Faculty Service-Learning Modules

Bridging Theory and Experience

In this Video: Director Chris Fiorentino provides a service-learning overview.

Service-Learning is an exciting, high impact approach to education.  Service-Learning intentionally ties relevant community service to academic content in a given course and uses critical reflection activities to strengthen learning and developmental outcomes. Fresno State is a leader in the service-learning field, with an average of 165 service-learning course sections offered each year. Multiple research studies conducted here at Fresno State and across the country demonstrate that using high-quality service-learning approaches produces a significant improvement in students’ academic, personal and professional development. Furthermore, research has clearly shown that faculty members and the community also benefit from the use of service-learning.

Faculty Service-Learning Modules

The Richter Center is committed to assisting faculty in their efforts to incorporate high quality service-learning into courses across the curriculum. The Center provides a series of seven informative, online modules designed as a starting point for anyone new to service-learning, or for veteran service-learning practitioners who are looking to polish their service-learning expertise. Below is an explanation and links to each module:

Module One:  Is service-learning for you?  Provides a basic overview of service-learning, including how it is defined, what it is, and what it is not. This module is an excellent starting point for new and veteran service-learning practitioners.

Module Two: How do we know service-learning works?  An incredible amount of research supports the effectiveness of service-learning as a teaching, learning and service tool.  This module will provide a glimpse into this body of research.

Module Three:  How do I get started?   Developing a quality service-learning class all begins with preparing appropriate service AND learning goals for your class.   This module is full of information and resources that will help you do just that.

Module Four:  What are the keys to establishing high-quality partnerships?  Effective community partnerships are essential to service-learning.  This module provides insights into how to initiate and foster the highest quality community connections.

Module Five:  How do I evaluate and assess student learning?  As with any good teaching tool, the proof is in the outcomes.  This module will guide you through a number of ways that help you assess the learning and student development that results from service-learning.  This section will also discuss the critical component of “reflection” which is essential to service-learning.

Module Six:  What campus policies and procedures I should be aware of?  Information on Fresno State forms, policies and procedures important in service-learning can be found here.

Module Seven: How does this impact my professional growth?  For the faculty member, service-learning presents numerous opportunities for scholarly publications, presentations, and can be used to positively impact your retention, tenure and promotion.

These modules are provided as a starting point for anyone new to service-learning, or for the veteran service-learning practitioner who is looking to polish their service-learning expertise.  As extensive as this information is, these modules are only one source of support.  We encourage anyone interested in service-learning to contact the Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning with any questions related to working with the community.  We are here to help!