In response to Maynard Svor's question on student academic outcomes, there
are several good articles addressing this issue. In the second volume of the
Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning (Fall 95), Garry Hesser's
article on "Faculty Assessment of Student Learning: Outcomes Attributed to
Service-Learning and Evidence of Changes in Faculty Attitudes About
Experiential Education" speaks to learning outcomes applied to general
liberal arts objectives. In his research, 76% of the faculty respondents
(n=48) said that service-learning contributed "extensively" or "very
extensively" to learning-outcomes. He also mentions the need for more
research in this area and that faculty assessment is a valid and reliable
measure that must be explored more thoroughly. Maybe he and others on the
list know if more research has been done since his.
In volume 1 of MJCSL, Chris Hammond discusses curricular motivations
for faculty involvment in "Integrating Service and Academic Study: Faculty
Motivation and Satisfaction in Michigan Higher Education" and Myron Levine, a
political science professor provides a case study of his involvement in
"Seven Steps to getting faculty involved in service-learning.." Both articles
helped me to see the connection between classroom outcomes and service-
learning. I'm sure their reference lists offer more on the subject, but I
haven't gotten that far. (Hope Garry and others don't mind me tooting the
horn for them this time)
Happy Serving,
Cindy Cleary
Colorado State University