Syllabus Course Description

Service Learning is a teaching method that combines meaningful, “real-life” service with community organizations, enhanced academic reflection on the course material and developing skills and knowledge for active civic engagement.

First, Service Learning is a method of teaching. It enhances the academic learning for the course, especially for students who “learn by doing,” by providing “real life” situations from which students can immediately see the importance of their course work, apply concepts, principles, skills, etc… for the course, establish cognitive “anchors” that facilitate memorization of course material and bolster a holistic view of the course related to their program or degree. In general, the writing is enhanced, reading is “meaningful” and communication skills develop rapidly.

Second, Service Learning students provide meaningful service to their own community and society through a partnership with local non-profit organizations. In order for the service to be meaningful, it must be directly related to the goals of the course (tutoring English for English courses; math for math courses; human rights for an Ethics course; environmental work for Environmental Science; etc…) and the students must be given responsibilities throughout the service. The service cannot be stacking and filing papers, although it must be beneficial to the clients of the organization and society in general. This is not volunteer work. The students cannot fail or give up on the organization or they would fail the course.

Third, Service Learning develops ideas, values, knowledge and skills for active citizenship. The original purpose of higher education was to “create an informed citizenry,” and service learning can be a powerful tool towards the fulfillment of that purpose. In any service learning course, students can reflect on their work in the community and recognize how change happens and power is used, how to analyze problems and present solutions, when resources are necessary and where to get them, etc… The development of an informed citizenry ought to be a goal for any and all service learning courses.

The primary benefits of service learning are academic. The students benefit academically in that they are more engaged in their course work, develop creative and critical thinking skills through reflection and discussion, and can apply ideas and principles in real life situations. In addition to academic benefits, students develop relationships with community leaders, learn the knowledge and skills of active citizenship, and gain experiences in community organizations and public work. As a result of these benefits, service learning students frequently enhance their resumes, get internships and paid jobs, and win scholarships as a result of their service learning experiences. Service Learning is one way that a future employer can KNOW that a student has the knowledge and skills to succeed in that career – so students should keep records of all their service learning work and maintain those relationships!

Service Learning, Volunteering, and Internships*
*(from http://servicelearning.boisestate.edu)

Service Learning is NOT VOLUNTEER WORK NOR AN INTERNSHIP. Here are the differences:

Service-Learning is a course requirement. It ensures that students not only participate in course-related service but also reflect upon what they are doing, relate it to the class, and evaluate what they are learning. The service is intended to equally benefit the student and the service recipient; sometimes there is tension in this balance.
Volunteering is a worthwhile and important activity, but students generally do not learn from volunteering in the same way; they do not connect it to classroom instruction and academic course content. The primary emphasis is on the service, not the learning.
Internships often focus on learning job skills instead of serving the community, whereas Service Learning emphasizes students’ contributions to the community at the same time as they use the service as a vehicle for learning course material.
Service-Learning experiences can often lead to internships, jobs, scholarships, etc... SL provides students with shorter-term community experiences which can help them refine or redirect their goals for longer internships.