Service Learning
Student Name
Institution Affiliation
PART 1
Over the years, education practitioners and researchers have struggled to characterize service-learning appropriately. In their research, Robert Sigmon suggested that both the provider and receiver of the learning activity learn in the process because learning flows through their actions. Furthermore, he insisted that learning only occurs if both parties benefit from the training. Service-learning is a type of experimental education where education occurs through a cycle of action and reflection. Students administer what they are learning to community problems by coordinating with others and reflecting upon their experience. According to Furco (1996), “The National Society for Experiential Education describes service-learning as any carefully monitored service experience where a student has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what they are learning throughout the experience.” They seek to achieve real objectives for the community and a more intellectual understanding of themselves.
However, service-learning in today’s society describes a variety of experimental learning. The service-education includes internships, community service projects, volunteer actions, and field studies. Even though some educators view service-learning as a new term that gives away a pedagogical approach, new and innovative ways of educating, others view it as a substitute word for experiential education programs. The continuous muddle up of the service-learning term has dramatically hindered the study of its impact. Honnet and Poulsen developed wingspread principles of Good Practice in 1989 to incorporate service and learning (Furco, 1996). Despite the principles created for the sole guidelines in service-learning, there is a possibility of applying the rules in other experiential programs like internships and many more.
Similarly, the Association for Service-Learning in Education Reform (ASLER) created a list of guidelines that assist the directors of programs in deciding whether their programs meet the standard of service-learning goals (Furco, 1996). Despite the programs being crucial in guiding the program directors, they lack a definitive characterization of service-learning. It is essential to note there are significant distinctions between the different service-learning programs. The categories of service-learning programs are according to the program activities intended beneficiary and its emphasis on learning.
Volunteerism
Volunteerism is students’ involvement in activities where the primary goal is on the service being provided, and the recipient of the service is the primary intended beneficiary. According to Furco (1996), a volunteer is any individual or person who does an activity, service, or action out of their own free will with no payment expectation. The significant characteristic of a volunteer is it service-centered toward the beneficiary.
Community Service
Community service involves students’ involvement in activities primarily focused on providing services and benefits to the recipient. In contrast to volunteerism, community service suggests unselfishness and compassion (Furco, 1996). However, there is more involvement of structure and commitment from students required in community service than volunteerism. The school-based community service programs might require the students’ dedication to addressing the community challenges through the semester or all year. Some of the community service students can be to include recycling, environmental improvement, and hunger awareness. Students can form organizations within the school to help address the cause effectively. Significance of student participation in cause contributes to their involvement provides learning opportunities about cause and what is required or takes to handle it. As the service activities become more consolidated with the students’ course work, and as the students begin to engage in formal intellectual discourse around the various issues relevant to the cause, the community service program moves closer to the center of the continuum to become more like service-learning.
Internships
Internship programs involve the students in service activities primarily to provide students with hands-on experiences that advance their learning or comprehension of significant problems to their relative field of study. In internship programs, the service’s primary program beneficiary is the student (Furco, 1996). Its primary focus is on the student’s learning. Students are placed in internships to acquire skills and knowledge to advance their understanding and vocational development. On many occasions, the student partakes in internships as an addition to their coursework. Apprenticeships may have incentives for students during the period they are at the organization or not provided to interns as it varies with organization policies.
Field Education
Field education programs allow the students to experience co-curricular service with close relations but not consolidated fully with their academic studies. The work is performed by students who are part of a program that primarily aims to advance their understanding of the survey further while there is enough emphasis on providing the service (Furco, 1996). Many professional service-orientated programs are dependant on field education like public health, social welfare, and education. Despite the evident intentions of service recipient benefits, field education’s primary focus is on advancing students’ understanding of the study field.
Service-Learning
Service-learning programs are unique from the other approaches to experiential education. They intend to benefit providers and recipients of service equally and ensure equal focus on service provided and learning (Furco, 1996). To achieve it, the service-learning programs should comprise an academic context and designed to achieve education, enhance the service, and vice versa. It is unique from field education as it incorporates training in the academic rather than add it to the courses.
In conclusion, despite service-learning being a universal definition to many people in the past, it currently incorporates different programs into it. The programs’ community services, volunteerism, and field education distinctively vary from each other in significant fields.
PART 2
Purpose of the research
The purposes of the research in the article ‘How Service-Learning Affects Students.” were;
- To explore the comparative effects of service-learning and community service on college undergraduates’ cognitive and affective development.
- To enhance our understanding of how learning is enhanced by service.
On the other hand, the research purpose was to determine the impact of service-learning on college students’ commitment to future civic engagement, self-efficiency, and social empowerment (Knapp, Fisher, & Levesque-Bristol, 2010).
Research Questions
The research question, according to Astin, Vogelgesang, Ikeda, & Yee (2000), is how does service-learning affects the students.
Knapp, Fisher, & Levesque-Bristol (2010) developed multiple research questions to conduct the research. The research questions were;
- Do you think the service-learning experience will increase your civic involvement in the future?
- Through the service-learning experience, how much of a difference do you feel your efforts made?
Who participated in the study?
The study participants were 22,236 college undergraduates attending a national sample of baccalaureate-granting colleges and universities (Astin, Vogelgesang, Ikeda, & Yee, 2000). Most of the students were freshmen on campus in the 1994 fall.
The study used fifty service-learning students from Missouri state university (Knapp, Fisher, & Levesque-Bristol, 2010). Additionally, students from fifty-two service-learning courses at the university participated in the study.
Research methods used to investigate and collect data.
According to Knapp, Fisher, & Levesque-Bristol (2010), pen and paper questionnaires were used to survey the students at the beginning of the semester. On the other hand, collecting longitudinal data from the students participating in community service learning during the semester.
The Main Findings from the Study
According to Astin, Vogelgesang, Ikeda, & Yee (2000), the findings of their study suggest that there was a positive result on all the outcomes leadership (interpersonal skills, leadership activities, self-rated leadership ability), academic performance (writing skills, critical thinking skills, GPA), self-efficacy, choice of a service career, plans to participate in service after college, and values (Promoting racial understanding and commitment to activism). Additionally, Performing service as part of a course (service learning) contributes significantly to community service benefits for all results except leadership, self-efficacy, and interpersonal skills.
The other study’s findings suggested that service-learning did not positively impact the students’ social development (Knapp, Fisher, & Levesque-Bristol, 2010). However, the results were considered misleading as the service-learning proved positive in reinforcing the commitment of 15% of the students in their civic community duties they were already involved in.
What do you think about the findings and the implications?
In both studies, service-learning has a positive impact on students. In both their academic performance and community involvement as their civic duty, service-learning plays a vital role. Service-learning is crucial in providing a better understanding of students on both the coursework and connecting with the hands-on experience.
Was there anything unclear or difficult to understand about the study
Knapp, Fisher, & Levesque-Bristol (2010) were unclear state of the research. They state that service-learning had a limited positive impact on the students while also declaring the misleading results. Furthermore, they claim that the positive impact does not guarantee the students’ future participation in volunteering’s civic duties. Most of the students in the study were already involved in the projects.