Service Learning in University Living-Learning Communities: Educational and Community Implications

Background & Purpose: Service-learning is a pedagogical strategy combining classroom instruction with community service as an academic learning resource. Service learning provides opportunities for students to reflect, think critically, and engage in creative problem solving strategies. In fact, Lemieux and Allen (2007) describe service-learning as a trimuvirate in which student learning, community service, and reciprocal engagement are equally emphasized. While a fit for social work, the few available empirical pieces in the social work literature speak to the utility of service-learning in social work education, but not to the broader student body or institution.

This study examined the benefits for non-majors engaged in service-learning while simultaneously living with their peers in a residential setting. Specifically, we:

1.describe student experiences with service-learning and community in the residence hall.

2.evaluate the impact on student development.

Methods: Service-Learning Context. In academic years 2006-07 and 2007-08 two cohorts of non-social work students lived together on a residence hall floor, forming a “civic engagement and service-learning” community. Social work faculty coordinated the academic curriculum. Students participated in service-learning activities as requirements for two social work courses. Residents were also enrolled in a year-long seminar combining didactic content and community service projects. The study included focus groups and a one-group pretest-posttest design.

Focus Groups. In spring term AY2007-08, two focus groups were held with 18 participants, four from Cohort 1 and 14 from Cohort 2. Audiotaped focus groups were led by a doctoral student and a second student took notes. The interview guide addressed student experiences with service-learning and community in the residence hall. Themes were identified using content analysis.

One Group Pretest-Posttest. The impact on student development was evaluated with eight students from Cohort 2 who completed the UC Berkeley Service Learning Center Survey in September, 2007 and in April, 2008. This instrument assesses student development in four domains: academic, civic engagement, self-efficacy, and career development; questions about the host community were added to the survey. Reports of the reliability and validity of scale were not available. Paired-sample t-tests were used.

Results: The decision to participate in service-learning community was based on previous volunteer experiences or a commitment to civic engagement. Living in a service-learning community made the University more intimate as residents felt part of a small community. Group activities were preferred over individual service-learning activities. Participants felt more connected with the broader community and more likely to continue to volunteer than they would have been otherwise. The quantitative results found no statistically significant differences on pre- and posttest scores total scores or domain scores.

Conclusions & Implications: Social work educators are well-suited to take the lead in university-wide service-learning experiences. Qualitative results suggest a place for service-learning within a living-learning community environment, such as that formed in the residence hall. A connection to the community appears to have enhanced not only classroom learning but the overall college experience. While quantitative results suggest no statistically significant differences from pre-to post-test, the number of respondents was too small to derive implications.