Only about half of all students who enroll in colleges and universities in the United States earn a four-year degree at the institution where they begin their studies, and many postsecondary institutions are seeking ways to increase the graduation rates of their students. Both student characteristics and institutional factors influence a student's…

Understanding the effects of a service-learning component on the classroom culture, socially and academically, brings a novel perspective to designing, executing, and assessing these types of active-learning projects. This paper evaluates the success of a service-learning project from a perspective of social networks by investigating the question:…

Childhood physical abuse is a major risk factor for suicide attempt, but factors that moderate this risk remain largely unexamined. Moderated mediation analysis was used with 186 adolescents who responded to the Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behavior survey. Physical abuse increased risk directly and indirectly through reduced…

The purpose of this research study was to understand how college graduates used their service-learning experiences while in college to enhance their work lives after graduation. Service learning in higher education is a community-based, reciprocal approach using experiential education theories. Through service-learning activities associated with…

In this study, candidates at two universities in the southeastern United States engaged in service-learning projects that investigated the effects of service learning on pre-service teachers' understanding of the unique characteristics of young adolescents from diverse backgrounds and knowledge of middle level professional roles. Data were…

This research project sought to learn how solidarity education is manifested in Chilean Catholic schools, considering the perspectives of school principals, programme directors and pastoral teams. Eleven Chilean schools were studied and the information gathering techniques applied included: a questionnaire, semi-structured individual interviews…

First year students, like all students at a university, comprise a diverse mixture of personal traits, backgrounds, experiences, and assorted learning styles. Each of these unique student characteristics can either enhance or inhibit successful integration to the campus community. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of various…

This article documents a community-initiated service-learning project within a teacher education program. A social justice model guided the initiative to raise critical awareness on power and privilege while countering deficit-model thinking. Partnering with community agencies serving immigrant children and youth, the faculty researcher worked…

Although research suggests that service learning (SL) is being incorporated into the college classroom at an increasing rate, faculty often report that they are not convinced of its educational values. There is a lack of research on, and awareness about, what SL is, how it can be incorporated into the curriculum, and the outcomes on student…

The purpose of this study was to revisit Coombs' suggestions for teaching the crisis communication course using service-learning as a framework. The author sought to assess the effectiveness of using this method in terms of the benefits to both students and the partnering organization and students' perceptions of whether they met the learning…

Universities, health services and health students have a vested interest in the development of work-ready graduates to improve employment prospects, standards of practice and healthcare outcomes. Work integrated learning supports the transition of theoretical knowledge into professional practice, thus preparing students for their work following…

Universities struggle with how to get students more involved and active in the university and community. Providing projects that just collect cans or raise money for a cause, while admirable, are not teaching the students how to be active, how to conduct projects, and give them connections to the community. This paper will describe service…

Community engagement is a common course in college curricula of computer science and information systems. In this study, the authors analyze the benefits of digital storytelling, in a course engaging college students with high school students with disabilities. The authors discover that a project of storytelling progressively enables high…

Service-learning has been shown to be an effective technique for teaching diversity; however, the literature is scant concerning theoretically informed approaches. This study fills that void by drawing upon the work of Freire, Rendón, and others. After describing how an integrative praxis approach is applied in a sociology course, the authors…

University-based Extension specialists often face the dilemma of scheduling time for both teaching and outreach activities. Service learning projects that give hands-on experience in the application of classroom activities while giving back to the community can bridge this gap. A demonstration forest and service learning techniques were used to…