Data from 214 students in adult development and aging classes (117 participated in service learning) indicated that service learning did not seem to affect social values, civic attitudes, or achievement. It did result in improved understanding of course concepts, dispelled myths about aging, and reinforced career choices. (SK)

Content analysis of reflections of 104 students involved in service learning revealed the following outcomes: insights about aging and older adults, enhanced self-worth and efficacy, appreciation of the value and importance of service, awareness of the realities of long-term care, consolidated career goals, and integration of coursework and…

Provides an overview of practical methods and tools for assessment planning and implementation for service learning and civic engagement projects conducted by colleges and universities. Offers suggestions to help readers design their own program assessment plans. (SLD)

Studied a project undertaken by 21 undergraduates enrolled in an American University Washington Semester Program seminar using the collaborative teaching/lawyering method of clinical legal education. Results show that this type of community service learning can be incorporated into undergraduate courses. (SLD)

Describes problem-based learning, in which students encounter and solve a problem through reasoning and identifying learning needs, typically through a group process. Provides a rationale and guidelines to use problem-based learning effectively to strengthen service learning curricula. (SLD)

To determine the effects of a service-learning experience, first year pharmacy students were surveyed on their perceptions regarding: (1) cultural diversity, the elderly, the poor, and the disabled; (2) community service and social support; and (3) their service learning assignment. The experience positively impacted their perceptions regarding…

Examines service learning as a bridge between practical courses such as professional communication, which are linked to the market economy, and the ideal of public service. Explores the charge of "vocationalism" regarding service learning and describes a partnership with a non-profit organization over several semesters that illustrates…

Service learning requires faculty and students to step away from habitual methods. It necessitates a culture change in organizations. Examples from nursing education illustrate how it can enrich teaching and learning. (SK)

Discusses service-learning programs, focusing on school-based programs that give students the opportunity to apply academic and nonacademic skills to real-life situations. Outlines some keys to effective programs, illustrated by the experiences of a charter school in Hoboken, New Jersey. (SLD)

Provides the first reliable national U. S. estimates of the percentage of public schools incorporating service-learning into their course curriculum. Also provides the most recent data on school engagement in community service. Sixty-four percent of all public schools and students participate in community service activities. (Author/SLD)

Presents a seven-step development model that professors new to service learning can use to prepare and conduct a service-learning course. The steps are: define student learning outcomes; define personal scholarship outcomes; plan community collaboration; design the course; arrange logistics and create forms; reflect, analyze, and deliver; and…

Community health nursing students performed community assessments and proposed and implemented service learning projects that addressed adolescent smoking in middle schools, home safety for elderly persons, industrial worker health, and sexual abuse of teenaged girls. Students learned to apply epidemiological research methods, mobilize resources,…

In implementing community service programs, camps need to develop safe, specific projects. Key planning points for service projects are presented. Risk management considerations specific to community service projects include developing guidelines for camper interaction with the public; discussing first-aid and emergency precautions, including…

Purpose: A collaborative partnership model was used to develop and implement a state-wide community education program on universal design. Design and Methods: University faculty, extension professionals, older adult service agencies, service learning students, and a community retail chain made up the original partnership. Results: This…

Service learning has moved into the mainstream of American higher education as an effective pedagogical approach to improving the teaching and learning of course content, but it has not sufficiently addressed the civic dimensions of the disciplines. The next phase of service learning's development must focus on the achievement of civic learning…