This book demonstrates how to integrate service learning in the undergraduate psychology curriculum as a valuable educational tool for both majors and nonmajors. Students learn by becoming active participants in psychology and bringing its benefits to communities. Service learning allows psychology undergraduates to improve their academic, personal, civic, and preprofessional outcomes through civic engagement. Students hone knowledge and skills from the classroom by collaborating with community organizations and residents in community-based activities. Community service that is integrated into a psychology course might include tutoring children, developing informational brochures, promoting social change, or conducting participatory community action research.
This book reviews the theory, research, and practice behind service learning, establishing it as an effective pedagogy that can help psychology departments meet the five key learning goals outlined in the Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major:
- knowledge base in psychology
- scientific inquiry and critical thinking
- ethical and social responsibility in a diverse world
- communication
- professional development
Chapters provide clear guidelines for designing service learning courses and integrating them into the undergraduate psychology curriculum. Specific implementation strategies — including sample project designs and reflection assignments — are applied to introductory, major, and capstone courses in a wide variety of popular subjects. Bringle and colleagues also examine faculty development, assessment, and scholarship, providing useful blueprints for department-wide civic engagement.
