Academic service learning definition

What is academic education? Service-Learning Definition. As a result, students gain relevant, hands-on experience while improving the quality of life of citizens in our region. Academic service-learning is an experiential educational strategy that integrates community service into academic courses so learning is enhanced and community partners receive concrete benefits. explains service learning as: An educational approach that combines learning objectives with community service in order to provide a pragmatic, progressive learning experience while meeting societal needs. The acquisition of skills that form the core of the general curriculum in schools including mathematics , language arts , social studies , and science.

Structured reflection is integrated into the curriculum to foster connections between their service , the curriculum of the class, and its impact on their personal values and community engagement. Community-based service activities are paired with structured preparation and student reflection. The service and the learning are intertwined. An example is helpful here.

Volunteers can help hand out blankets to homeless people and drive them to shelters on cold evenings. Although anecdotal evidence and research alike espouse the benefits of service learning, some researchers have suggested that more rigorous testing is required in order to determine its true effect. Academic service - learning is a teaching tool used by faculty and staff to help students both learn and serve. Students connect knowledge and theory.

Volunteering is different in that it might involve a formal learning component, and it might not. Thomas Ehrlich, in: Barbara Jacoby and Associates. The term ‘ service - learning ’ not only has different definitions it is also known by different names. Through their service - learning activities, students apply classroom knowledge in practical settings to enhance their understanding of class materials.

So while service - learning share some of the components of volunteerism, community service , internships and field education, unlike these activities, service - learning applies equal focus to both learning and the service goals. It requires an academic context and is designed so that that the service and learning goals are mutually reinforcing. Through service - learning , students are able to explore and develop their gifts in order to serve Christ, help others, and experience personal growth.

A thoughtfully organized service experience that addresses a need in the community in a reciprocal and mutually beneficial relationship and integrates a reflective component that relates the service experience to academic course objectives and the student’s learning. It is a hands-on experience. It differs from community service in that the chosen activity integrates with the school’s academic curriculum and content, which allows students to reflect on their service experiences after they complete them. For example, students picking up trash at a local park counts as community service.

Both the volunteering and the studying part focus on the same fiel so each experience reinforces the other. This makes both more compelling and valuable to both the volunteer and those they serve. Successful service - learning when students connect academic material, relevant service experience, and critical reflection to create a more enriching, engaging, and relevant learning experience.

Through structured critical reflection activities, students analyze their service experience as it reciprocally applies to their academic and career development. ACADEMIC SERVICE-LEARNING: DEFINITION AND EXPECTATIONS. Reflection and reciprocity are key concepts of service - learning.

That means that classroom lessons should be complemented by work outside the classroom. Every activity reinforces the curriculum and back in the classroom, students have the chance to reflect on what they’ve learned. When done well, service - learning has the potential to enhance academic learning , promote civic responsiveness, and strengthen communities. In recent years more universities are implementing service learning into their curriculum.

A key concept of service learning is civic responsibility.