Reflection: The Value-adding Component of Service Learning

Abstract

Service learning (SL) has come of age during the past two decades. A brief scanning of the literature and available websites shows it to be de rigueur, spanning the educational continuum from preschools to universities. The latter institutions currently offer free-choice elective courses for academic credit,with undergraduates engaged in community internships or volunteering locally and overseas with non-government organizations; with the school of dentistry at one U.S. university pleased to adopt “Service Is Our Calling” as its motto.The 20th-century historical roots of service learning may be found in John Dewey’s educational philosophy, and are evident in the goals and activities of such bodies, groups, and associations as the Peace Corps Movement, Scouts, Guides, Pathfinders, Apex, Lions, and Rotary. From a biblical perspective, its origins may be traced back to Old Testament times and seen in the Schools of the Prophets that probably were founded in ancient Israel by Samuel.