Service-learning is a pedagogy
that allows students to develop professional and academic skills
in the context of meaningful, applied work with a community service
organization.
Definitions
Experiential education
refers to learning activities that engage the learner directly in
the phenomena being studied.
Service-learning
is a method under which students or participants learn and develop
through active participation in thoughtfully organized service that
is conducted in and meets the needs of a community and is coordinated
with an institution of higher education or community service program,
and with the community: helps foster civic responsibility; is integrated
into and enhances the academic curriculum of the students or the
educational components of the community service program in which
the participants are enrolled; and includes structured time for
the students and participants to reflect on the service experience.
Community-based
learning is a type of experiential learning in which the
student:
Provides some meaningful work (service)
Meets a need or a goal
Engages with the community
Performs work that stems from course objectives
Is integrated into the course by means of assignments that require some form of reflection on the work in light of the course objectives
Is assessed/evaluated accordingly (Kathleen Maas Weigert, Ph.D.)
Learning
Outcomes
Research
has shown that students who participate in service-learning experience
positive learning outcomes, including:
Increased motivation
A deeper understanding of subject matter and the ability to
apply classroom material to real-world situations
Increased capacity for retention of classroom material
Increased analytical skills
WHY Community-Based Learning
(CBL) in a business school?
CBL
is relevant and integral to the success of business education.
CBL,
integral to the mission of many universities including Notre
Dame since inception, increasingly merits attention:
Colleges
and universities are increasingly charged with illustrating
commitment to values and mission
Colleges
and universities are increasingly making explicit their commitment
to ethics and social responsibility
Colleges
and universities are increasingly charged with developing meaningful
campus-community partnerships
The
nonprofit sector context (proliferation of organizations, increased
need for accountability, metrics and performance) demands strategic
partnership and capacity development
The
job market demands that students differentiate and demonstrate
abilities and capacity for success
CBL
meets multiple goals of business education.
The
Mendoza College of Business aims to "prepare men and women for
careers in business and meaningful, productive lives in service
to others." CBL is a mechanism to fulfill the MCOB mission of
"academic excellence, implementation effectiveness, and a commitment
to integrity and community. Our purpose here is not only to build
careers, but to build lives rooted in purpose and faith."
Mendoza
's commitment to community-based learning is a hallmark of the
program.
Since
2000, over thirty Mendoza faculty have incorporated
community-based learning projects in their courses; Mendoza
offers 8-14 CBL courses each semester.
Mendoza
was ranked #5 worldwide on the Aspen Institute/World
Resources Institute "Beyond Grey Pinstripes" report of MBA programs
and their commitment to social and environmental stewardship;
Mendoza 's significant number of CBL courses was noted in the
award
"Giving
Back is an Expectation" was the featured headline as Mendoza
was ranked the #3
business school in the U.S. (BusinessWeek, 2006)
Benefits for Students:
Enhanced academic experience through application of classroom
skills in a real-world setting
Opportunity to apply theoretical concepts to practical experience
Positive impact on students' cognitive, social and personal
outcomes
Enhanced interaction between students and faculty
Emphasized relevancy of education to students living in
a real world
Teaching of positive values, leadership, citizenship, and personal
responsibility
Empowerment of students as learners, teachers, achievers, and leaders
Invitation of students to become members of their own community
Fostering of job readiness and pre-employment skills
Benefits for Faculty:
Allows faculty to be innovative and creative in their teaching
approach
Contributes to faculty's engagement in the local community,
the state, and beyond
Potential to add to the faculty research agenda
Opportunity to work closely with students and empower them
with applied learning
Benefits for the Community:
Provides access to the university network and the language
and logistics of partnership
Increases campus-community collaboration and partnerships
Contributes thousands of hours of [meaningful, useful] service
to local communities and the organizations that serve its members
