Service-Learning

Definition
Tools and Resources
Discipline-Specific Resources, Including Syllabi
Publications
Training Institutes
Training and Technical Assistance
Electronic Discussion Groups
Web Links

Definition

Service-learning is a structured learning experience that combines community service with preparation and reflection. Students engaged in service-learning provide community service in response to community-identified concerns and learn about the context in which service is provided, the connection between their service and their academic coursework, and their roles as citizens.

Service-learning differs from traditional clinical education in the health professions in that:

• Service-learning strives to achieve a balance between service and learning objectives - in service-learning, partners must negotiate the differences in their needs and ex-pectations.
• Service-learning places an emphasis on addressing community concerns and broad determinants of health
• In service-learning, there is the integral involvement of community partners - service-learning involves a principle-centered partnership between communities and health professions schools.
• Service-learning emphasizes reciprocal learning - In service-learning, traditional definitions of "faculty," "teacher" and "learner" are intentionally blurred. We all learn from each other.
• Service-learning emphasizes reflective practice - In service-learning, reflection facilitates the connection between practice and theory and fosters critical thinking.
• Service-learning places an emphasis on developing citizenship skills and achieving social change - many factors influence health and quality of life. The provision of health services is not often the most important factor. In service-learning, students place their roles as health professionals and citizens in a larger societal context

• National Resources for Service-Learning
• Faculty Toolkit for Service-Learning in Higher Education - edited by CCPH and published by Learn and Serve America's National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, the toolkit is divided into 10 units designed to aid faculty in every step of planning, designing, and implementing service-learning programs into their curriculum and institutions as well as program evaluation and assessment.
• Job Description for Coordinator of Service-Learning, School for Health Care Professions, Regis University - submitted by CCPH member Awon M. Atuire
• Job Description for Graduate Research Assistant: Community Service-Learning, School of Social Work, University of Washington-submitted by Madeline B. Galbraith, University of Washington School of Social Work
• Job Description for Student Placement Coordinator, Yakima Valley Farmworkers Clinic - submitted by CCPH member Maria Benavides
• An Inventory of Your Service-Learning Partnership
• Tool for Service-Learning Sustainability
• Tool for Building Partnerships into All Aspects of Service-Learning
• Powerpoint Presentation on Service-Learning in the Health Professions
• Methods and Strategies for Student Assessment
• Methods and Strategies for Community Partner Assessment
• Methods and Strategies for Faculty Assessment and Reflection
• Methods and Strategies for Institutional Assessment
• Service-Learning Assessment Plan Rubric - developed by the California State University to evaluate their system's progress to accomplish the CSU Strategic Plan for Community Service Learning. The Rubric identifies three stages, "undeveloped, in process, and accomplished," for each of the twenty-two steps within the CSU's Strategic Plan. The tool also offers some questions to consider in exploring different approaches to institutionalization.
  
• Syllabus Revision Procedures - authored by CCPH mentor Edward Zlotkowski
• Steps in Institutionalizing a Campus Service-Learning Program, prepared by CCPH member Erika Randall
• Fact Sheets on Service-Learning (SL) in Higher Education - developed by CCPH for the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse. Topics include the evidence base for SL, institutional structures for SL, discipline-specific SL resources, evaluating SL, and funding SL.
• Quick Guides on SL in Higher Education - Developed by CCPH for the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse. Topics focused on higher education at this site include Chemistry and Service-Learning, Math and Service-Learning, Publishing and Presenting in Service-Learning, and Teacher Education and Service-Learning.
  
• Sample Service-Learning Agreement - submitted by Jeremy Sappington
  

The Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice has developed a number of tools for community-academic partnerships between health departments and schools of public health. Although focused on public health and the practicums required by MPH programs, these tools are also useful for service-learning partnerships in a wide range of health professional disciplines.

• Academic Institution Survey - can be used by academic institutions to assess the status and composition of existing partnerships with health departments.
• Health Department Survey - can be used by health departments to assess the status and composition of existing partnerships with academic institutions.
• Multi-Component Affiliation Agreements - can be used to help develop formal partnerships with academic institutions and provides examples of memorandums of understanding.
• Faculty-Staff Exchange Programs Tool - can be used to help develop faculty/staff exchanges between academic institutions and health departments, facilitating practitioner review of training program content
• Developing a Clinical Appointment Track Guide - can be used to establish a clinical appointment track in health professional schools
• Community Practicum Proposal Form - an example of a project proposal form for a community-based practicum.
• Student Evaluation of Practicum Form - an example of a student evaluation form for a practicum site and project.
• Preceptor Evaluation of Student Form - can be used by a preceptor to evaluate student performance during a practicum.
• Guidelines for Practicum Written Report - an example of guidelines for a practicum written report.
• Criteria for Designating Courses as Service-Learning - compiled by Brigham Young University and by California State University
  

The California State University's Service-Learning in Family Health AmeriCorps program has developed several service-learning evaluation instruments, submitted by CCPH member Season Eckardt:

• University Pre-Survey
• University Post-Survey
• Agency Pre-Survey
• Agency Post-Survey

Please click to view information about the Health Professions Schools in Service to the Nation Program, a national demonstration program of service-learning in the health professions

Please click for an annotated bibliography of service-learning research in higher education between about 1993-2000.

Additional sources of online service-learning syllabi by discipline:

• Campus Compact
• Service-Learning
• Community Organizing and Development
• Community-Based Participatory Research
• Faith and Health Consortium
• The National Leadership Resource Database - contains courses and course modules that integrate HIV/AIDS and other health concerns into higher education curriculum, including service-learning courses.

Anthropology

• Anthropology: Biomedical Science and Human Adaptability - University of Pennsylvania
  
• Reducing Alcohol Abuse on College Campuses: Addressing Student Health through Public Interest Anthropology - University of Pennsylvania

• Advanced Biostatistics for Health, California State University Northridge

Chiropractic

• A Model Course for Public Health Education in Chiropractic Colleges - a users guide submitted by Michael Perillo, University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic

Community Development

• Community Development Organizations and Policies, Vanderbilt University
• Community Organizing & Community Building for Health, University of California-Berkeley School of Public Health

Dental Hygiene/Dentistry

• CCPH Consultancy Network - June 2005 Service-Learning Workshop Presentation on Community-Based Dental Education and Service-Learning
• CCPH Consultancy Network - June 2005 Service-Learning Workshop Presentation on Preparing Dental Students for Community-Based Education
  
• Faculty Development Workshop Agenda - Service Learning in Dental Education: from Vision to Reality (American Dental Education Assoc. meeting 2002)
• Faculty Development Workshop Speaker Bio's - Service Learning in Dental Education: from Vision to Reality (American Dental Education Assoc. meeting 2002)
• Faculty Development Workshop Slides Introduction to Service-Learning --Service Learning in Dental Education: from Vision to Reality
• Service-Learning in Dental Education at University of Detroit Mercy slide presentation (American Dental Education Assoc. meeting 2002)
• Dental Care for Special Needs Populations syllabus --University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry
• Dental Care for Special Needs Populations community partner invitation --University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry
• Dental Care for Special Needs Populations reflection paper guidelines --University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry
• Moving Toward Institutionalizing Service-Learning--Indiana University School of Dentistry slide presentation (American Dental Education Assoc. meeting 2002)
• Symposium Brochure: Service-Learning in Health Professions Schools (Indiana University School of Dentistry 2001)
• Symposium: Enhancing Community-Based Education through Service-Learning Partnerships (Handouts from series presented at the 2003 American Dental Education Association meeting)
• Encouraging Dental School Graduates to Serve in Community Practice Settings slide presentation - Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery(American Dental Education Assoc. meeting 2002)
• Preventative Dentistry Year 1 syllabus --New Jersey Dental School (UMDNJ)
• Donated Dental Services - a case study of the University of Southern California School of Dentistry's integration of service-learning as a grantee of the Health Professions Schools in Service to the Nation Program, authored by Niel Nathanson.
• Community-Based Dental Partnership Program includes description of program, CCPH role in providing technical assistance and training, and web resources focusing on HIV/AIDS oral health
• American Dental Education Association 2004 Service-Learning Symposium Eyler
• American Dental Education Association 2004 Service-Learning Symposium Henshaw
• Reflective Learning in Community-Based Dental Education - an article published by CCPH member Ronald Strauss and colleagues in the November 2003 issue of the Journal of Dental Education.
• A Framework for Service-Learning in Dental Education - an article published by CCPH member and Service-Learning Institute mentor Karen Yoder in the February 2006 issue of the Journal of Dental Education.
  
  

Health Law

• American Healthcare Law, University of Dayton

Honors Program

• Students in the Vaughan-Beaven Service Learning Honors Program at Kettering College of Medical Arts participate in a course of study that, critically analyses the service needs of the local, regional, national, and/or global communities, and participates in meeting identified needs. CCPH Fellow Paula Reams developed, piloted, and evaluated this new service-learning honors program in a health professions college.
• For a description of the program's Service-Learning Contract click here.
• For the program's Student Attitude Assessment Survey, click here.
• For a description of the Service-Learning Honors Program click here.
• For a description of the courses in the Service-Learning Honors Program click here.

Optometry

• Public Health Project, New England Eye Institute
• Community Health Optometry, University of Houston College of Optometry - this document describes a service-learning project focused on Healthy People 2010: Healthy Eyes, Healthy People Eye Health Promotion