The 11 chapters in this book describe successful innovative programs of service learning at the undergraduate level. Emphasis is on how different kinds of institutions, facing different internal and external circumstances, have made service-learning an institutional asset. The chapters are: (1) "Introduction: A New Model of Excellence" (Edward…

This study examines the importance of structured reflection in service-learning courses. The study consisted of interviews with 15 faculty and 72 students from three different higher education institutions; interviews were conducted between October 1998 and March 1999. Focus group interviews with faculty gathered information about course design,…

Describes utilizing secondary students and college undergraduates of the United States to teach illiterate adults to read by returning their stories (oral history) to them in writing allowing literacy lessons on subjects known to the adult. (ERB)

An experiential education project at Edinboro University (Pennsylvania) trains undergraduate students to be literacy tutors and requires students to complete 60 volunteer hours tutoring at a community service agency in exchange for academic credit. Examines mutual benefits of volunteer service including breakdown of social stereotypes and…

Describes the community service learning activities of the University Year for Action (UYA) program of the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) through Friendly House. Student volunteers from UYA and its successor program allowed Friendly House to go back to its settlement house roots in providing services. (SLD)

Describes the process evaluation of facilitator training for a risk-reduction program that trained college students and community volunteers to teach middle school students. Examination of facilitator characteristics and training, curriculum implementation, and use of the model to promote critical thinking found that most facilitators considered…

Many college students today are combining their undergraduate studies with some type of paid employment, volunteer work, or internship experience. Estimates show that more than 60 percent of undergraduate students work in paid positions; as many as 26 percent serve as volunteers; and almost 25 percent of undergraduates participate in…

This paper examines studies that have investigated academic learning outcomes in service learning, identifies unanswered questions in assessing academic efforts, and offers guidelines to evaluate content gains in courses that integrate service learning. Research shows that peer tutoring increases achievement scores for both the tutors and the…

The project described in this article examined the connection between students' overall development level as measured by the Student Developmental Task and Lifestyle Inventory (SDTLI), and their participation in either part-time, on-campus employment or volunteer membership in the Stamp Union Program Council. A group of 141 students (from a total…

This digest summarizes a full length report of the same title (HE 024 794) which discusses contemporary college students' apparent lack of understanding of citizenship and how it relates to positive career pursuits. A proposal is made to make students more aware of both the need for and the benefit of socially responsible citizens, and for…

The concept of volunteerism is not well known in Japan and the word itself, "borantia" is borrowed from English. However, voluntary programs do exist in Japan. This report attempts to describe the way in which volunteerism operates (or does not operate) in Japan by discussing the organization of Japanese society, its implications for…

Economic and social factors that affect young people's sense of obligation for community service are identified, along with the influence schools and government can exert on students. The recent management of the American political economy has given young people concern for their own survival. College students who will graduate during the 1980s…

This guide describes the organization, administration, and maintenance of a student volunteer program designed to provide experiential learning to students and paraprofessional staff in rural human service agencies. The need for volunteer paraprofessionals in rural human service agencies, the benefits of a student volunteer program to both…

Reported are results of a study designed to replicate a study at North Carolina State University which investigated the effectiveness of a diagnostic/prescriptive system for increasing the science achievement of university students and examined the relationship between selected student characteristics and participation in voluntary diagnosis.…

A voluntary, pre-matriculation summer session for selected first-year dental students has been evolved to facilitate their development and academic progress. With dental students, practicing dentists, and dental school faculty as staff, the program focuses on basic science foundations, effective study skills, pre-clinical techniques, and…