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Advocate Online
Thriving in Academe
Issues To Consider
Frequently Asked Questions
 Where do I find a community partner?
Start with course objectives. Identify and talk to groups who might need your students' services. Persistence pays off, but if you consistently get negative responses, examine why. Some groups may be limited in the time they can devote to students or restrained by concerns about liability. Others may be reluctant because of perceptions they hold about students, faculty, or the institution. New relationships can take time to develop. Also, once you find a community partner, don't forget to honor their contribution. Recognition of both the community and the students' work is an important component of successful service learning.
Is there a way to make service learning more manageable?
Start small, perhaps by limiting the number of community partners you work with and the size of the initial project. If you really want to take on a larger project, consider spreading it over multiple semesters or partnering with other faculty. Also, set realistic expectations. Talk with your community partner about reasonable time commitments, student productivity, and project outcomes.
How do I do service learning and cover all the course content too?
Treat service learning as an integral part of the course rather than an add-on. That said, you may need to rethink some of your priorities for the course. Effective service learning should help meet your course objectives, not add to them.
Should I make participation mandatory?
This is subject to debate. Personally, I think it depends on the goals of the class and the type of project. For options that involve a lot of off-campus work I typically offer comparable (albeit less attractive) alternatives. I do require participation, however, when the class project itself offers students a variety of activities to choose from.
How many hours of service are reasonable?
This varies greatly depending on the class and project. For optional assignments, I require a minimum of 20 hours per semester for introductory classes and 30 hours for upper-level and graduate classes. For mandatory experiences, I usually do not set hours, but instead have students work toward task completion.
What about grading service learning performance?
Grades should be given for learning rather than service (in the same way that reading the assigned text is not graded, but performance based on the reading is). Graded assignments (e.g., papers, presentations, and/or a portfolio that requires students to integrate their service experiences with specific course content) should focus on what students have learned.
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References & Resources
Several service learning links, as well as information on the programs described here may be found at www.stcloudstate.edu/
gerontology.
Click on “Service-Learning” and/or “Kaleidoscope.” Also, see the AAHE's 20 volume series on Service Learning in the disciplines: http://styluspub.com/books/
SeriesDetail.aspx?id=1203.
Bringle, R. & Hatcher, J. (1999). Reflection in service learning: Making meaning of experience. Educational Horizons, 179-185.
Campus Compact (2000). Introduction to Service Learning Toolkit: Readings and Resources for Faculty. Providence, RI: Campus Compact.
Eyler, J. & Giles, D. (1999). Where's the Learning in Service Learning? San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Furco, A. (1996). “Service-learning: A Balanced Approach to Experiential Education.” Expanding Boundaries: Serving and Learning. Cooperative Education Association, Columbia , MD.
Gelmon, S., Holland , B., Driscoll, A., Spring, A., & Kerrigan, S. (2001). Assessing Service Learning and Civic Engagement: Principles and Techniques. Providence, RI: Campus Compact.
Heffernan, K. (2001). Fundamentals of Service Learning Course Construction. Providence, RI: Campus Compact.
Howard, J. (Ed.) (1993). Praxis I: A Faculty Casebook on Community Service Learning. Ann Arbor, MI: OCSL, Press.
Karasik, R. (2005). Whispers and Sighs: The Unwritten Challenges of Service-Learning. In S. Chadwick Blossey & D. Robertson, (Ed.) To Improve the Academy: Vol. 23.
Resources for Faculty, Instructional, and Organizational Development (pp. 236-253). Bolton. MA: Anker.
Rhoads, R. A. & Howard, J. (Eds.). (1998). Academic Service Learning: A Pedagogy of Action and Reflection. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
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