Service-learning practices vary drastically across programs, courses, and locations with little consideration for these variations in the research. This study serves as an introduction to a research agenda exploring the components of service-learning practices--particularly those "best practices" recommended with little or no basis in the current research--in an effort to better understand the impacts of the variations in these methods. The researchers analyzed relationships between student choice in selecting placements for their service-learning requirements and students' academic and civic learning outcomes. Chi-square analyses found significant relationships between student choice and students' self-reported academic and civic learning outcomes. For all variables, heightened restrictions on student choice was associated with a decrease in students' learning outcomes.