A large American university in the southeastern United States has infused experiential learning into academic courses to create a national model that is both sustainable and replicable. The EXL Scholars Program has consistently shown growth and significant positive outcomes by providing students with opportunities for hands-on experiences in their…

Background: Although past studies of service-learning focus on assessing student growth, few studies address how to support students in applying theory to their service-learning experiences. Yet, the task of applying theory is a central component of critical reflections within the social sciences in higher education and often causes anxiety among…

Scholars widely agree that community-engaged learning can significantly improve the learning experience for students while simultaneously having a positive impact on the community. This paper explores student perceptions in online pre-professional undergraduate courses in the legal studies and human resources management fields in which…

This article addresses the issue of the theory-practice divide in pre-service teacher education from the viewpoint of design-based research (DBR). Using the example of a course in service learning (SL), the authors discuss their reflection on a curriculum that failed to help the students convert declarative knowledge to procedures of pedagogy, or…

While John Dewey's learning theory has been widely credited as the essential theoretical underpinnings of service learning, lesser attention has been paid to his concept of moral imagination regarding its immense potentials in nurturing college students' moral growth in service learning. This article explores Dewey's framework of moral imagination…

This paper discusses Service-learning within an Australian higher education context as pedagogy to teach about inclusive education. Using Deleuze and Guattari's (1987) model of the rhizome, this study conceptualises pre-service teachers' learning experiences as multiple, hydra and continuous. Data from reflection logs of pre-service teachers…

University faculty and outreach program directors have been called to deliver more effective, equitable, and sustainable ways in which neighborhood and university communities may creatively interact. The authors report on the case of the Pittsburgh Studio, an initiative that matches students and resident stakeholders in researching local issues…

This document provides some guidance to those who are exploring the connections between service-learning and evaluation. Categories are defined in the document by highlighting the following seven questions: (1) What do I need to know about the important issues involved in evaluating my service-learning program? (2) Do you have a model of…

This paper develops a rhetorically centered model of community literacy in the theoretical and practical context of local publics--those spaces where ordinary people develop public voices to engage in intercultural inquiry and deliberation. Drawing on fifteen years of action research in the Community Literacy Center and beyond, the authors…

Describes the development of a graduate education technology course at the University of Massachusetts based on a service-learning model in which the goal was to apply academic theory to the practical requirements of a resource-strapped school district by assigning advanced graduate students to address educational technology needs. (Author/LRW)

This book focuses on the enormous potential of service learning to enhance the learning process for college students by melding cognitive learning and affective service. Conclusions are based primarily on data from two national research projects, one which compared models of service learning using survey data and intensive student interviews, and…

Service learning is valuable in connecting students with the world outside the classroom, resulting in a more just society for the future. However, many so-called service learning projects develop no clear link between service and learning, and lose their potential for turning students into agents of social change. Using the National Association…

Describes the community service learning (CSL) activities of the Students Teaching Students program at LEAD USA in Williamstown (Massachusetts), a program that lets students set their own learning goals and receive college credit for CSL. The Berkshire Energy Project through Williams College, one model of this program, is described. (SLD)

This paper describes the development of a new university physics course designed to integrate physics, education, research, and community partnerships. The coordinated system of activities links the new course to local community efforts in pre-college education, university education, university outreach, and research on teaching and learning. As…

This document contains 11 papers on researching service learning through a multidisciplinary lens. The following papers are included: "Introduction" (Shelley H. Billig, Andrew Furco); "Stretching to Meet the Challenge: Improving the Quality of Research to Improve the Quality of Service-Learning" (Janet Eyler);…