Service-Learning Research Results

At the University of Michigan, about half of the students in a political science course performed 20 hours of service with community agencies. After attending the same biweekly lectures and having the same assigned readings and exams, the students who participated in the service-learning portion of the course:

1. believed that they had performed to their potential in the course;
2. had higher attendance rates than the non-service students;
3. 30 students achieved higher grades (ranging from a B+ to A-) than the non-service-learning individuals (ranging from B to B+).

At Oneonta several faculty incorporate service-learning components within their syllabi. Their comments and research conclude that students tend to grow in sensitivity and hands-on skills.