An easy-to-search database of hundreds of high-quality service-learning lesson plans, syllabi, and project ideas, submitted by educators and service-learning practitioners
The world's largest service-learning library, with full-text and print resources
Updated: Cheryl Whitney-Lower, Vermont Campus Compact, September 2009
Available Discipline-Specific Service-Learning Resources in Higher Education
There are a number of discipline-specific service-learning resources available, and fortunately the number is growing. These include print publications, web sites, electronic discussion groups and expert faculty. This report is organized into two main sections: discipline-specific resources that cover multiple disciplines, and discipline-specific resources for a particular discipline. The resources are described below, followed by ideas on how to best take advantage of them. Please help us add to this evolving document! If you have suggested resources, including those in disciplines not currently covered in this document, please email them to nslc@etr.org
Discipline-Specific Resources that Cover Multiple Disciplines
Print Publications
AAHE's Series on Service-Learning in the Disciplines
A frequently cited and used resource is the American Association of Higher Education (AAHE) monograph series on service-learning in the academic disciplines published between 1997 and 2005. The series was edited by Edward Zlotkowski, with each of the twenty-one volumes edited by specialists in the represented disciplines. This series is now published by Stylus Publishing, LLC.
The Service-Learning in the Disciplines series provides a collection of exemplary practices of service-learning in specific disciplines, such as history, Spanish, biology, etc, which serve as a guide for faculty within a discipline or field. The discussions presented in the series are written by scholars in the discipline and are supported by research, course models, annotated bibliographies and program descriptions. Each volume includes both theoretical and pedagogical essays and cover a wide range of interests and approaches.
Ideas for using this series:
- Request that your college/university library and service-learning center purchase the whole series as a campus-wide faculty resource
- Develop a discipline-specific faculty development workshop centered around that discipline's monograph. Consider inviting a monograph editor or author as a speaker
Edited by David Droge, University of Puget Sound, this monograph presents 14 essays by community college faculty, chronicling their experiences in developing service-learning activities. Specific disciplines covered in this publication include business and management, composition, the humanities, psychology, reading instruction, sociology, developmental studies, English as a second language. Sections on print, organizational and electronic resources are also provided. To view and order, visit www.mesacc.edu/other/engagement/pathways/index.shtml
Praxis I. A Faculty Casebook on Community Service Learning
Edited by Jeffrey Howard, University of Michigan, each of the 17 chapters has been written by a faculty member at the University of Michigan, describing her/his experience integrating service into an academic course. Models represent 14 disciplines, including sociology, English, biology, psychology, public health, political science, women's studies, social work, architecture, and other undergraduate and graduate fields.
Snapshots of Service in the Disciplines
Published by Campus Compact, this book highlights over 70 service learning projects from the 1994-95 Corporation for National Service grants awarded to faculty by Campus Compact. Covers a wide range of disciplines, from accounting to urban studies.
Course Syllabi
These websites contain syllabi for service-learning courses across a wide range of disciplines in higher education:
SENCER Model Series
The SENCER models are curricular approaches to improving science learning and supporting engagement with complex issues. Through the "lens" of a matter or set of matters of public consequence, a SENCER model course or program teaches science that is both challenging and rigorous. Examples include: Undergraduate Biochemistry Through Public Health Issues, Cellular and Molecular Biology: Cancer; and Ordinary Differential Equations in Real World Situations. Complete versions of the SENCER models are available on, and may be downloaded from, the SENCER website.
Tools available through the SENCER site include:
- A booklet designed to acquaint readers with current featured SENCER models, as well as with a selection of "emerging" models.
- A partial bibliography of a wide variety of publications-from textbooks and laboratory manuals, to articles accepted by and published in refereed journals and reports to items in newsletters and the general media-have been written and edited by faculty associated with the SENCER project and/or have emerged from the SENCER project, itself.
American Association for Community Colleges — Horizons Service Learning Project: Curriculum Tools lists course syllabi by discipline.
Campus Compact syllabi — search compact.org/syllabi/ to find resources about course construction, browse syllabi by discipline, and submit syllabi.
Discipline-Specific Resources, including syllabi from Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (health professions-focused)
Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development Syllabi Swap
Service Learning Syllabi by Discipline
Ideas for using course syllabi:
- Distribute course syllabi examples for faculty to consider when designing a service-learning course in their discipline
- Incorporate discipline-specific course syllabi in service-learning faculty development workshops
Interdisciplinary Models of Service-Learning in Higher Education
This fact sheet highlights successful interdisciplinary models of service-learning in higher education and relevant resources.
Other Web-Based Resources
101 Ideas for Combining Service and Learning, Florida International University lists a host of good ideas across disciplines.
Higher Education Service-Learning Email Discussion List provides a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the higher education service-learning community. Discussions have evolved around curriculum requests, class assignments and the institutionalization of service-learning. Click here to search the HE-SL Archives to view past HE-SL Email Discussion List discussions.
You may subscribe to the email discussion list via the web interface at lists.etr.org/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=he-sl
OR
Send an email to join-he-sl@lists.etr.org following these instructions:
- Leave the subject line blank
- Remove any appended signatures
Service-Learning Course Descriptions 100+ descriptions of courses, sorted according to discipline, offered at Campus Compact member campuses in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire
SLICE: Service-Learning Ideas and Curricular Examples housed on the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse Web site. Find lesson plans, syllabi and project ideas: servicelearning.org/slice/
A number of campus-based service-learning programs maintain web sites that contain discipline-specific information about service-learning, with links to syllabi and other resources from their campus. For example, the University of Vermont maintains a list of Community University Partnerships and Service-Learning in the Disciplines.
Conferences and Institutes
Bookmark these websites and check them regularly for upcoming events
Campus Compact's home page maintains a listing of upcoming events at compact.org.
Learn and Serve's National Service-Learning Clearinghouse also maintains a calendar of events at servicelearning.org/events
Consultant Corps: Consultations in the disciplines
Consultants are available to consult with institutions on general or disciplinary-specific needs related to service-learning and civic engagement.
To search Campus Compact's Consulting Corps of experts in campus-based civic and community engagement, please visit: compact.org/initiatives/consulting-corps/
The Northern New England Faculty Consultant Corps is another example. Twenty-two faculty consultants from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont representing a variety of disciplines can assist faculty with introducing service-learning as a pedagogy, creating community partnerships, redesigning courses, devising strategies to develop students' skills and capacities, and developing service-learning research programs.
Other campuses have on-campus service-learning consultant corps made up of faculty from various disciplines that may serve as model programs for institutions wishing to start their own mentoring program for service-learning faculty.
Examples include Norwich University: http://norwich.edu/academics/servicelearning/index.html
Discipline-Specific Resources for a Particular Discipline
The following print publications and websites contain discipline-specific resources for faculty that are currently using, or are interested in using, service-learning as a methodology. For some disciplines, a NSLC fact sheet has been prepared and is listed under that discipline's heading. For others, if no fact sheet exists, readers are encouraged to conduct a library search, e.g. service learning and "discipline x", on the NSLC site at servicelearning.org/, for resources pertaining to that discipline, and a substantial bibliography of articles, syllabi, and other web and print resources will be listed. Likewise, conducting a Google or other web engine search using the same search words will yield listings for service-learning models and programs pertaining to that discipline at various higher education institutions.
Rama, D.V., editor. (1998). Learning by Doing: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Accounting. Washington, D.C.: American Association for Higher Education.
Accounting and the Public Interest is a new journal published by the Public Interest Section of the American Accounting Association and welcomes articles on service-learning in accounting (select 'Browse AAA Publications' then select 'Accounting and the Public Interest'.The American Accounting Association website has service-learning resources available, including abstracts of service-learning presentations from past AAA conferences and information about the AAA's service-learning committee.
ARCHAEOLOGY
Nassaney, Michael S. and Levine, Mary Ann, editors. (2009). Archaeology and Community Service Learning. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Press.
The Center for Public Archaeology at California State University Northridge is an archaeological research facility closely associated with the department and was created to meet several needs. Those needs include student training in archaeology, advancement of research in California archaeology, and consulting with public and private agencies in meeting regulatory requirements related to archaeological resources. This site describes the Center and some of the service-learning projects that students have been involved in, such as archaeological resources surveys, archaeological excavation, preparation of environmental impact statements, and zooarchaeological research.
ARCHITECTURE
Hardin, Mary C., Eribes, Richard, and Poster, Charles, editors. (2006). From the Studio to the Streets: Service-Learning in Planning and Architecture. Washington DC: American Association for Higher Education.
Service Learning in Architecture resource page gathered by Rich Michal, a graduate architecture student at the University of ArizonaEast St. Louis Action Research Project at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provides good model of the integration of community outreach and building.
BIOLOGY
Brubaker, David C. and Ostroff, Joel H., editors. (2000). Life, Learning, and Community: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Biology. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
National Service-Learning Clearinghouse Fact Sheet on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education and Service LearningDenison University Resource sheet for Faculty in Biology
Also see examples such as University of Wisconsin at Madison for service-learning in Biology
cbe.wisc.edu/servicelearning/index.html
CHEMISTRY
American Chemical Society Service-Learning Resources for Chemistry Faculty
National Service-Learning Clearinghouse fact sheet on Chemistry and Service-Learning in Higher Education
National Service-Learning Clearinghouse fact sheet on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education and Service Learning
COMMUNICATION STUDIES
Droge, David and Ortega Murphy, Bren, editors. (1999). Voices of Strong Democracy: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Communication Studies. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
The National Communication Association has a discipline-specific toolkit for higher education faculty interested in service-learning and Communication Studies [pdf], which discusses the benefits of service-learning, includes a section on liability concerns, a glossary, and tips for getting started. It also gives examples of actual projects that various communication studies college classes have done, and includes sections on reflection, assessment, and blank assessment forms. The site also includes a bibliography and other resources.A project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Communication Association, Campus Compact, and the American Association for Higher Education, Communicating Common Ground teams faculty and students from college-level communication programs with P-12 schools and community groups to implement programs that foster respect for diversity and combat prejudice in communities across America.
COMPOSITION
Adler-Kassner, Linsa, Crooks, Robert, and Watters, Ann, eds. (1997). Writing the Community: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Composition., DC: American Association for Higher Education.
Deans, Thomas. (2000) Writing Partnerships: Service-Learning in Composition. Urbana, Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English.
The National Council of Teachers of English has additional service learning articles and resources available to its members on its website.ECONOMICS
McGoldrick, Kim Marie, and Ziegert, Andrea L., eds. (2001). Putting the Invisible Hand to Work: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Economics. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
Mertens, Jo Beth. (2009) Incorporating Service-Learning in Quantitative Methods Economics Courses. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
The Higher Education Academy Economics Network has a number of articles and other resources on their website, including 7.2 A Case Study: The Application of a Non-traditional Form of Undergraduate Research within an Existing Course.ENGINEERING
Tsang, Edmund, ed. (2000). Projects That Matter: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Engineering, Edmund Tsang, ed., Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
National Service-Learning Clearinghouse fact sheet on Engineering and Service-LearningNational Service-Learning Clearinghouse fact sheet on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
UMass Lowell College of Engineering: SLICE (Service-Learning Integrated Throughout the College of Engineering)
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Ward, Harold. (1999). Acting Locally: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Environmental Studies. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
A bibliography compiled by the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse librarian on ways to incorporate environmental concerns in service-learning projects.Many campuses have web pages linking environmental studies curricula to community based projects and research. See Bowdoin College for one example.
HISTORY
Harkavy, Ira and Donovan, Bill M., eds. (2000). Connecting Past and Present: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in History. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
The American Historical Association website has articles and information about service-learning in historyLODGING, FOOD SERVICE AND TOURISM
Koppel, Joseph, Kavanaugh, Raphael R., and Van Dyke, Tom, eds. (2004). Hospitality with a Heart: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Lodging, Foodservice, and Tourism. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
MANAGEMENTGodfrey, Paul C. and Grasso, Edward T., eds. (2000). Working for the Common Good: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Management. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
The Academy of Management website contains information about service-learning sessions at past annual conferences and offers free subscription to email discussion lists related to specific disciplines within management.MATHEMATICS
Hadlock, Charles R., ed. (2005). Mathematics In Service To The Community: Concepts And Models For Service-Learning In The Mathematical Sciences. Washington, DC: The Mathematical Association of America.
National Service-Learning Clearinghouse fact sheet on Math and Service-Learning in Higher EducationNational Service-Learning Clearinghouse list of general mathematics resources
MEDICAL EDUCATION
Seifer, Serena D., Hermanns, Kris, and Lewis, Judy, eds. (2000). Creating Community-Responsive Physicians: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Medical Education. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
Community-Campus Partnerships for Health's service-learning resources web page contains course syllabi and materials on service-learning in medical education.Krauel, P., Krauel, H., eds. (2003). CCPH 7th Annual Introductory Service-Learning Institute
Proceedings: Advancing Educational Innovations for Improved Student Learning and Community
Health. San Francisco, CA: Community-Campus Partnerships for Health.
Borges, Nicole J and Hartung, Paul J. (2007). Service Learning in Medical Education: Project Description and Evaluation. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 19(1), 1-7.
NURSING EDUCATIONCaring and Community: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Nursing, Jane S. Norbeck, Charlene Connolly, and JoEllen Koerner, eds., Edward Zlotkowski series ed., Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education, 1998.
Community-Campus Partnerships for Health's Partners in Caring and Community: Service-Learning in Nursing Education Program website contains case studies, course syllabi, PowerPoint presentations and an annotated bibliography.Pew Health Professions Commission report with list of resources [doc]
National Service-Learning Clearinghouse list of general nursing and service-learning resources
PEACE STUDIES
Weigert, Kathleen Maas and Crews, Robin J., eds. (1999).Teaching for Justice: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Peace Studies. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
The National Service-Learning Clearinghouse has a page on how service learning can be used to promote peace.PERFORMING ARTS
An article about a Dance service-learning project from San Antonio college
PHILOSOPHY
Lisman, C. David and Harvey, Irene E., eds. (2000) Beyond the Tower: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Philosophy. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
The website of the American Philosophical Association's Committee on the Teaching of Philosophy has several articles on service-learning and a site for philosophy professors to share their opinions of and experiences with service-learning as a teaching method.PHYSICS
Guerra, David V. (2005). Service-Learning in Physics: The Consultant Model. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement Identifier, 10(3), 143-152.
Aldrich, Lynn. (2007). Service Learning in Physics Courses in the United States. Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 38, 1234.
Finkelstein, Noah D. (2004). Teaching and Learning Physics: A Model for Coordinating Physics Instruction, Outreach, and Research.Boulder, CO:University of Colorado.
Denison program examples and ideas [pdf]POLITICAL SCIENCE
Battistoni, Richard M. and Hudson, William E., eds. (1997). Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
The American Political Science Association website has a page that lists active political science courses that have a service-learning component, as well as a toolkit and other resources.The University of Washington also has a site for service-learning in political science that has several syllabi.
American Political Science Association provides resources that include syllabi, a toolkit, and a list of service-learning opportunities and examples in colleges and universities.
Borick, C. P. and Gambino, G. (2008). "A Value Added Model of Service Learning in Political Science Courses". Paper presented at the annual meeting of the APSA Teaching and Learning Conference, San Jose Marriott, San Jose, California.
PSYCHOLOGYBringle, Robert G. and Duffy, Donna K., eds. (1998). With Service in Mind : Concepts and Models for Service Learning in Psychology. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
The American Psychological Association maintains a website on service-learning and civic engagement. The site is intended to introduce faculty, teachers, students, researchers, clinicians, and community partners to the connections between psychological work, the pedagogy of service-learning, and issues of civic engagement. The site contains definitions, publications, and contact information for service-learning leaders in psychology.Ozorak, Elizabeth Weiss. (2003). Integrating Service-Learning into Psychology Courses. Association for Psychological Science Observer, 16(11).
Denison University resource sheet for Faculty in Psychology. [pdf]RELIGIOUS STUDIES
Devine, Richard, Favazza, Joseph A., and McLain, Michael, eds. (2002). From Cloister to Commons: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Religious Studies. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
SOCIOLOGYOstrow, James, Hesser, Garry, and Enos, Sandra, eds. (1999). Cultivating the Sociological Imagination: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Sociology. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
DeFiore, JoAnn, Ender, Morten G., and Kowalewski, Brenda Marsteller, eds. (2005). Service-Learning and Undergraduate Sociology: Syllabi and Materials (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: American Sociological Association.
Overview and links to resources from University of Colorado BoulderSPANISH
Hellebrandt, Josef and Verona, Lucia T. (1999). Construyendo Puentes (Building Bridges) Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Spanish. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
Hellebrandt, Josef, Arries, Jonathan, and Verona, Lucia, eds. (2004). Juntos: Community Partnerships in Spanish and Portuguese. Exton, PA: American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese
Hellebrandt, Josef and Wurr, Adrian J., ed. (2007). Learning the Language of Global Citizenship: Service-Learning in Applied Linguistics. Hoboken, NJ:Anker Publishing.
For an examples of a partnership between a language program and a community, see Duke University's Spanish Service-Learning ProgramSTATISTICS
Root, Rob and Thorme, Trisha. (2001).Community-Based Projects in Applied Statistics: Using Service-Learning to Enhance Student Understanding. The American Statistician, 55(4).
Hydorn, Debra L. (2007). Community Service-Learning in Statistics: Course Design and Assessment. Journal of Statistics Education,15(2).
Hadlock, Charles R., ed. (2005). Mathematics In Service To The Community: Concepts And Models For Service-Learning In The Mathematical Sciences. Washington, D.C.: The Mathematical Association of America.
TEACHER EDUCATION
Erickson, Joseph A. and Anderson, Jeffrey B., eds. (1997). Learning With the Community: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Teacher Education. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
The National Service-Learning Teacher Education Partnership website maintains a reference list of articles on service-learning in teacher education, an electronic discussion group, and a list of consultants across the country with relevant expertise.
The American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education website includes a digest that focuses on service-learning.
National Service-Learning Clearinghouse fact sheet on Service Learning in Teacher Education
VISUAL ARTS
Jeffers, Carol S. The name assigned to the document by the author. This field may also contain sub-titles, series names, and report numbers.Spheres of Possibility: Linking Service-Learning and the Visual Art. (2005). Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
Roy, Raquel Kennedy and Cho, Min. (2006). My Art...My World: A Handbook on Integrating Service Learning into the Art Classroom, Second Edition. Tallahasee, FL: Florida Learn and Serve.
WOMEN'S STUDIES
Balliet, Barbara J. and Heffernan, Kerrissa, eds. (2000).The Practice of Change: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Women's Studies. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.
Evans, Stephanie Y. (2006). Major Service: Combining Academic Disciplines and Service-Learning in Women's Studies. Feminist Teacher: A Journal of the Practices, Theories, and Scholarship of Feminist Teaching, 17(1), 1-14.
The American Women's Studies Association has a web page devoted to service learning, which includes definitions, resources, syllabi, and weblinks.The AWSA sponsored a national service-learning project in 1979. A description appears on this website.
