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Taking standards a step further, the Service-Learning 2000 Center at Stanford University
has developed seven elements of high quality service-learning. These Elements provide clear
criteria for the development, implementation, and evaluation of service-learning activity.
By adhering to the seven elements, teachers have the structure necessary for an effective
design and evaluation process.
NOTE: In Module 2, these elements become the steps you will follow to design your own
Service-Learning units.
Step One: Study the following
Elements of High Quality Service-Learning.
Seven Elements of High Quality Service-Learning:
The following seven elements of high quality Service-Learning were developed by the Service
Learning 2000 Center at Stanford University. They provide clear criteria for the development
and implementation or evaluation of Service-Learning activities. By adhering to the seven
elements, teachers have the structure necessary for designing and/or evaluating any service
project.
Element I: Integrated Learning
- The Service-Learning project has clearly articulated knowledge, skill, or value goals
that arise from broader classroom and school goals.
- The service informs the academic learning content, and the academic learning content
informs the service.
- Life skills learned outside the classroom are integrated back into classroom learning.
Element 2: Student Voice
Students participate actively in:
- Choosing and planning the service project.
- Planning and implementing the reflection sessions, evaluation, and celebration.
- Taking on roles and tasks that are appropriate to their age.
Element 3: High Quality Service
- The service responds to an actual community need that is recognized by the community.
- The service is age-appropriate and well-organized.
- The service is designed to achieve significant benefits for students and community.
Element 4: Civic Responsibility
- The Service-Learning project promotes students' responsibility to care for others and
to contribute to the community.
- By participating in the Service-Learning project, students understand how they can
impact their community.
Element 5: Collaboration
- The Service-Learning project is a collaboration among as many of these partners as is
feasible: students, parents, community-based organization staff, school administrators,
teachers, and recipients of service.
- All partners benefit from the project and contribute to its planning.
Element 6: Reflection
- Reflection establishes connections between students' service experiences and the
academic curriculum.
- Reflection occurs before, during, and after the Service-Learning project.
Element 7: Evaluation
- All the partners, especially students, are involved in evaluating the Service-Learning project.
- The evaluation seeks to measure progress toward the learning and service goals of the project.
Step Two:
Study the Service-Learning Quadrant below, then RESPOND
in your Journal to the question that follows:
The Service-Learning Quadrant
The Service-Learning Quadrant, developed at the Service-Learning 2000 Center, Stanford
University, California, provides an effective method for recognizing the differences between
high service and low service, unrelated learning and integrated service-learning projects.
Understanding the Quadrants
The diagram uses two intersecting lines to create four quadrants. The Horizontal Line
represents Learning. The Unrelated Learning to the left of the quadrant shows there is
no connection between the project or service and what is being taught in the classroom. At
the Integrated Learning point on the right, the project and service are tightly woven into
the goals of the class. At the Low Service end of the vertical line, there is either little
or no service at all. At the High Service end of the vertical line, the service is well
organized and meets a real need as defined by the community. The ultimate goal is to develop
projects that fit in Quadrant II in the top right corner of the box because they promote
"high service" and are "highly integrated" into the curriculum.
Most service-learning projects in schools today are in Quadrants I, II, and IV. In addition,
projects that are in Quadrant II are usually closer to the center than the perimeter of the
quadrant. This could be discouraging. But teachers need to be applauded for being "on the map"
and then given concrete help to move toward the outside edge of Quadrant II. Most high
service/integrated learning projects take more than one year to develop and refine toward
Quadrant II.
 Entry #9:
RESPOND to this question in your Journal:
Reflecting on the components of each quadrant, discuss the differences between high service
and low service, unrelated learning and related learning service projects (Review student service-learning
examples in Lesson 4).
Step Three:
Go to the Toolbox and watch each of the videos that illustrate
the Seven Elements of Service-Learning.
Entry #10:
Reflect on the Seven Elements of Service-Learning as you consider the following questions:
- Choose one of the videos you watched and discuss the strengths & weaknesses of this example in illustrating the element.
- Why is student voice a challenging element to include?
- What are some ideas you have for including student voice
in a service-learning project?
Step Four:
E-mail these journal entries to your instructor as an attachment.
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