Papers are generally most effective as the final assignment when they are a culmination of a series of reflective discussions or assignments. This allows them to anchor their theoretical understanding in experience. Case Studies Case studies can focus on individuals, on the service project itself, or on the agency's role in meeting the needs of community members. In some cases, students read case studies as a model and then create their own. Some classes made the final paper and explicit evaluation of the students' service learning experience using criteria that have been identified for effective experiential learning.
Students discuss personal growth and critique the program and the placement.
Agency Analysis Students analyze the agency they worked with using appropriate organizational frameworks and evaluation tools. They combine their observations with information about who is served, how policies are made, where funidng is obtained and future plans for the organizaiton. The need to create the organizational analysis give students legitimacy as they seek to meet with key volunteers, board members and staff of the organization. A portfolio is a collection of documents and other forms of evidence of student achievements, speciafically as they relate to learning plan objectives. Portfolios can be used for student and program evaluation.