Principles of Good Practice for Service-Learning Pedagogy
Principle 1:
Academic Credit Is for Learning, Not for Service
Academic credit is not awarded for doing community service, nor for the quantity or quality of that service, but rather for the student’s demonstration of academic and civic learning.
Academic credit is not awarded for doing community service, nor for the quantity or quality of that service, but rather for the student’s demonstration of academic and civic learning.
Principle 2:
Do Not Compromise Academic Rigor
Integrate service learning in a way that supports or enhances existing academic standards and expectations through related readings, presentations, and assignments.
Integrate service learning in a way that supports or enhances existing academic standards and expectations through related readings, presentations, and assignments.
Principle 3:
Establish Learning Objectives
Development of a quality service-learning course begins with explicit learning objectives.
Development of a quality service-learning course begins with explicit learning objectives.
Principle 4:
Establish Criteria for the Selection of Service Placements
Establishing criteria for selecting community service placements/ projects in order that students are able to extract more relevant learning from their experiences.
Establishing criteria for selecting community service placements/ projects in order that students are able to extract more relevant learning from their experiences.
Principle 5:
Provide Educationally-Sound Learning Strategies To Harvest Community Learning and Realize Course Learning Objectives
Discussion and assignments that provoke analysis of community experiences in the context of the course learning are necessary to ensure the service becomes an instrument of learning.
Discussion and assignments that provoke analysis of community experiences in the context of the course learning are necessary to ensure the service becomes an instrument of learning.
Principle 6:
Prepare Students for Learning from the Community
Students realize the potential of community learning through appropriate preparation and orientation, examples of successful experiences, and recognition of the expertise and assets that exist in the community.
Students realize the potential of community learning through appropriate preparation and orientation, examples of successful experiences, and recognition of the expertise and assets that exist in the community.
Principle 7:
Minimize the Distinction Between the Students’ Community Learning Role and Classroom Learning Role
Classrooms and communities are very different learning contexts, each requiring students to assume a different learner role. The more these roles are made consistent, the better the chances that the learning potential within each context will be realized.
Classrooms and communities are very different learning contexts, each requiring students to assume a different learner role. The more these roles are made consistent, the better the chances that the learning potential within each context will be realized.
Principle 8:
Rethink the Faculty Instructional Role
A shift in instructor role that would be most compatible with service learning would move away from information dissemination and toward learning facilitation and guidance.
A shift in instructor role that would be most compatible with service learning would move away from information dissemination and toward learning facilitation and guidance.
Principle 9:
Be Prepared for Variation in, and Some Loss of Control with, Student Learning Outcomes
The variability in community contexts necessarily leads to less certainty and homogeneity in student learning outcomes.
The variability in community contexts necessarily leads to less certainty and homogeneity in student learning outcomes.
Principle 10:
Maximize the Community Responsibility Orientation of the Course
One of the necessary conditions of a service-learning course is purposeful civic learning. Designing classroom norms and learning strategies that not only enhance academic learning but also encourage civic learning are essential to purposeful academic learning.
One of the necessary conditions of a service-learning course is purposeful civic learning. Designing classroom norms and learning strategies that not only enhance academic learning but also encourage civic learning are essential to purposeful academic learning.
Excerpted from Howard, Jeffery, ed., Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning: Service-Learning Course Design Workbook, University of Michigan: OCSL Press, Summer 2001, pp. 16-19
Service Learning Defined
Service learning is a process through which students are involved in community work that contributes significantly to:
1) Positive change in individuals, organizations, neighborhoods, and/or larger systems in a community; and
2) Students’ academic understanding, civic development, personal or career growth, and/or understanding of larger social issues.
From Charity to Change, Minnesota Campus Compact, 1999.