Why develop a service-learning course?
Professors around the country have added service-learning to their repertoire of teaching strategies because it improves students’ learning. In Service Learning in Higher Education (Jossey-Bass, 1996), Barbara Jacoby lists some of the most frequently-cited effects: • Service-learning integrates theory with practice • It improves students’ comprehension of course content • It makes them more aware of community needs and deepens their understanding of underlying social and political problems • It strengthens their sense of social responsibility • It heightens their understanding of human difference and commonality • It develops the habit of critical reflection • It sharpens students’ abilities to solve problems creatively and work collaboratively • It clarifies their personal and career goals • It provides practical experience valued by employers. These reflections by UNO students who benefited from their service-learning experiences show how your students, too, can learn through service
Related Questions
- Are there grants and other forms of financial assistance available for instructors who would like to offer a service-learning course?
- Do we have to develop course materials especially for MacroVOLT courses, or can we incorporate materials we already have?
- How will students know it is a service-learning course when they register?
