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6

FOUR MYTHS ABOUT ACADEMIC SERVICE-LEARNING

To clarify the conceptualization of academic service-learning, as well as

to distinguish it from other community-based service and learning

models, we begin with four common misunderstandings about this

pedagogy. 1

1. The Myth of Terminology: Academic service-learning is the same as

student community service and co-curricular service-learning.

Academic service-learning is not the same as as student community

service or co-curricular service-learning. While sharing the word

“service,” these models of student involvement in the community are

distinguished by their learning agenda. Student community service,

illustrated by a student organization adopting a local elementary

school, rarely involves a learning agenda. In contrast, both forms of

service-learning – academic and co-curricular – make intentional

efforts to engage students in planned and purposeful learning related

to the service experiences. Co-curricular service-learning, illustrated

by many alternative Spring Break programs, is concerned with

raising students’ consciousness and familiarity with issues related to

various communities. Academic service-learning, illustrated by

student community service integrated into an academic course,

utilizes the service experience as a course “text” for both academic

and civic learning.

2. The Myth of Conceptualization: Academic service-learning is just a

new name for internships.

Many internship programs, especially those involving community

service, are now referring to themselves as service-learning programs,

as if the two pedagogical models were the same. While internships

and academic service-learning involve students in the community

to accentuate or supplement students’ academic learning, generally

speaking, internships are not about civic learning. They develop and

socialize students for a profession and tend to be silent on student

civic development. They also emphasize student benefits more than

community benefits, while service-learning is equally attentive to

both. New service-learning internships are on the rise, specifically

developed to engage students in civic and personal

development.

1

Excerpted from JeffreyHoward,ed.,Michigan JournalofCommunityServiceLearning:Service-LearningCourseDesignWorkbook (AnnArbor,MI:OCSLPress,Summer2001:10-11).