An Introduction To
Service- Learning
Office of Community Service
2129 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20052
Phone: (202) 994-5493
E-mail: ocs@gwu.edu
Andrew Leon
Bryn McMahon
“Service-learning is one of the
hallmarks of a GW education.”
-President Steven Knapp
What Is Service-Learning?
• Service-Learning is a teaching and
learning strategy that integrates
meaningful community service with
instruction and reflection to enrich the
learning experience, teach civic
responsibility, and strengthen
communities.
Source: Campus Compact
What Is Service-Learning?
Furco, Andrew. “Service-Learning: A Balanced Approach To Experimental Education.” Corporation For National Service, 1996, pgs. 2-6.
Differentiating ServiceLearning from Other Forms of
Education
• Experiential Learning: The knowledge and skills
acquired through life, work experience and study
which have not been formally attested through any
educational or professional certification.
(http://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/administration/rules/senateregs/foreward)
• Internship: A work-related learning experience for
individuals who wish to develop hands on work
experience in a certain occupational field
(http://www.intstudy.com/articles/nusinter.htm)
• Practicum: A college course that is designed to give
students supervised practical application of a
previously studied theory
(http://www.answers.com/topic/practicum-1)
Examples of Service-Learning
• In a course on creating business plans,
students could design actual business plans
for a non-profit start-up.
• In a course on data management, students
could help a community partner with data
management needs.
• In a course on community health, students
could come up with ideas to advocate healthy
eating habits for adolescents and find ways to
implement them.
What are Some Components
of Service-Learning?
 Most students work for not-for-profit partner (must be
faculty approved)
 The service-learning project should clearly integrate
the topics being covered in the class curriculum
 The project students complete should benefit the
community and the student
 The project needs clearly identified learning
objectives
 The students should be required to reflect on and
evaluate their Service-Learning project and
objectives
 The student could be involved in designing the
project
Who Benefits from
Service-Learning?
Students
Faculty
Community Partners
Site Staff
The University
Community at Large
Where does Service-Learning
Take Place?
Service-learning takes place
both in the classroom and in
the community.
Why Should GW Incorporate
Service-Learning?
1. To enhance
teaching and
learning
2. To increase
retention and
graduation rates
3. To create a sense
of social
responsibility
4. To enhance
community
relations
5. To enrich the
professional
identity for GW
faculty
Academic Voices on
Service-Learning
 “Students overall get a feeling of accomplishment,
confidence, and value as a result of taking part in a
service learning experience.”
Academic Service Learning in Human Resource Management Education by Susan Madsen
 “The learning outcomes of service learning include
development of leadership and problem-solving
skills, connecting the theoretical with the practical,
and educating students for citizenship.”
Rationale, Benefits, and Methods of Service Learning in Marketing Education by Debbie Easterling, Fredrica Rudell
Market-Basket Schools with
Service-Learning Classes
Northeastern University
http://www.northeastern.edu/communityservice/servicelearning/index.html
University of Michigan
http://ginsberg.umich.edu/courses/service_learning.html
Tulane University
http://tulane.edu/cps/students/service-learning.cfm
Georgetown University
http://socialjustice.georgetown.edu/faculty/courses/
American University
http://www.american.edu/ocl/volunteer/sl/sl.html
How can Service-Learning be
Incorporated into your
Academic Class?
As a fourth credit option for a three
credit course
As a capstone project for a student
or students to complete
As a teaching methodology
What are the Guiding Principles
for Organizing and Constructing
a Service-Learning Course?
Reflection: Is there a mechanism that
encourages students to link their service
experience to course content and to reflect
upon why the service is important?
Reciprocity: Is reciprocity evident in the
service component?
What are the Steps to
Creating a Service-Learning
Course?
• Step 1: Contact Office of Community Service
• Step 2: Identify the course that you would like to infuse
with Service-Learning
• Step 3: With the help of the Office of Community
Service design a syllabus explaining:
• why this kind of service should be part of the course
• make explicit connections between the course,
departmental objectives and the student’s goals and
expectations
• Step 4: Identify Service-Learning sites
• Step 5: Look at Campus Compact’s guidelines for
syllabi
Are Other Professors At GW
Incorporating Service-Learning?
Currently, more than 30 faculty members across 17 departments have
included Service-Learning in their classes including:
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Biostatistics
Communications
Computer Science
English
Exercise Science
Geography
Human Services
Management
Medicine and Health Sciences
(graduate programs)
Music
Political Science
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Psychology
Public Health and Health
Services (undergraduate and
graduate programs)
Public Policy & Public
Administration
Religion
Sociology
Spanish
Women’s Studies and the
Women’s Leadership Program
Writing Program
What Does the Office of Community
Service Provide to Help GW Faculty
Incorporate Service-Learning into their
Curricula?
Ideas
Preparation
Implementation
Assessment
Modification of Course Syllabi
Connections with Community Partners
The Tracking of Service-Learning Hours
How Can I Contact the Office of
Community Service?
Office of Community Service
2129 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20052
Phone: (202) 994-5493
E-mail: ocs@gwu.edu