General guidelines for service-learning course assignments

Connect service and classroom learning. To maximize the benefit of service-learning, treat the connection between your classroom and the community as a two-way street. Your course should include assignments that draw on students’ service-learning experiences. Assignments should also prompt students to use course concepts to interpret service experiences.

Integrate assignments. Avoid assigning students separate “service-learning assignments” and “regular assignments.” Instead, think about ways you can encourage students to draw upon their service experiences while completing more traditional course assignments.

Use learning management tools. Posting on your preferred learning management platform or blogging about service are both powerful ways to get students started.

Encourage reflection. To instill the practice of reflection in your students, create assignments that engage students at each level of the What? So What? Now What? cycle.

Follow through. Assignments that incorporate service-learning should require students to use examples of situations they have experienced or observed during service. Students who have been consistently discussing, blogging, or otherwise reflecting on their service experiences will find it much easier to think of relevant examples when the time comes to write an essay, give a presentation, or complete an evaluation.

Ways to integrate service-learning into course assignments

Use existing assignments. Add one or more questions to existing essay prompts, written tests, or oral presentation assignments.

Use service-learning as a reference source. Require students to use their service-learning experience as a source in a research paper alongside more traditional external research sources. In this context, experiences, observations, or other information from the community partner would become evidence in the paper.

Promote professional fluency. Ask students to use the terminology or language learned in class when discussing their service. This technique will help students become fluent communicators in their profession.

Questions you can use in assignments to spark critical thinking and reflection

Each set of questions asks students to consider their experience from a different perspective.

1. How service experiences corroborate course content.
   • Can you provide an example from your service experience that illustrates a concept discussed in the course?
   • How does your example align with the concept?
   • How does your knowledge of the concept help you understand what you experienced during your service?
   • What have you learned about the benefits of applying theory to real-world situations?
2. How service experiences challenge course content.
   • Can you provide an example from your service experience that complicates or contradicts a concept or theory discussed in the course?
   • How does your real-world example challenge or conflict with the concept?
   • How would a proponent of the concept respond to your challenge?
   • What have you learned about the difficulties of applying theory to real-world situations?
3. How service experiences compare with course content.
   • Can you view an aspect of your service experience through the lens of two or more theories or perspectives discussed in the course?
   • How do these different lenses help you to interpret your experience in different ways?
   • Have your service experiences changed your opinion about which theory or perspective you agree with?
4. How course content might form the basis of a critique of the service-learning experience.
   • How could course concepts be applied to improve your personal performance in your service role or project?
   • What have you learned about the areas in which you could use improvement?
   • How could course concepts be applied to improve the function of your partner organization?
   • In light of course concepts, what should stay the same, change, or be added to the organization’s programming or policies to help the organization better accomplish its mission?
5. How service experiences have encouraged students to think more broadly about career choices.
   • What has your service taught you about the rewards or challenges of a career in this profession?
   • In light of your service, how can professionals in this field contribute to the community?