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Volunteer and Service-Learning Center


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Samples of Faculty Engaged in
Service-Learning and Community Based Research
 
 
 
University Service-Learning Committee
Deadlines for proposed service-learning
course are as follows:

Spring 2011
October 15, 2010

Fall 2011
March 15, 2011
It is recommended that service-learning 
courses be assessed at the end of the
semester using the service-learning survey forms provided, compiled and reported by the VSLC. 

These forms are not designed for academic assessment, but they evaluate the service-learning and community based experience aspect of a service-learning course.


ECU Faculty and Service-Learning


What is Service-Learning?  ECU Definition

Service-learning is a method of instruction that has the benefit of meeting academic course objectives and helping students develop a sense of engagement and social responsibility. All volunteer hours and service hours are not service learning. Service-learning courses should meet the following broad guidelines:

  • service-learning is structured within a course and has a formal, academic curriculum that is rooted in the discipline in which the course is being offered;
  • the course contains a set of organized community-based learning activities through which students directly serve a constituency as a means to address an identified community need;
  • the course provides structured opportunities for students to formally connect their service activities to the course curriculum and to broader social issues through reflective methods.

The Five Criteria for a Service-Learning Course

A service-learning course should meet the following criteria or guidelines:

  • Integrate the service with course content. The service component should support the academic focus of the course.
  • Involve students in service that meets community needs. The Volunteer and Service-Learning Center can help you find community placements for students.
  • Provide structured opportunities for reflection such as writing assignments, discussions, presentations, or journals.
  • Provide a clear explanation (in the syllabus) of both academic and service expectations and how the performance in the course will be graded.
  • Clarify that while service is an integral part of the course academic credit is for demonstrated learning.


Service-Learning Intended Outcomes

While each course will have learning objectives, through the service experience students will gain one or all of the following:

  • Awareness of community and social issues
  • Respect for people and diversity in all its forms
  • Greater self leadership which includes understanding critical issues and different perspectives, developing empathy, developing critical thinking, and personal development