Getting the Most Out of Service Learning: Maximizing Student, University and Community Impact

Service learning has become a very popular pedagogical approach for enhancing student learning at institutions of higher education across the United Statesby involving students in community service as a part of their educational experience. However, despite the vast number of service-learning efforts at universities across the nation, there is often little attention to the intended and actual results of the service learning. A growing body of literature calls for more attention to the impacts of service-learning efforts. Some service-learning experiences may actually reinforce negative or counterproductive attitudes among students. Many efforts fall short of maximizing the potential social change impact of the service and learning activity. We review and compare some of the various ways that service learning impacts has been discussed and measured in the literature. We propose that intentionally aiming for impact at three levels—on students, on the academic institution, and on the community—may be the key to making the most of any service-learning project. We further describe and draw lessons from a pilot project that build toward greater service-learning impact at our school of social work.