Service learning in online courses, which may be called e-service learning, is seen as a way to increase engagement and deepen learning in online courses. It has a different set of challenges than face-to-face service learning courses.
E-service-learning (electronic service-learning)—online course instruction and/or service—holds massive potential to transform both service-learning and online learning by freeing service-learning from geographical constraints and by equipping online learning with a powerful and much-needed tool to promote engagement.
Based on data gathered during a series of recent interviews conducted with students, faculty, and instructional designers with applied and service-learning experience, a set of design considerations is offered for the facilitation of service-learning experiences in both campus-based and online courses.
This article explores the use of critical reflection to facilitate the construction of knowledge resulting from participation in e-service-learning courses.
This study addresses a comparison of traditional and online delivery of service learning experiences. Results demonstrate no significant difference in outcomes between the online and face-to-face models.
Evaluating two experimental courses taught by the authors, it is demonstrated that extreme e-service learning (XE-SL)—i.e., service learning where both the instruction and the service occur 100% online—can work, although the benefits and challenges are notably different from a traditional service learning (T-SL) format. Based on these experiences, best practices and lessons learned are provided to assist others endeavoring to incorporate the value of service learning online.
This case study investigates the benefits and challenges of using service learning to
enhance the curriculum in a hybrid course rooted in the politics of the food system in
Hawai‘i. This paper argues that non-traditional students benefit from various types of access to service learning (online, hybrid, etc.) which increases student retention and student learning.
This study details the experiences from a pilot program aimed at virtually pairing pre-service teacher education candidates with fifth grade students for the purposes of raising achievement and creating meaningful field experiences. Researchers paired the difficulties of traditional field experiences with the difficulties in vocabulary comprehension for at-risk students to reach a solution of service-learning through virtual tutoring.
This author structured two online learning classes that involved group work, reflection, and a service learning and evaluated the classes‘ effectiveness in developing collaborative, critical thinking, empowerment, and leadership skills.
