Assessing Service-Learning in a College-Level Adolescent Development Course

Service-learning is an instructional method in which students learn course content by actively participating in thoughtfully organized service experiences related to the content. Effectively linking service-learning to course content not only offers students a powerful opportunity to maximize acade...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Cheryl L. Lee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Clemson University Press 2009-06-01
Series:Journal of Youth Development
Online Access:http://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/267
Description
Summary:Service-learning is an instructional method in which students learn course content by actively participating in thoughtfully organized service experiences related to the content. Effectively linking service-learning to course content not only offers students a powerful opportunity to maximize academic learning, but also promotes their personal growth and instills a commitment to lifelong, civic engagement. Service-learning was integrated into an upper level Family and Consumer Sciences Adolescent Development course. In addition to completing the traditional course work, students also completed a service-learning experience at a community agency that served adolescents. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the service-learning component, students were surveyed at the end of the semester about their service-learning experiences. All agreed they had learned more about course concepts as a result of their SL experience, and the majority felt their service-learning activity provided a needed service to the agency and community.
ISSN:2325-4017