Resources

Tenth in the Service-Learning in the Disciplines Series, this book shows how both peace studies and service-learning have been developing new ideas of how social learning takes place as a community process in conflict situations and what the dynamics of peace building are. The process has created a new niche in academia for preparing students to become social change agents. The enthusiasm of the contributors in this book gives the reader a new vision of what is possible on college campuses in community-based peace and service-learning at a time when there is a critical need for peace-building skills. (From the Publisher)

This book seeks to increase our understanding of those informal circumstances in which people learn. Adult educators, Professor Foley argues, ought not to neglect the importance of the incidental learning which can take place when people become involved in voluntary organisations, social struggles and political activity. In developing this argument, he uses case studies from the USA, Australia and Third World countries and embracing very diverse political, environmental, women's, and workers' struggles. He shows how involvement in social action can help people to unlearn dominant, oppressive discourses and learn instead oppositional, liberatory ones. He relates these processes of informal learning in contested contexts to current thinking and practice in adult education and points the way to a more radical agenda. For adult educators, community workers and others working with socially engaged citizens, the insights and lessons of this book ought to be especially useful as they try to develop their own practice in such contexts. (From the Publisher)

In this fascinating collection of stories, leaders in service-learning describe their early efforts to combine education with social action. Their reflections help construct a pedagogy of service-learning to inspire newcomers and guide program development. The authors assess pioneering experiences and recommend future policy and practice, emphasizing the critical need to preserve an activist commitment as programs become increasingly institutionalized. This highly readable book will assist academic leaders, faculty members, student services professionals, educational researchers, adult educators, and public policymakers who seek a common understanding of the origins, purposes, and objectives of this vital learning initiative. (From the Publisher)

College and university teachers who struggle to connect instruction with students' real world experiences have found much of value in service learning. This volume of New Directions for Teaching and Learning presents an academic conception of service learning, described as a pedagogical model that intentionally integrates academic learning and relevant community service. Contributors provide a conceptual structure for academic service learning, describe successful programs, and discuss issues that faculty and administrators must consider as they incorporate service into courses and curricula. This is the 73rd issue of the quarterly journal New Directions for Teaching and Learning. For more information on the series, please see the Journals and Periodicals section. (From the Publisher)

As academic service-learning continues to grow rapidly, practitioners are discovering a pressing need for solid empirical research about learning outcomes. Where's the Learning in Service-Learning? helps define learning expectations, presents data about learning, and links program characteristics with learning outcomes. It is the first book to explore the experience of service-learning as a valid learning activity. (From the Publisher)

M. Gail Hickey has gathered together a valuable resource in Reflecting on Service-Learning in Higher Education. The chapters provide a vast collection of best practices and important principles to consider when engaging students in academic service-learning. The book is divided into three sections focusing on different perspectives for reflection: Community Partnerships, Classroom Practice, and Diversity. Although the first section is titled “Reflection on Community Partnerships,” it is really more a reflection on institutional commitment to building community partnerships. The section has two provocative chapters that take the reader through a reflection on just what impact an educational institution should have within its surrounding community and how service-learning can help the institution attend to the voices of the community in which it is placed. Sherrie Steiner’s principles for implementing reciprocity provide a great framework for institutions and faculty to consider while developing service-learning curriculums. Joe D. Nichols asks important questions about the focus on research and specialization at the expense of community and civic engagement and draws from multiple sources to foster reflection around alternatives to faculty recognition of such public work. “Reflecting on Classroom Practice” is the second and largest section of the book. Each chapter offers a perspective on how service-learning has worked in a particular context. This collection of cases from fields as varied as education, sociology, fine arts, and dental hygiene offers a myriad of suggestions for how to structure a curriculum that incorporates service-learning. There are suggested rubrics, logistical considerations, a solid bibliography with each chapter, and suggestions for what worked well and how one might improve the process over time. Readers will find this section full of ideas, suggestions, and methods focused on building a curriculum, partnering with community members, and methods for reflection with students. The final section, “Reflecting on Diversity,” pushes even further into the questions that come up when students engage in service-learning with diverse communities. Here the case studies offer insights into how students perceive and articulate the impact of their service-learning on their growing sense of their own contextual lenses and the lenses of those with whom they work. Faculty and administrators are invited to anticipate the types of responses their own students will have in an effort to foster positive reflection and growth in the students that is fruitful for the partner communities as well. One concern with the book is that community partners are not represented as writers of the chapters. The effort to shed light on the importance of effective community partnerships and the responsibility of higher education institutions to develop service-learning curriculum in partnership with the surrounding community is important. The inclusion of the voices of partner communities as authors could have added to the depth of the book. Reflecting on Service-Learning in Higher Education is a resource that will be appreciated by high school and university faculty and administrators. The questions raised and the suggestions shared will be useful for any institution looking to begin or strengthen their commitment to service-learning in higher education. Institutions, faculty, students, and the communities with which they partner will all benefit from M. Gail Hickey’s invitation to reflect.