Service-Learning and the Development of Reflective Judgment.

In this study, we explore the application of reflective judgment theory to the types of problem solving faced by students in community service placements and test the impact of different service-learning experiences on growth in reflective judgment over the course of a semester. Participants were 66 students in 6 colleges and universities; they were interviewed at the beginning and end of their service-learning semester using a problem solving protocol based on issues they were dealing with in their service. While service alone did not appear to contribute to development of more complex reflective judgment, students who were in well integrated and highly reflective service-learning classes were significantly more likely to demonstrate growth than those in moderate or low intensity service-learning experiences. Cognitive Outcomes of Service-Learning Service, combined with learning, adds value to each and transforms both (Honnet and Poulsen, 1989) This quote captures the core of widely held practitioner belief about what is unique in service-learning programs which combine classroom learning with service work in the community. Learning improves the quality of service today and more importantly helps sustain it throughout a citizen's life; service transforms learning, changing inert knowledge to knowledge and competencies that students can use in their communities. And this practitioner wisdom about effective learning is consistent with a long tradition of experiential learning theory from Dewey to modem cognitive scientists. This belief that service leads to better learning has led to a virtual explosion of servicelearning programs (O'Brien, 1993) While the political support for such programs has grown, there is very little empirical research to go along with the social and theoretical justifications for service-learning. The need to anchor programs in empirical evidence' has led to a growing demand for research information about the effects of service-learning on cognitive outcomes. Most of the research has focused on the effects of service on attitudes and values, and there is good evidence to support the effectiveness of service-learning on students' personal development and social responsibility. There has been less evidence of intellectual impact. (Eyler and Giles, 1997) While