What exactly is Service-Learning and how does it differ from community service, internships, and other experiential learning?
There are three requirements for a program to be considered Service-Learning:
- Placements must meet a real community or school need
- The service must be integrated into the student's academic program, and
- There must be time in the classroom for structured reflection (National and Community Service Act, 1990)
Service provides students with a context for the application of course material, so it is important for the instructor to fully integrate service into course goals and objectives. Reflection is a critical element in this integration.
I am a busy faculty member but I'd like to incorporate service-learning into my curriculum. How can I do it without "reinventing the wheel?"
Service-Learning has been an accepted pedagogy for almost 20 years. Research articles, books, and discipline-specific materials are widely available, or you can visit our
useful links page.
But I'd like something a bit more structured. Isn't there a way to learn about this pedagogy now so that I might begin using it right away?
Yes. The University of Idaho was awarded a FIPSE dissemination grant for faculty development (2001-2003). The FIPSE grant concluded; however Faculty Fellow Seminars are still offered every semester. Interested faculty may apply to participate. This training provides participants with the essential readings in service-learning along with guidelines for fully integrating service-learning into an appropriate course.