Service learning is an experiential teaching strategy that integrates academic learning with meaningful community engagement. Students apply course knowledge and professional skills while working collaboratively with community partners to address identified needs. Unlike traditional volunteer activities, service learning is intentionally connected to course learning outcomes and is designed to benefit both students and the communities they serve (Longo et al., 2026)
Reflection is an essential component of service learning. Through structured reflection before, during, and after the experience, students connect their community experiences to course concepts, examine assumptions and perspectives, and consider how their developing professional knowledge and skills can contribute to the communities in which they live and work (Longo et al., 2026)
Last Reviewed:
March 1, 2026
First Published:
March 30, 2022
Why Use This Strategy
- Community-engaged education can help health professions students better understand community needs and social determinants of health while strengthening empathy, cultural sensitivity, social accountability, and interprofessional collaboration.
- Plessas, A., Paisi, M., Ahmed, N., Brookes, Z., Burns, L., & Witton, R. (2024). The impact of community engaged healthcare education on undergraduate students’ empathy and their views towards social accountability: A mixed methods systematic review. BMC Medical Education, 24, 1490. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06367-1
- Service-learning experiences can help health professions students connect classroom learning with clinical practice, strengthen teamwork skills, increase their understanding of the communities they serve, and provide opportunities to address community health needs.
- Gomez, I., Fowkes, V., & Price, I. (2024). Teaching community engagement for health professions students in underserved areas. Discover Education, 3, 244. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00323-3
- In rehabilitation education, service learning has been associated with the development of teamwork, professional role identification, intercultural skills, self-efficacy, critical thinking, and other competencies relevant to professional practice.
- Estrada-Palavecino, L., Avello, D., Sepúlveda, J., & Puschel, K. (2025). Impact of service learning on transversal skills development in rehabilitation careers: A scoping review. Education for Health, 38(3), 218–226. https://doi.org/10.62694/efh.2025.331
Teaching Tips
- Service Learning is not simply an episodic volunteer program. The service experience should be a meaningful project in which both the students and community benefit. When developing the service project, faculty should work collaboratively with students and the community to identify relevant needs in which to address.
- Reflection is a critical element of service learning. When designing reflection questions consider these three levels:
- The Mirror level focuses on a clear reflection of the self and asks questions such as “who am I?”, “what are my values?”, “what have I learned about myself through this experience?”, “how have you challenged yourself, your ideals, your philosophies, your concept of life or the way you live?”
- The Microscope level makes the small experiences large and asks questions such as “describe your experience”, “what would you change about this situation if you were in charge?”, “what have you learned about this agency, these people, or the community?”, “was there a moment of failure, success, indecision, doubt, humor, frustration, happiness, or sadness?”
- The Binoculars level makes what appears distant, appear closer and asks questions such as “are you able to identify any underlying or overarching issues which influence the problem?”, “what could be done to change the situation?”, “how will this alter your future behaviors, attitudes, or career?”
Resources
- Give Pulse. UTHSC Repository of Volunteer Opportunities
- Longo, N. V., Perrotti, C., & Roy, M. H. (2026). Engaging community: A toolkit for reciprocal teaching and learning beyond the campus. American Association of Colleges and Universities & Campus Compact. https://www.compact.org/resources/engaging-community-a-toolkit-for-reciprocal-teaching-and-learning-beyond-the-campus
- Service Learning – Elon University
- Service Learning Toolkit, University of North Georgia
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