It provides an environment in which students can acquire organizational, team, problem-solving, and other skills, attitudes, and capabilities necessary for future work and learning. This belief reflects the constructivist theory of learning, which contends that knowledge is constructed as people draw upon their prior knowledge and experiences to process, interpret, and negotiate the meaning of new information within the social context of their environments. Thus, although community service is often provided on a voluntary basis, it does not qualify as service learning unless it affords active learning through workplace experience and reflection.
Reflection is as essential as experience in service learning.
Self-confidence, competence, and empathy for others are some of the personal benefits students realize through service learning. Additionally, by engaging in problem solving and by working cooperatively and collaboratively with others, students are able to build skills needed for employment in today's workplace. Service learning also fosters preemployment skills and job readiness, and, as such, is an excellent focus for vocational education. Service learning requires that considerable attention be devoted to the training of academic and vocational teachers. Staff development for teachers should be centered around acquiring a knowledge base of the principles of service learning to include site visitations to successful programs.