Academic vs. Real World Scheduling

I have been involved recently in planning for and implementing several
courses with direct practice components.  While not true service
learning experiences, I would like to head in that direction in the
future.  The problem I am running into is the semester schedule tends
to limit the scope and types of projects that classes can tackle
individually.  

I find that they proceed in fits and starts because as soon as one
group of students acquires the skills and confidence to take on a
project, the semester is almost complete.  Unfortunately (or
fortunately, depending on how you look at it) neighborhood groups don't
operate on a semester schedule!

I have three primary questions:

1.  How have you reconciled the inevitable scheduling difficulties that
occur when the organizations students work with have deadlines/goals
that don't coincide with semester schedules?

2.  What happens when students don't complete or do not do
"satisfactory" work with the organization?  What kind of expectations
should the organization and the instructor have of students completing
projects they start?

3.  How have you dealt with the issue of continuity - transfer of
information/experience from class to class so that each one is not
starting over from the same point.

Thank you for your input.

Steve Wilke-Shapiro


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