Service-Learning and Learning Communities: Tools for Integration and Assessment

This publication attempts to provide fundamental theory about service-learning and learning communities, along with descriptions of best practices, lessons learned, and assessment strategies. The text is designed to provide resources to help readers offer service-learning experiences for their students. Learning communities are now commonly structured into colleges and universities across the United States, and research suggests that they increase student engagement and persistence. Coupling learning communities and service-learning provides contexts for learning and deepens students' learning experiences, but it requires adjustments to the organization, management, and planning of activities for the course. This guide contains these chapters: (1) "Service-Learning in Learning Communities"; (2) "Service-Learning and Civic Engagement"; (3) "Service-Learning Basics"; (4) "Assessment of Service-Learning"; (5) "Portfolio Development"; (6) "Portfolio Evaluation"; (7) "Utilizing Case Studies To Link Theory to the Service-Learning Experience"; (8) "Establishing and Maintaining Community Service-Learning Partners"; (9) "Risk Management"; (10) "What Works: Lessons Learned the Hard Way"; and (11) "Leading Change on Campus." An appendix contains seven sample forms that can be used in the learning community and service-learning process. [SLD]