Challenge of Short-Term Service-Learning, (The)

Perhaps one of the most popular forms of service-learning today is the service-learning component grafted onto a regular course, which nearly always involves a short time commitment on the part of the student. In this study, one of the most consistent themes involved the challenges associated with short-term service-learning, which is somewhat surprising given how seldom the problem of "time" has been raised in the literature.

Loosely, short-term service-learning would be described as serving a few hours at a time over the course of several days, or an hour or so a week during part of a semester. But even service-learning experiences lasting as long as a full semester are considered short-term by many of our community organizations. In the research presented in this chapter, twenty-one participants reported working only with short-term service-learning students, and the rest had worked with students for both short-term and longer periods.

Small- and medium-sized community organizations-- those that have the most to gain from quality service-learning and the fewest resources to waste on ineffective service-learning-- often find short-term service-learning to be an unhelpful time sink. The challenges of short-term service-learning fall into the following categories: investment of time in working with short-term service-learning students; incompatibility of short-term service-learning with direct service; issues with timing and project management; and community and campus calendar issues. (authors)