The Impact of In-Class Service-Learning Projects

Service-learning has been shown to have many benefits, but it is often difficult to coordinate such projects due to increased outside demands on students' time. One option is to make arrangements for students to fulfill their service obligations during regularly scheduled class time. This article examines whether the decrease in face time mitigates the positive impact of service-learning projects by comparing two sections of a political science class focusing on education policy; one of which had a service-learning requirement while the other did not. The results suggest the negative impact that reduced face time might have on student outcomes and course evaluations was offset by the positive impact of the service-learning project.