning agreement, and training materials. Both faculty and students can be very creative with the portfolio concept and find many ways to use it.

Presentations
Either group or individual presentations by service-learning students to the class can offer traditional students a chance to learn from the others' experiences. Following the same format as the analytical paper, students can describe, evaluate, and integrate their service with the course, while also using visual materials and responding to questions to convey their learning to the instructor and class.

Reading Responses
Students write about their service experience in relation to assigned course readings. The questions you formulate for their responses can be open-ended or pointed in helping students think critically about the academic material in a real-world context. This activity can be particularly valuable when the readings incorporate the similar issues as those being confronted by the service agencies and projects engaging the students.

Reflection Groups
The Service-Learning Center sponsors student reflection group sessions during the semester in which students can discuss their experiences and the meanings of their service. While reflection groups are not specific to course content, students are asked to consider how their service activities relate to the subject matter of their courses. They are also asked to talk about their activities, challenges, successes, outcomes, and reflect on how their service or project makes a difference in the community, what they have learned, and how they will use that learning in the future.

Student Forum
Electronically (by e-mail or listserv) or during in-class forum groups, students respond in writing to your discussion questions and to each other. Each student should talk about or post a response to the week's reflection question and to at least one other student's entry. Some discussion questions may be directly related to course readings, others more open-ended regarding their service or personal perceptions and experiences. You respond to students as appropriate and can use their entries in the forum for future discussion topics. A listserv allows both service-learning and traditional students to consider the values, ideas, and experiences of other students, and your questions can guide them towards integrating these with course material.

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Reflection Questions

Some questions you might present for your students to consider in discussions, journals, portfolios, student forums, and other contexts:

What expectations do you have about your service experience?
What do you think your project or the service agency will be like?
What do you think you will do and what impact do you think you will have?
What are the social issues that this project or service agency addresses?
How does this project or agency address community needs?
What are the causes of those community needs?
How do people contribute to this problem?
How do we help to solve it?
Did anything surprise you? If so, what?
What did you do today that made you feel that you made a difference? Why?
Did anything happen that made you feel uncomfortable? If so what, and why do you think it made you feel this way?
What did you do that seemed to be effective or ineffective in service to others?
How does your understanding of the community change as a result of your participation in this project?
How can you continue your involvement with this group or social issue?
How can you educate others or raise awareness about this group or social issue?

(Virginia Campus Outreach Opportunity League. (1995). Reflections - A Resource Book.)

What is the most positive thing that happened in your service experience this week?
What are the most difficult and most satisfying parts of your work? Why?
What do you think is your most valued contribution of your project?
Is there a person or activity you finding interesting or challenging in your project?
How do you see your role with this project? How does that compare with how others may see your role?
Have you learned from any disappointments or successes of your project?
Has there been a problem situation that you want to discuss with your supervisor or instructor?
How is your service relevant to the readings and discussions in class?
How does your service experience connect to your long-term goals?

(Center for Public Policy & Service, Mesa Community College. Student Guide for Service-Learning.)

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Recommendations For Student Assessment

In order to ensure academic integrity, it is essential that service-learning be used in conjunction with rigorous evaluation. Assessment should be based on students'demonstration of how they are integrating the service experience to course content--not for service performed. The following recommendations are guidelines for how to conduct assessment of service-learners.

An assignment or activity, such as a journal, is needed to provide evidence of how the student connects the service to the course content.
By helping students to distinguish between description and analysis, between emotional reactions and cognitive observations, faculty help them to transform service experiences into learning experiences.
Evaluation of service-learning occasionally makes use of subjective evaluation in the same way that traditional courses sometimes make use of subjective evaluation.
There is not a one-to-one correspondence between hours served and knowledge gained or credit earned.
Nevertheless, a certain minimum of service hours may be needed to provide an experience of significant depth.
Effective fourth credit option programs require a component that explicitly links the service to the course, for example, a learning contract and / or a journal assignment.
To preserve the academic integrity of service-learning, credit is not awarded for hours of service but rather for demonstrated learning based on service.
Extra hours of service should not necessarily yield extra credit.
Giving early and regular extended feedback on students' journal entries is a critical part of teaching students how to develop their reflection skills.

Troppe, Marie. (1995). Common Cases: Philosophy of Evaluation in Service-Learning Courses, Connecting Cognition and Action: Evaluation of Student Performance in Service-Learning Courses, Campus Compact's Project on Integrating Service With Academic Study.

Sample Tools for Assessing Learning

Service-learning agreement
Guided journals
Reflection papers
Class discussions
Class presentations
Portfolios
Group projects
"Product" of service
Case studies
Incident reports

It is recommended that you use two or more assessment tools in a class.

Sample Criteria for Assessing Learning

Are specific course concepts clearly identified and accurately defined?
Are the concepts discussed in relation to the students? experiences at the site?
Does the student reveal new insights or pose new questions as a result of their experiences at the site?
Does the student use skills of analysis and critical thinking when discussing their experiences at the site?

Adding Value To Your Teaching:

Service-Learning & The Tenure And Review Process

For many faculty, integrating service-learning with traditional course content is an innovative yet risky experiment in teaching. What can you do to demonstrate that your innovative efforts are worthwhile and ultimately add value to your teaching? The following suggestions are points you may want to consider when compiling a self-statement for the tenure and review process:

Highlight the effects of service-learning on teaching and research.
Describe a new or revised service-learning class as a teaching innovation.
Note publications arising from service-learning course(s).
Describe presentations on service-learning.
Highlight innovations in teaching derived from service-learning.
Include excerpts from student reflection journals (with student permission) that detail what students have learned.
Solicit external letters from students and colleagues that attest to the impact of the service-learning endeavor.

Adapted from the Lowell Bennion Community Service Center guidelines at the University of Utah in conjunction with Faculty Friends, 1993-1996.

RESOURCES ON RECOGNIZING SERVICE IN THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
Hirsch, Deborah, and Lynton, Ernest, (1995). Bridging Two Worlds: Professional Service and Service-learning, University of Massachusetts at Boston: New England Resource Center for Higher Education, Fall.

Lynton, Ernest A., (1995). Making the Case for Professional Service, Washington, D.C.: American Association for Higher Education.

O'Meara, Kerry Ann, (1997). Rewarding Faculty Professional Service, University of Massachusetts at Boston: New England Resource Center for Higher Education.

available in the Service-Learning Center

Works Cited

Berry, Howard A. (1988). Service-Learning in International/Intercultural Settings. Experiential Education.

Bradle, James. (1995). A Model for Evaluating Student Learning in Academically Based Service. Connecting Cognition and Action: Evaluation of Stuent Performance in Service-Learning Courses. Campus Compact Project on Integrating Service With Academic Study.

Center for Public Policy & Service, Mesa Community College. Student Guide For Service-Learning.

Corporation for National and Community Service. (1990). National and Community Service Act of 1990.

Furco, Andrew. (1996). Service-Learning: A Balanced Approach to Experiential Education. Expanding Boundaries: Service and Learning. Corporation for National Service.

Honnet, E.P., and S.J. Poulen. (1989). Principles of Good Practice for Combining Service and Learning, Wingspread Special Report. Racine, WI: The Johnson Foundation, Inc.

Howard, Jeffrey. (1993). Community Service Learning in the Curriculum. Praxis I, A Faculty Casebook on Community Service Learning. Ann Arbor, MI: OCSL Press.

Kendall, Jane C. (1990). Combining Service and Learning: An Introduction. Combining Service and Learning: A Resource Book for Community and Public Service, Volume I.

Korthagen, Fred. A.J. (1993). Measuring the Reflective Attitude of Prospective Mathematics Teachers in the Netherlands. European Journal of Teacher Education. 16(3): 225-236.

Markus G.B., J.P.F. Howard, and D.C. King. (1993). Integrating Service and Classroom Instruction Enhances Learning: Results from an Experiment. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. 15 (4):410-419.

Morton, Keith. (1993). Reflection In The Classroom. Rethinking Tradition: Integrating Service With Academic Study on College Campuses. Colorado: Education Commission Of the States.

National Society for Experiential Education. (1994). Partial List of Experiential Learning Terms and Their Definitions.

Sigmon, Robert L., (1994). Serving to Learn, Learning to Serve. Linking Service with Learning. Council or Independent Colleges Report.

Troppe, Marie. 1995. Common Cases: Philosophy of Evaluation in Service-Learning Courses. Connecting Cognition and Action: Evaluation of Student Performance in Service-Learning Courses. Campus Compact Project on Integrating Service With Academic Study.

Virginia Campus Outreach Opportunity League. (1995). Reflections: A Resource Book