We frame the work we do at Designers for Learning around service learning. I’ve been working on several conference proposals where I’ve pulled (ok … self-plagiarized) a definition of service-learning from the same tired citations I’ve relied on for years:
“Service learning is an educational approach that combines community service, academic coursework, and work-based experience (Bringle & Hatcher, 1996; Furco, 1996; Kenworthy-U’Ren, 1999; Kraft, 1996; Lehman & DuFrene, 2008; Mooney & Edwards, 2001). A unique aspect of service learning is the focus on the reciprocal benefit derived from the service provided to the recipient, and the learning experience gained by the student service provider (Furco, 1996). Attempts to offer a conceptual framework have placed service learning within the context of related theories of learning and instruction, including experiential learning (Carver, 1997; Dewey, 1938; Giles & Eyler, 1994; Kolb, 1984; Kraft, 1996; Mooney & Edwards, 2001) and authentic learning (Correia, Yusop, Wilson, & Schwier, 2010; Herrington, Reeves, & Oliver, 2014; Hung, Lee, & Lim, 2012). Common to many perspectives is the emphasis placed on (a) authentic real-life experiences, (b) active engagement by the student in interactions with both the content and others, (c) inquiry that is tied to problems or opportunities within the experience that create uncertainty and challenge, (d) activities related to the student’s reflection on the experience, and (e) the mutual benefit of the community.“
I’m realizing it’s time for me to head back to the virtual stacks to freshen up my literature on the subject. Coincidently, I received a call for manuscripts to The International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IJRSLCE). From their website, “IRJSLCE is a peer-reviewed online journal dedicated to the publication of high-quality research focused on service-learning, campus-community engagement, and the promotion of active and effective citizenship through education.” I’ve never submitted to this journal, but it appears to be open access. Also, it seems they only publish once a year and the next call for manuscripts is May 15th. Maybe it’s time to head back into the stacks and freshen up our service-learning literature review for a future submission?