Community service learning (CSL) activities in undergraduate programs are associated with improvements in self-efficacy (confidence related to performing a specific task) and academic achievement. This study aimed to understand the impact of a CSL assignment on self-efficacy related to teaching community members about evidence-based nutrition and…

This paper draws on the author's experience of developing a short-term, intensive international learning experience within the framework of a one-semester course. This paper is aimed at faculty members who are interested in implementing a short but effective and authentic international learning opportunity, but who may not have expertise in issues…

In this expository essay, four faculty members co-reflect on the pedagogy used within one first-year course at a small Canadian university. We discuss the responsibility of facilitating five process-based pedagogical approaches. These complex and interrelated processes include: i) self-directed learning, ii) reflexive intra-personal learning, iii)…

If we want our teaching to have a major impact on student learning, what are some ideas that can help us do that? Since 1990, the scholars of teaching and learning have been generating a wealth of new ideas about college-level teaching. All of these are good ideas, but which ones have the most potential to have a high impact on student engagement…

This qualitative study examined fourth-year undergraduate students' responses to reflective writing prompts and journal entries related to their practical experiences in two capstone courses, both based in SBL/PBL pedagogies. We examined their "strategic" approaches to learning that make engagement with subject matter and learning…

Our service learning research includes assessment of reflective assignments done by students who apply theoretical knowledge in practical, real-life contexts by working with actual clients. For many of these students our classes are a departure from traditional forms of learning, and a challenge to their ability to apply what they know in often…

In recent years, there has been a dynamic shift in the role of the university student through the creation and promotion of experiential learning opportunities on campuses across the country. Many post-secondary programs now include co-op placements, practicums, or internships where students can apply theoretical knowledge to real-world settings.…

The purpose of this paper is to share my experiences as the instructor of a full-time, single semester, service-learning capstone course. In this innovative course students already volunteering in the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) organization work in teams to identify community needs and address them using their business skills and knowledge…

This paper shares the survey results of students' perceptions of the benefits of their experiences with service learning. The service learning experiences were related to children and their physical growth and development and/or to children and their health education. An open-ended questionnaire was sent to 376 graduated students (representing 11…

Research points to the pedagogical value of an engaged and community service-learning approach to developing understanding of course content (Astin, Vogelgesang, Ikeda, & Yee, 2000). To help students achieve a better understanding of how the discipline of psychology contributes to the discipline of law, some students in a second year…

The purpose of this paper is to share our experiences involving a creative approach to service learning that was implemented in a Human Development and Family Studies graduate course. In our departmental pursuit of evolving scholarship and promoting scholarly teaching and learning (Kopera-Frye, Hilton, & Cavote, 2003), this course represents…

This paper will highlight an innovate practice in teaching and learning by reflecting on two fourth-year sociology seminar classes that participated in a community-based learning project at York University. Fifty students collaborated in three to six person teams to work on a problem/issue identified by one of five not-for-profit organizations who…