Surveying the Syllabus: What Syllabi Communicate About Service-Learning at Four-Year Institutions

Abstract

Seeking to advance knowledge and understanding of service-learning, this study analyzed how 270 syllabi from 193 four-year institutions that were recipients of the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement communicated frameworks and expectations of service-learning courses. Findings revealed variance in how syllabi identified, defined, and discussed service-learning as well as differences in how syllabi communicated the work and expectations of service experiences tied to courses. Specifically, findings revealed that numerous terms and definitions invoked throughout syllabi are used to describe academic work linked to community-based experiences. Findings also revealed a lack of clarity within syllabi regarding community work (e.g., whether service was mandatory or optional, the time required in service, whether credit was awarded for service) as well as a lack of specifics on community partnerships. Through this survey of the field, syllabi were used to visualize service-learning practice, explore its contours, and raise pertinent questions that invite further examination about the field.