The Effectiveness of Service-Learning: It's Not Always what you Think

Abstract

Service-learning is a teaching strategy that offers students opportunities to learn both in the classroom and in the wider world. This pedagogical tool provides students with chances to directly interact with local agencies and effect change in the community. Thus, service-learning holds the potential to broaden and significantly enhance the learning climate for students. Based on an established theoretical model of academic motivation, the present study examined the effectiveness of service-learning to enhance the learning climate across a variety of academic disciplines. More than 600 students registered in service-learning courses from more than 30 different disciplines took part in the study. Results showed that when service-learning contributes to an enhancement of the positivity of the learning climate, then positive forms of motivation, civic skills, problem solving, and appreciation of diversity significantly increased over the course of the semester. Results also showed that type of involvement, amount of in-class discussion, and reflections are important factors contributing to the effectiveness of the service-learning environment.

Board # 8 :#FunTimesWithTheTA—A Series of Fun Supplementary Lessons for Introductory Level Biomedical Instrumentation Students (Work in Progress)

“…This poses a problem when evaluating how #FunTimesWithTheTA will affect student performance in later courses as one could argue that the more motivated students would outperform their peers, with or without the supplemental lessons. Though we agree with this notion to some extent, we can still evaluate key metrics such as autonomy and competency by following the Basic Psychological Needs Scale [7], [8]. One of the key tenets of #FunTimesWithTheTA is to provide a low-risk, low-stress environment for students to explore new topics within the subject matter to further their own interests.…”

Incorporating a Practicum in TESOL Methodology Courses to Promote Service Learning

“…In a more recent study, Colby et al (2009) observed that students gained an in-depth understanding of themselves and their community through community service and service learning. Levesque-Bristol, Knapp, and Fisher (2010) also indicated that service learning contributes to an enhanced learning climate, motivation, civic skills, problem solving, and an appreciation of diversity over the course of a semester. Other studies have concluded that service learning helps students develop valuable professional skills (Bennett, Henson, & Drane, 2003;Lu & Lambright, 2010).…”

“…Service learning is organized around an academic course or curriculum that provides opportunities for students to interact directly with local agencies to effect change in the community (Levesque-Bristol, Knapp, & Fisher, 2010). Key elements to consider when implementing service learning projects are aligning the goals of the course with the goals of community partners and creating activities that foster student reflection and self-evaluation (Berman, 2006).…”

Engaging Non-Scientists in STEM Through Problem-Based Learning and Service Learning

“…Using a service learning approach, we then combined students from class with our research in the form of an extra activity to construct an environmental remediation for local lakes. We thought that a service learning approach would be benefi cial because it required students to combine the subject matter within the local context for the betterment of the community (Levesque-Bristol, Knapp, & Fisher, 2010). Th is method also aff orded a new opportunity to describe the processes involved in nutrient cycling of aquatic ecosystems.…”