Service Learning in Psychology: Enhancing Undergraduate Education for the Public Good

Service learning is a powerful educational tool that allows undergraduate psychology students - both majors and nonmajors - to improve their scholarly, personal, and professional outcomes through civic engagement. Students hone knowledge and skills from the classroom by applying them to volunteer work in collaboration with community organizations and residents. Activities might include tutoring children, developing informational brochures, or conducting research in support of social change initiatives.

This book reviews the theory, research, and practice behind service learning, establishing it as an effective pedagogy that can help psychology departments meet each of the five key learning goals - as well as many learning indicators - outlined in APA’s Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major:

Knowledge Base in Psychology Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking Ethical and Social Responsibility in a Diverse World Communication Professional Development

Chapters provide clear guidelines for designing service learning courses and integrating them into the undergraduate psychology curriculum. Specific implementation strategies - including sample project designs and classroom assignments - are applied to introductory, major, and capstone courses in a wide variety of popular subjects. The authors also examine departmental issues such as faculty development, assessment, and scholarship, providing useful blueprints for department-wide civic engagement.