Service Learning Network
Student Benefits
Service learning has been shown to be related to beneficial student outcomes in the following domains:
Developmental Outcomes
Appreciation of Diversity
- Reduction of negative stereotypes
- Realization that previously-unfamiliar others are "like me"
- Increased appreciation of other cultures
- Increased tolerance
Personal Development
- Increased self-knowledge
- Spiritual growth
- Career development
- Satisfaction of helping others
- Improved self-efficacy
Interpersonal Development
- Improved ability to work with others
- Development of leadership skills
- Increased connection to community
- Improved connections to faculty members and other students
Application of Knowledge
- Students report learning more and being more highly motivated to work hard in service learning courses
- Students report "deeper, more complex understanding of issues," as compared to their outcomes from traditional coursework
- Students report greater ability for real-world application of knowledge acquired in service learning courses
- Students demonstrate "increased complexity in analysis of both causes and solutions to social problems" as a result of well-integrated service learning
Critical Thinking
- Students report greater openness to new ideas as a result of participation in service learning
- Students participating in service learning courses in which service tasks are closely related with course material and in which reflective discussion of service plays a significant role in the course structure ("highly-integrated" service learning) demonstrate significant gains in critical thinking ability
New Perspectives
- Approximately one-third of service learning participants report gaining a new perspective on social issues
- Students demonstrate increased belief in the importance of social justice, the need for change in public policy, and the need to personally influence the political process
- Students engaged in highly-integrated service learning demonstrate a shift from believing the causes of and solutions to social problems lie within individuals themselves to adopting a broader view which takes into account both individual as well as societal and systemic factors
Engagement and Curiosity
- Students report being more genuinely interested in and curious about topics and ideas they work with through service
- Students report that their experiences with real people and real problems contribute significantly to their internal motivation for learning more about these issues
- Students report improved ability to recall material mastered through service learning courses, as this information is anchored in personal experience and relationships with other people
Source: Eyler, J. & Giles, D. E. (1999). Where's the learning in service-learning? San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Page last modified August 3, 2011
