The Future of Service-Learning: New Solutions for Sustaining and Improving Practice

As a new generation of practitioners engages with service learning, at a time when higher education faces questions about learning outcomes and costs, and in the context of such issues as globalization and the environment, this book poses important questions about practice, institutional sustainability, and future directions. Among these are:

What counts as service learning? What value does it bring to institutions? Is it appropriate for all students? How is globalization impacting service learning?

Divided into three thematic parts, this book successively covers institutional and administrative issues; service learning as a springboard for research; and presents new practices that address emerging challenges and changing student populations.

The contributors review how different institutional types have structured their service learning activities; address the issue of centralization or decentralization; propose better ways to form community partnerships; consider promotion and tenure implications; postulate framing service-learning and community engagement as scholarship; and examine service-learning as a springboard for research.

Further chapters offer a new blueprint for funding to achieve sustainability; examples of international service learning from a European perspective; a case study and framework for using on-line formats to extend the reach of a program; raise the urgent issue of the experiences and contributions of underrepresented students; and present the rationale and processes for developing effective student-led evaluation of programs.

Jean R. Strait is Associate Professor in Undergraduate Education at Hamline University, service-learning advocate, and both a national and international researcher of service learning.

Marybeth Lima is Professor of Biological & Agricultural Engineering at LSU, a registered professional engineer, and a nationally certified playground safety inspector.