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Thursday, January 20, 2011

Magna White Paper: Service-Learning Course Design: What Faculty Need to Know

Many faculty members would like to design and teach a service-learning course. It’s no wonder–more colleges and universities are adding service-learning to their general educational offerings. With its unique mix of academic content, service experience and critical reflection, service-learning is a high-impact educational practice.

But faculty are often puzzled about how to go about successfully running a course. There’s plenty of information out there–but that’s the problem. Where do you go to find an effective resource that will answer your questions?

Service-Learning Course Design: What Faculty Need to Know from Magna will provide you with the resources and insight you need. This White Paper explains the rationale and provides the “how-to” details of designing and teaching a service-learning course. The material is based on an online seminar presented by Barbara Jacoby, Ph.D., a nationally recognized expert in service-learning and author of three books on the topic.

More colleges and universities need competent teachers
With a service-learning course, students deepen their understanding of course content, mix theory with practice, and increase their understanding of the complexity of social issues–all valuable workplace skills. Community organizations benefit from the surge of new ideas, energy, and assistance as their delivery services are enhanced. Faculty members find it stimulating to explore the connections between their discipline and critical questions facing our global society.

You’ll be guided by author Barbara Jacoby. She’s well known in service-learning circles as the senior scholar for the Adele H. Stamp Student Union – Center for Campus Life at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Jacoby facilitates initiatives involving academic partnerships, assessment, civic engagement, scholarship, and learning.

She is the author of three books on service-learning: Service-Learning in Higher Education: Concepts and Practices (Jossey-Bass, 1996), Building Partnerships for Service-Learning (Jossey-Bass, 2003), and Looking In / Reaching Out: A Reflective Guide for Community Service-Learning (with Pamela Mutascio, Campus Compact, in press).

Dr. Jacoby writes and consults extensively and makes numerous speeches and presentations across the country. Her institution and professional associations have recognized her outstanding work on behalf of commuter students and service-learning.

In this White Paper, you’ll learn:
The two elements that make service-learning unique–and why they must be integrated into the course design.
How to use a service-learning course design across the various disciplines.
How to align pedagogies with desired outcomes.
Building a successful partnership with a community organization.
Assessing service-learning course design.
How to create an effective syllabus.
Avoiding potential design problems.
As a bonus, you’ll receive a list of valuable print and online resources and a comprehensive checklist that will guide you in all phases of design and execution of a successful service-learning offering.

Cost
Price per White Paper for quantities up to:
1 2-10 11+
Print $169 $135 $84
PDF $149 $119 $74

Want to make this program available for ongoing training?
Order the Campus Access License for $200 and load the White Paper onto your institution’s internal Web site for unlimited, convenient, on-demand access for all members of your campus community. Click here for more information and to see all the benefits of the Campus Access License.

Successful outcomes are possible with the aid of a well-designed and well-taught service-learning course. But it doesn’t happen by itself. Whether you’re just getting your feet wet and want to know more about designing a successful service-learning course, or integrate it into a course you’re already teaching, let this White Paper guide you to mastery and success.

TO ORDER: Service-Learning Course Design: What Faculty Need to Know
White Paper in Print Format $169
White Paper in Downloadable PDF Format $149
White Paper in Downloadable PDF Format w/ Campus Access License $349
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