Service-Learning @ UIndy

Service-learning combines SERVICE with LEARNING in intentional ways. The purpose of this strategy is to change both the recipient and the provider of the service. The latter—students engaged in Service-Learning efforts—are changed through action and self-reflection as they gain values, skills, and knowledge. Service-learning projects offer students valuable opportunities to engage in problem-solving because they require them to learn about the specific context of their service-learning activity—the challenges facing the community they serve—rather than relying on generalized or abstract knowledge such as textbook content. As a result, service-learning fosters the development of critical thinking through the necessity to identify the most important questions or issues within a real-world situation.

~ Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University, 2022

The two areas of community-engaged teaching are:

• Service-Learning (SL): Service-Learning directly relates to course content, requiring students to learn by serving in the community and includes reflective learning, assessment and evaluation. Project-based service learning courses are included in this identifier.
• Community Service (CS): Community Service is indirectly relates to course content, may be a single instance of engagement, and may be optional to students, typically not requiring extensive reflection or evaluation. (i.e., INTD-101: New Student Experience has a community engagement component that is one of many requirements of the course, but the community engagement is indirectly related to the course content, therefore, it would be identified as a Community Service course.)