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
Source: Sarena D. Seifer, Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, May 2002
Updated: May 2005
The evidence base for service-learning is constantly evolving, with new publications and studies being released every month. What follows is a summary of the publications, journals, and websites that can help keep you up-to-date on the evidence base for service-learning. Remember, the research is being updated all of the time - use the publications and websites described below to stay informed about the latest data on the effectiveness of service-learning in higher education.
Annual Conferences
Annual International Conference on Service-Learning Research
Although there are numerous conferences on service-learning in higher education, this is the only conference that is specifically devoted to service-learning research. In October of 2001, the First Annual International Conference on Service-Learning Research was held in Berkeley and brought 350 researchers, policymakers and others interested in service-learning research together to share and hear about new findings, research agendas and explore research interests.
International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE).
Publications
At A Glance: What we know about the effects of service-learning on college students, faculty, institutions, and communities. 1993-2000, Third Edition. Janet S. Eyler, Dwight E. Giles, Jr., Christine M. Stenson, and Charlene J. Gray. Funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, Learn and Serve, National Service-Learning Clearinghouse.
"At A Glance" provides an excellent summary of the findings of service-learning research in higher education over the past few years. An annotated bibliography is included. This is the place to start for an overview of where the service-learning research in higher education stands today.
Click here to order or download (PDF format) this publication from NSLC.
Service-Learning: The Essence of the Pedagogy. Shelley Billig and Andrew Furco. 2002. Information Age Publishing.
This is the first volume of the Advances in Service-Learning Research series published by Information Age Publishers in Greenwich, CT. This volume represents the presentations and findings from the first annual International Service-Learning Research Conference held in Berkeley, CA in October of 2001. Research findings, theory, and pedagogical discussions will be of interest to readers from K-12, higher education, community, and tribal organizations. Find this publication in the NSLC Library.
How Service Learning Affects Students. Alexander W. Astin, Lori J. Vogelgesang, Elaine K. Ikeda, and Jennifer A. Yee. Los Angeles: UCLA Higher Education Research Institute, 2000. 310/825-1925.
This publication provides an overview of the effect of service-learning on the development and learning of college students. Results of a national study of faculty and students at a variety of institutions are presented and analyzed. View this publication online.
Where's the Learning in Service-Learning? Janet Eyler and Dwight E. Giles, Jr. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999. 888/378-2537.
Addresses how to identify learning outcomes; personal and interpersonal development; applying knowledge; reflection; critical thinking; citizenship; characteristics of effective programs; and strengthening the role of service in curricula. Find this publication in the NSLC Library.
Health Professions Schools in Service to the Nation: 1996-1998 Final Evaluation Report. Sherril B. Gelmon, Barbara A Holland, Ann F. Shinnamon. Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, 1998. Order this publication online or find this publication in the NSLC Library.
The Health Professions Schools in Service to the Nation Program was a national demonstration program of service-learning in health professions education. In April 1995, twenty health professions schools were awarded three-year grants to integrate service-learning into their core curricula. An external evaluation of this multi-site program was conducted by a team at Portland State University. This 93-page report describes the overall scope and purpose of the evaluation, the methods used, and findings across the grantees from the two year evaluation.
Models of Good Practice for Service-Learning Programs: What Can We Learn From 1,000 Faculty, 25,000 Students, and 27 Institutions Involved in Service. Mary Kay Schneider. AAHE Bulletin, June 1998.
A collaborative project with the American Association of Higher Education, Campus Compact, and the National Society of Experiential Education studied 27 colleges and universities nominated by community service and service-learning leaders. The goal of the study was to develop a better understanding of service-learning in higher education, and to get a feel for how the field is developing.
Combining Service and Learning in Higher Education: Summary Report. Maryann J. Gray, Elizabeth H. Ondaatje, Laura Zakaras. 1999. RAND.
A summary report of a research study entitled: Combining Service and Learning in Higher Education: Evaluation of the Learn and Serve America, Higher Education Program. The Corporation for National and Community Service sponsored this research by RAND, designed to evaluate the effect of the Learn and Serve America, Higher Education program on students, service recipients, and higher education institutions. Download this report online or find this report in the NSLC library.
Journals and Periodicals
Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning. Jeffrey Howard, Editor. Ann Arbor: OSCL Press.
Each issue has a variety of peer-reviewed articles related to research, pedagogy, and theory relevant to service-learning. View the journal's 2000 special issue: "Strategic Directions for Service-Learning Research." This issue not only summarizes what is known about service-learning in higher education, it also identifies gaps in our knowledge for which further research is needed. The table of contents and abstracts can be viewed online.
National Society for Experiential Education Quarterly
Articles from the field of experiential education, including research related to the effectiveness of experiential education techniques, are featured in this quarterly journal. Service-learning is one of the many experiential education methods featured in this journal.
Compact Current
The Compact Current is a resource for service-learning faculty in all disciplines. The Reader is published in the Fall, Winter, and Spring. Articles address democratic citizenship, education reform, civic renewal and the transformation of higher education. Book reviews and notices of upcoming publications are a great way to keep up to date on new research related to service-learning and higher education.
Partnership Matters Newsletter
Partnership Matters is published twice a month by Community-Campus Partnerships for Health and provides an excellent resource for learning about new publications related to service-learning in the health professions.
Websites
There are numerous websites related to service-learning in higher education. Many of these websites are profiled in the Higher Education links category of the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse. The links presented below related specifically to the research and evidence base for service-learning in higher education. You may wish to bookmark these links for future reference.
American Association of Community Colleges Horizons Service Learning Project
A variety of publications are available by following the link above, providing evidence related to the institutionalization of service-learning at the community college level.
Campus Compact
Campus Compact frequently publishes and disseminates new research related to service-learning. Find links to service-learning conferences where the latest research on the effectiveness of service-learning is shared and discussed. Click here to view the annual survey of the Campus Compact membership, measuring growth in community service and service-learning, and identifying issue areas and trends.
UC Berkeley Service-Learning Research and Development Center
The Service-Learning Research and Development Center website provides a number of resources related to service-learning research and evaluation. The goal of the research activities of the Center is to better understand the implications of service activities on teaching, learning, and schooling.
UCLA Higher Education Service-Learning Clearinghouse Evaluation and Research
The University of California-Los Angeles Higher Education Service-Learning Clearinghouse was a part of the Higher Education Research Institute. These archives of the now defunct site are a resource for research on the effectiveness of service-learning as a methodology.
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