Academic Rigor: Is this another feel-good excuse to water down academic standards?
This is an important matter for all who are concerned with quality higher education, and it is the focus of much of the past and current research on service-learning. Academic credit should never be given for service, only for learning. Therefore, if applied properly, this pedagogy is actually more rigorous than the traditional teaching strategies. Students are not only required to master the standard text and lecture material, but they must also integrate their service experience into that context. This is a high level skill requiring effective reflection techniques designed to accomplish academic as well as affective outcomes. It is important to emphasize that incorporating service-learning does not change what we teach, but how we teach it. With this change comes a new set of challenges for both the student and the teacher.
