Service-Learning and the Nontraditional Student: What's Age Got to Do With It?

The increasing presence of "nontraditional" students in higher education can complicate efforts to use service-learning methodologies. Analysis of data from 919 undergraduate students at 3 universities suggests that students with nontraditional characteristics have different perceptions of the value of service-learning for different intended outcomes. In examining student views of whether the service-learning experiences helped them (a) understand what they learned in class, (b) develop personal skills, (c) develop career plans, and (d) enhance their level of civic engagement, results showed that older student felt that service-learning enhanced the content of their courses but significantly less so than younger students, especially first generation students. Working students were less enthusiastic about the value of service-learning for the development of their personal skills that others. The implications of these findings for the support of nontraditional students as well as the opportunities suggested for further involvement of first generation and activist students are discussed.