Elizabeth Yost Hammer
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In-Class Uses of Service Learning
For service learning to effectively encourage critical thinking, it must be an important
component of the course and not merely tacked on. It is a common rookie mistake (indeed
one that I made myself ) simply to add a service-learning assignment to a course without
altering the presentation of course material or integrating it into the course. In this case,
students quickly perceive it as “busy work” and treat it as such. Further, without being
carefully incorporated into the course, service learning can become mere “feel-good
activities” (Valerius & Hamilton, 2001, p. 339). In contrast, when faculty seamlessly
integrate service learning into the overall class structure and reflect it in the course grading,
students will perceive it as an important component and attend to it as they would a more
traditional assignment. Therefore, it is useful to incorporate students’ service experiences
into the course above and beyond the actual assignment.
One simple way to include service learning in class time is to call regularly for examples
from service learning during class discussion. For example, after discussing the research
on self-fulfilling prophecies (Rosenthal & Jacobsen, 1968), I ask students to reflect on
ways that this theory might factor into their site interactions. Another method is to
incorporate service learning into in-class group work. Because I use collaborative learning
techniques in my course (see Giordano & Hammer, 1999, for a review), I am able to
insert students’ experiences into their activities. For example, after lecturing on theories
of helping behavior, I have students (in their in-class groups) critique each theory using
their own motives at the service-learning site. This activity typically stimulates an
interesting discussion of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation for the students (i.e., are
they motivated by the helping experience or the grade?) that brings the theories to life in
a way that a hypothetical situation could not. I also include in exams service-learning
reflective questions that reinforce the idea that this is an important and valuable compo-
nent of the course: An example might be “Distinguish between normative and informa-
tional social influence. Provide a clear example of each from your service-learning
experience.” Finally, I incorporate service learning by using classroom assessment tech-
niques such as a minute paper (see Angelo & Cross, 1993). Using service learning in
these ways keeps the students’ community experiences in the forefront of the course and
encourages them to apply their experiences to course content continuously throughout
the semester.
Student Evaluation Data
I gathered data over several semesters (Spring 2002–Fall 2003) for Social Psychology
classes, a second-semester, freshman course.
1
When asked to respond to “The serviceaspect of this course helped me to understand better the required lectures and readings,”
59% to 71% responded “Agree” or “Strongly agree.”
2
When presented with “The serviceaspect of this course helped me see how the subject matter I learned can be used in every-
day life,” 71% to 83% responded “Agree” or “Strongly agree.” For “The service aspect of