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Crafting Learning Objectives for Service-Learning


Developing a service-learning course begins with exploring how service in the community might enhance student learning in the classroom.  Duquesne’s Core Curriculum specifies the anticipated learning outcomes for students in service-learning courses in the following way:

Upon completion of the service-learning requirement, students are able to

1. Demonstrate comprehension of discipline-specific content informed by their experiences of serving in the community;

2. Recognize and reflect critically on the connections between discipline-specific theory and practice.  

Designing a course to meet these learning outcomes begins by making explicit connections between the service experience and the learning objectives of a particular course.  According to the Core Curriculum, “clear connections exist between service activities and proposed learning objectives.” 

If you are developing a service-learning course, the following suggestions and questions can help you generate meaningful learning objectives that are well connected to your discipline.

Begin by broadly thinking about your discipline in relation to society:
What difference does your discipline make for society?  What is the social relevancy of your field?
How have you used your discipline outside of the academic environment to help others?
What social issues do you want to explore via your academic discipline?
What kind of person is a scientist/ historian/ music therapist . . . (name your discipline)?
Think particularly about what types of learning occur in your course:

Content Specific Academic Learning: What theories, principles, concepts, etc. will students learn in the course that a service experience could reinforce or strengthen?

General Academic Learning: How could a service experience help students to learn problem solving, critical thinking, reasoning, or decision making skills that are important in your discipline?

Inter- and Intra-Personal Learning

  • Why is working collaboratively important in your disciple?  How could a service experience enhance students’ collaboration skills?
  • Why is it necessary for people in your discipline to be culturally competent or skilled at working with diverse populations?  How could a service-learning course enrich student learning concerning diversity?
  • What personal values and ethical standards should a person in your discipline hold or practice?  How could service deepen your students’ understanding of these values and standards?
  • What personal skills such as listening, empathizing, questioning, etc. are important in your discipline?  How could service improve students’ abilities in such personal skills?

Social Responsibility Learning: How has your discipline addressed issues relating to society, justice, equality, sustainability, etc.?  How could a service-learning experience help students to understand their role in influencing such issues?
If you have answered the above questions, you have plenty of ideas for learning objectives for a service-learning course.

Select 4 or 5 objectives that overarch the entire course.
 Write your learning objectives using student-centered language such as S.W.B.A.T. (Students Will Be Able To).
Consult with staff at the Office of Service-Learning to further explore learning objectives, syllabus design, and creating service-learning partnerships.