“Tell me, I will forget. Show me, I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand.” Chinese Proverb
The citizen leader (Canisius, where leaders are made) concept unites with volunteerism (men and women for others) and forms the complete student: the union of academics and the heart and spirit of the student.
Service-learning (SL) is a pedagogical method that engages students in organized service activities and guided reflection. The service activities benefit the client or community and, in combination with reflection, enhance the academic curriculum of participating students. Teaching and learning are informed by the realities of the world, and service is informed by theoretical and conceptual understanding. SL is different from traditional conceptions of community service or field experiences. It is an educational experience in which:
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Students learn course content as a result of the community service they perform
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Students apply course content in a community setting
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Students are provided time and opportunity for reflection on the experience
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The relationship among participants is collaborative and the benefits are reciprocal
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The service is with, rather than for, the community partner
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Community partners reap benefits from the program, while student participants gain valuable knowledge and skills
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Service-learning is done in an area of one’s expertise.
Origins of SL: Traced to the teaching and works of John Dewey and Jane Addams. Dewey’s teachings of reflection, progressivism, pragmatism and student centeredness can be seen as a critical link to today’s SL. Paulo Freire’s (1974) liberationist pedagogy and literacy work with Brazilian peasants added a critical approach.
Other ways of presenting SL follow:
SL is differentiated from volunteerism by its attention to reflection.
As an educational method, service learning provides students with fertile ground on which to test theories acquired in the classroom and to concretize abstract thought.
When students serve and study concurrently, they become more thoughtful and reliable volunteers.
Much research has indicated that students involved in service-learning courses agree that their service experience helped them better understand the course, and they benefited personally, also.
SL is also “values education.” The development and formation of values arises out of a social consciousness of the situation of the other, especially the other who is deprived in some way.
The integration of SL into an undergraduate or graduate course has five key components:
- Service activities may be required or optional
- Clear connections exist between service activities and the academic discipline
- Service activities benefit the client or community in a meaningful way
- Students engage in a carefully articulated reflection process around the service, the discipline and themselves
- Faculty assess the student learning outcomes of the service experience
The number of hours required can vary but generally 20 hours spread over a semester is the suggested norm. If that is not feasible, then adjustments can be made.
What may be said to students beginning or continuing SL:
Service to others provides an opportunity to reflect on the broader issues that shape our world. Through service we come to ask important questions about the injustices found in our society. Service is at the heart of Jesuit education because through service we use the gifts we have developed and put them into action to transform the world, making it a better place for us all.
A service-learning class combines academics with experience and reflection. Basically, SL is a way to get an education outside of the classroom. After all, learning can happen anywhere! SL is the ultimate method to get a hands-on experience that is closely tied to what your professor is teaching in class and what you are reading in your textbooks.
It gives you a chance to apply the concepts you learn in class to the real world. In addition to being a great opportunity to build your resume and portfolio, it also gives you a great opportunity to serve in the community and helps you to become “men and women for others.”
SL also helps the community. It’s like being a volunteer but also getting class credit for your work. It is an opportunity to give back to your community by serving them with your much-valued time and knowledge.
One more thing…SL is also FUN!