Syllabus Guidelines
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Service Learning
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Faculty Resources
- Syllabus Guidelines
A syllabus for a course which incorporates community-based learning provides evidence of this component of the educational experience. Students should be able to independently analyze the syllabus to gain knowledge of the role community-based learning will have in the course.
The main components are:
- Description of community-based learning experience
- Goals and objectives of these experiences for students and for community partners
- Opportunities for structured reflection on the connections between academic content and service provided
The presence of these components can be indicated in the following ways:
- Course description which includes description of community-based learning approach for the course
- Learning objectives for students which address the community-based service experience
- General service objectives for community partners
- Projects/assignments related to the community service experience
- Readings/discussions/presentations (i.e. course content) related to the community service experience, illustrating a deliberate connection between the academic content and the community service experience
- Opportunities for structured reflection as evidenced in assignments, journals, discussions, and other mechanisms set out explicitly in syllabus
- Assessment of community experience as an explicit component of determining grading for the course
- Evidence of integration of the community-based experience with other methods of instruction and learning
While it is not necessary to include every one of these on a syllabus, their inclusion will obviously help the student, the instructor, and the community partner.
*This guide was adapted from a document at the homepage of the Center for Academic Excellence at Portland State University and is distributed with their permission.