Benefits of Participating in Service-Learning, Business-related Classes: Assessing the Impact on the Community Partners

IntroductionUniversity classrooms have changed over the last century with more instructors implementing high-impact educational practices (Kuh, 2008). Teaching and learning practices such as service-learning, undergraduate research, and collaborative projects, have consistently shown benefits for university students. The use of such high-impact practices, especially when combined, can increase rates of student engagement and retention (Kuh, 2008). Service-learning is defined as a course-based, credit bearing educational experience in which students (a) participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs, and (b) reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of personal values and civic responsibility" (Bringle & Hatcher, 2009, p. 38). As effectively stated by Dallimore & Souza (2002), "The interface between experience, community service, and subject matter prepares students to become concerned, considerate, and connected members of society" (p. 94). Students can acquire new skills and knowledge about course material through participation in service-learning classes while providing community partners with a much needed service. During the service-learning experience, "students become profoundly and actively involved in their own learning . discover for themselves rather than accept verbal and written pronouncements or directions" (Krupar, 1994, p. 105). Additional benefits of service-learning found in the literature show that servicelearning classes increase students' perceptions of what they learned (Souza, 1999), positively impact students' "intellectual and social/psychological development" (Conrad & Hedin, 1991, p. 745), as well as increase awareness and acceptance of cultural diversity (Hones, 1997). Not surprisingly, service-learning has also been shown to more actively involve the learner (Krupar, 1994). Other positive benefits of service-learning classes include "heightened student consciousness of ability, self-confidence in selected careers, the urge to study the subject, and better performance on course tasks" (Rose, Rose, & Norman, 2005, p. 145). The utilization of project-based, service-learning classes can benefit students in three broad ways: academically, interpersonally, and personally. "The academic dimension of student learning includes domain-specific and general academic knowledge and skills. The interpersonal dimension of student learning encompasses communication, collaboration and leadership skills, and the personal dimension consists of self-knowledge and personal efficacy" (Preiser-Houy & Navarrete, 2006, p. 273). For example, after participating in a project-based, service-learning class that gave students the opportunity to create communication documents about the key elements of a nonprofit's mission to help nonprofits, students enhanced their skills in writing and increased their understanding of nonprofits (Crews & Stitt-Gohdes, 2012). Service-learning projects where students work with community partners by providing a specific service or product can be especially useful in helping students understand the complexity of organizations, their needs, and their future roles in them. These classes sharpen students' professional skills and increase their understanding of current challenges faced in organizations. Gallagher (2007) suggests that "service learning in business courses can better prepare students to be socially responsible managers" (p. 1). Some service-learning projects involve cooperative learning, another highimpact practice. When students work together to create a meaningful project, they are given a chance to solve problems with classmates and "sharpen their understanding by listening seriously to the insights of others" (Kuh, 2008, p. 10). Cooperative learning is a form of group learning involving student-to-student positive interdependence, individual accountability, and group processing (Millis, 2009). …