How many times do we hear a student asking, “What can I do to make myself more competitive in the job market?” This student is asking how he or she can have a winning edge over another person who is applying for the same position. In response, we steer him or her toward meaningful extracurricular activities or identify organizations labeled as “quality” groups with a “good cause” or mission. But how many of us suggest that students consider a not so traveled road—or what I refer to as the road less traveled—known as service learning?
The number of college experiences that students can discover over the course of a four-year college career is infinite. While laundry lists of opportunities are available, students traditionally gravitate toward social, political, recreational, or academic enrichment activities. For example, most students see advertisements such as this one across campus: “Whether you are majoring in business or art, or you just want to have a little fun in your free time, there are more than 120 student organizations at the University of Wisconsin-Stout that can help you ease your boredom woes” (Gruner, 2001). While this is a great ad for students who are searching to become involved, it—like many others—does not mention the often-overlooked activity known as service learning.
Service learning blends service and learning in a structured environment usually connected with an academic institution or program. Participants engage in projects or activities that meet the needs of a community or organized group of people. It differs from what we traditionally know as community service or volunteerism because, as a part of the experience, students reflect on their experiences in a structured and intentional manner.
Reflection is the process of deriving meaning and knowledge from experience and occurs before, during, and after a service-learning project. The critical component of reflection allows the students and the community to reflect on the students' learning experiences through a range of activities. Written reflection is most commonly used, but reactions and feelings can be shared through oral and artistic expressions. Noted benefits of reflection include
- giving meaning to experience;
- providing an opportunity to establish expectations as an individual or as a team;
- helping students understand the limitations and opportunities of the service site or community organization;
- creating a sense of accomplishment, which is crucial, especially when there are limited external rewards;
- creating a habit of appreciating oneself; and
- integrating service into the rest of one's life and developing a spirit of service and civic-mindedness.
Service learning is especially important for the university student because it links the community with the student. Many service-learning opportunities are based in community settings, and many students have limited exposure to these communities or are unaware that they exist. In addition to greater contact with others, individuals involved in service learning make connections between academic content and the real world. If a service-learning program is structured to enhance learning in an experiential manner, it will ultimately have the following effects:
- impact overall student learning,
- enhance critical thinking skills,
- prepare students for lifelong learning by connecting formal education more fully with real-world experience,
- positively affect social responsibility and citizenship,
- promote peer interaction,
- develop character,
- encourage positive voice,
- reduce negative thinking or behavior about other racial groups,
- enhance sense of self-identity, and
- improve understanding of community and responsibility toward community/global issues.
Service learning helps students connect with their communities by engaging in meaningful and fulfilling experiences while challenging their thinking about social and political issues. One study shows that two-thirds of seniors in American universities did community service or volunteer work during college (National Survey of Student Engagement, 2003). This statistic shows us that students are interested in being engaged in their communities and are willing to take the time to become involved. Advisers can help to foster this interest by guiding students toward service-learning activities taking place within their academic institutions.
Service learning is multidisciplinary in nature and can be incorporated into courses to help improve student education in a real-world setting. These types of experiences are being woven into classroom curricula across universities throughout the country. For example, at Penn State University, faculty from the Department of Agricultural Sciences tackled the issue of multiculturalism in a service-learning project with preservice teachers and a collegiate organization in southwest Philadelphia (Webster, 2003). Other projects have dealt with issues such as urban poverty, special education, and language and instruction—all of which involved students conducting work with agencies or organizations in affected communities. Organizations and networks such as Habitat for Humanity and America's Promise have also assisted with college students' placement in service sites.
A wealth of outcomes demonstrating that service-learning activities enrich the undergraduate experience can best be described by students who captured their experiences through reflection pieces (Student Quotes about Service-Learning, n.d.):
“Rather than running around between classes, work, meetings, and my community site feeling incredibly disjointed, I was able to integrate my academic and civic interests through service learning.”
University of Minnesota, 2001
“Learning about others teaches you to learn about yourself, how you interact with others and where you fit into a community and the world. It also helps you to find your identity as it is in relation to others.”
University of Minnesota, 2001
What happened to these students transcends textbooks and lectures. The hands-on, experiential learning helped them to further understand the curriculum and better define themselves as individuals in a community.
Benefits of service learning can be limitless if students are advised to consider it. In order for this to happen, academic advisers should understand the tenets of service learning and the potential benefits for students. It is not enough to send students to a service-learning organization without understanding student needs. It may take some initial work to identify a match for students, such as a class that incorporates a service-learning component or a service organization working with a student placement office on campus. Taking time to talk to a student to discover his or her needs will be helpful. If he or she is having difficulty in a particular course, a service-learning opportunity may help him or her to gain better clarity or make the connection between course content and practical work. Service learning—an outstanding classroom for many students—is connected and collaborative. Providing students with the opportunity to learn while giving is a priceless gift any adviser can give a student.
The ability for advisers to enhance students' academic portfolios with academic and personal experiences should be a fundamental component of academic advising. The next time you meet with a student, direct him or her down the less traveled road of service learning. It could be one of the best experiences of the student's academic career.
“Service learning is a powerful tool for improving learning and strengthening the democratic fabric of our society. Service learning can engage students in more experiential and meaningful learning.”
Jianping Shen, Professor
College of Education, Western Michigan University
Member, National Commission on Service-Learning