Triangulated Learning: Integrating Text, Current Events, and Experience in State and Local Government

The chapter is divided into four sections. The first makes the case for service-learning as a pedagogy worthy of greater attention by the higher education community of scholars. It also addresses a concern that has been expressed repeatedly over the years, especially by junior faculty members, who sometime face resistance by colleagues who may convey skepticism about the value of integrating service-learning into the curriculum. The second section focuses on the concept of triangulated learning and its application to courses in State and Local Government. The third section is a user's guide for the development and implementation of a service-learning course based on the concept of triangulated learning. It focuses on the nuts-and-bolts matters that can make the difference in developing and implementing a course that maximizes the potential of service-learning to meet particular curricular goals. The fourth section reports on how service-learning has evolved over the years at Wartburg from a few courses taught by a handful of faculty members into a collegewide focus that includes the commitment of financial and human resources to facilitate various kinds of experiential learning including service-learning. In its most recent iteration, this institutional commitment has led to the creation of the Center for Community Engagement. [author]