23 / 40
How can I be sure my students complete their service?
The Service-Learning Center staff can work with you to keep track of
your students’ hours. We manage an online system, VolunteerSpot,
which allows students to register for the service activities according to
their schedule. Service-Learning Center can help you keep track of
sign-in sheets and communicate with your community partner to track
students’ activities. For more information, please contact the
Service-Learning Center staff.
How should I grade students on their service-learning?
Just as students’ grades are based not on whether they’ve done the
readings, but rather on how well they demonstrate what they learned
from the readings on assignments like exams and papers, your
service-learning class should include assignments that require students
to articulate what they’ve learned from their community work.
Reflections should connect with other course texts, lectures, and
discussions. These assignments are a key aspect of service-learning
that sets it apart form other type of volunteer work.
How do I make sure service-learning is well integrated into my class?
Reflection assignments are the most effective way to integrate
service-learning into your course because they help students make
connections between their community work and the course content.
Remember the importance of making sure that service-learning doesn’t
appear to be an "add-on" to the course-it should be clearly woven into
your curriculum through critical reflection. The Service-Learning Center
recommends the DEAL Model for critical reflection (pg. 29).
21