When I look at the student test grades for the semester, I do not think that I can distinguish between those students who did the service-learning project and those who did research. Instead, the test grades appear to reflect whether or not that individual did the readings. The overall grade distribution suggests that service-learning students performed at a slightly higher level than the research-track students.
However, I do believe that students who chose the service-learning tract were more engaged in ways that historical issues connect to contemporary problems. Their experiences in the community helped them understand that the race, class, and gender issues that existed decades ago often still exist today in some form. For example, they could not only discuss the wage gap between men and women, they could also discuss some of the non-economic factors that lead to discrimination and devalued wages in work force. Their deeper understanding of this issue came from meeting women in their service agencies, who were trying to raise children, maintain their jobs, and attend school.
| << Implementation | ^TOP^ | Reflections >> |
