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Analyzing student journals in a service-learning course.

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Abstract

Most service-learning courses utilize the amount of reflection in student journals as a means of assessing learning. This qualitative study analyzes student service-learning journals in a first year experience program. Intended outcomes of increased community awareness, improvement of personal skills, and self-discovery were evident in the journals. Developmental themes of identity exploration and career development emerged from the first year student journals. Service-learning courses should incorporate developmental issues into curricula to maximize the experience for students.

Reflection is key for students in service-learning courses to link the concrete experience to more abstract learning (Hatcher & Bringle, 1997; Goldsmith, 1996). Students engaging in service can become so entrenched in their lives, their university studies, and the logistics around the service-learning experience that they may not take the time necessary to reflect and learn from their experience. Daudelin (1996) describes reflection as "the process of stepping back from an experience to ponder, carefully and persistently, its meaning to the self through the development of inferences; learning is the creation of meaning from past or current events that serves as a guide for future behavior." This reflection, then, is not just an exercise but rather is the path toward learning.

Service-learning, in particular, requires a higher amount of reflection since the experience itself serves as the primary resource of information. Students generally are given credit for the learning that takes place and not for the hours of service (Howard, 1993). But, documenting learning in service-learning courses is nebulous. Learning can take place in a variety of domains: personal development, attitudes, beliefs, and civic engagement. Consequently, journals become an ideal mode of documenting learning and enabling students to reflect as well. Most service-learning courses utilize journals as one source of reflection (Eyler, Giles & Schmiede, 1996; Goldsmith, 1996; Kendrick, 1999). Hatcher and Bringle (1997) advise that journals should be directly tied to course objectives and the format of the journal should follow those objectives. Under the best circumstances, the reflection and learning evident in journals meet course objectives.

Goldsmith (1996) points out that service-learning journals help students heighten observational skills, process information, explore feelings, evaluate their service project, increase communication when the journal is shared, increase writing skills and fluency, and build citizenship. Eyler, et al. (1996) describe that journals are beneficial to students for personal development, connecting to others, and understanding others. In particular, they note that the journal "can become a useful focus for reflection on personal growth and changing perceptions" (p.78). However, this implies that those are the goals of the service-learning experience. Journaling is a means for measuring outcomes, but there may be unintended outcomes that emerge from the service-learning journaling process. Because service-learning includes reflection as part of the learning process...

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