ABSTRACT
From a pedagogical perspective, service-learning is one form of experiential learning, in contrast to the “information-assimilation model” that typifies classroom instruction. The more specific reason for incorporating service-learning into the author's course stemmed from the fact that it was a course about politics, and in particular about public policy and citizenship. The graduate teaching assistant who led the service-learning discussion groups visited each agency at least once during the semester and contacted the agencies periodically to ensure that students were fulfilling their time commitments and that the tasks to which students were assigned were consistent with the goals of the course. Political Science 300 still relies heavily upon a lecture format. Yet education in the arts of democratic politics requires doing things differently than they are done in traditional classrooms. Through thoughtfully designed service-learning activities, young adults gain new insights into political, social, and economic issues.
