Explores service learning as a potential antidote to the over-specialization, market consciousness, and civic disengagement that drain the contemporary humanities of their practice and theoretical vitality in a liberal education. Also considers the conceptual terrain of service learning. (Author/SLD)

Describes the history of, rationale for, and implementation of a program at the University of Michigan to train peer facilitators in an undergraduate community service-learning program. Examples of specific training designs and component activities are provided. (EV)

Analysis of focus groups on service-learning experiences indicated that faculty and community organization staff differed in: (1) their commitment to the idea of expertise and their willingness to identify themselves as learners; (2) their attention to words or actions as evidence of learning; and (3) their tendency to represent learning as an…

Describes the Calvin Environmental Assessment Program (CEAP), which involves regular lab sessions or course projects to collect data that contribute to an overall environmental assessment of the campus and surrounding areas. Addresses the program's exploration of particularity versus universality in knowledge, and its Care Theory pedagogy. (EV)

Evaluated the effects of infusing a 20-hour per semester service learning requirement into a large introductory child development course. Participating students outperformed previous classes; this advantage was apparently the result of stronger performances on narrative assessments (midterm and take-home final essays) and only manifested itself…

Compared course-based service learning and generic community service through a quantitative, longitudinal look at over 22,000 students at diverse colleges and universities. Compared student outcomes related to values and beliefs, academic skills, leadership, and future plans. Of particular interest was the finding that connecting service with…

Asserts that service learning proponents are divided over direct charity versus justice advocacy models, with many claiming a need for justice advocates to moderate their philosophy in order to secure long-term support. Claims that despite justice advocacy's trouble institutionalizing itself (e.g., Settlement House, Students for a Democratic…

Describes the use of a transformative service learning model to design and implement an environmentally focused service learning class structured to sensitize students to the needs of the community and to enhance the community's capacity to resolve environmental problems. (SLD)

Explored the extent to which community colleges in New York state use and support service learning. Through survey data and document analysis, uncovered how community colleges perceive their mission and are involved in their communities, identified major barriers to and reasons for engaging in service learning, and described service learning…

Describes discussions of race, particularly whiteness, in a service learning class. Argues that teaching the implications of white privilege is crucial in service learning courses, particularly when most of the students are white and most of those being served are of color. Considers the ethical implications of race in service learning. (EV)

There is an emerging body of literature advocating a "critical" approach to community service learning with an explicit social justice aim. A social change orientation, working to redistribute power, and developing authentic relationships are most often cited in the literature as points of departure from traditional service-learning. This…

Examines what may be considered unrecognized roots of service learning embedded in African American social thought and action. Asserts that these roots, or precursors, to service learning are part of a community service agenda using various educational procedures and social welfare initiatives to promote race pride and influence social change. (EV)

Describes the preliminary study of a service learning program at Swarthmore College that paired students and college service staff in learning partnerships and as researchers of the program. Three primary questions were answered: How does service within a college campus count as service learning? How was the program community-shaping as well as…

Draws from self-descriptions of national and community service organizations, and from service-learning history and literature, to reveal and examine underlying metaphors of service. Then describes and develops purposeful metaphors for service, which can be used to clarify service-learning's multiple meanings and facilitate reflective learning.…

Surveyed college students about the quality of feedback they received at their service-learning workplace, their personal dispositions toward feedback, and the extent to which their key service learning goals were attained. Found evidence supporting the proposition that both the quality of feedback and students' dispositions to approach or avoid…