Service-Learning

Preparing graduates to take on their responsibilities as citizens in their communities is often seen as one of the central goals of education. Yet even within the context of education, community service has been perceived as a reaction to social problems and societal needs, with less attention to the application of knowledge in the process of offering community service. In recent decades, the concept of service-learning has emerged as a way of offering students opportunities to serve and to learn simultaneously. This entry first defines service-learning and differentiates it from other forms of service. It then details the components of service-learning and research findings on outcomes for students who participate.

Service-learning is understood as responding to human and community needs while promoting educational growth. Service is seen as a part of a pedagogical method through which theories and facts are learned. The service experience enables students to put into practice the theories and concepts learned in their courses and prepares them to actively engage in social inquiry and problem solving, thereby promoting substantive learning. Students continuously reflect on the concrete situations, challenges encountered, and experiences gained throughout the process of offering services to the community.

Educational goals are achieved through students applying, integrating, and evaluating knowledge of related disciplines and developing perspectives and analytical skills to obtain first-hand understanding of social ecology. In the process of service-learning, both the service providers (i.e., the students) and service recipients mutually benefit, with equal consideration of all individuals in the service relationships.

Service-learning has been widely adopted as a pedagogy across various disciplines, educational levels, and university settings. However, the appropriateness of university contexts to implement service-learning has been a heated debate in the past 2 decades. Traditionally, the purpose of higher education is to advance the professional competence of university students and give them better career prospects. However, there is also concern within higher education about helping students become responsible citizens. With valuable resources and a traditional mission of addressing the needs of the community, universities are particularly well suited for the development of service-learning. By emphasizing the importance of serving the community, service-learning can enrich students’ learning and reconnect their [Page 1510]academic learning to the authentic needs of the community. Service-learning can be seen as an important mechanism in universities to bridge the gap between universities and the community.