ABSTRACT
The idea of combining service with engineering design projects is not new. In many mechanical or electrical engineering programs, senior capstone design projects are based on providing assistive technology to meet the needs of people with disabilities. However, these capstone design courses are not service-learning courses (nor do the engineering faculty who teach them regard them as such) for at least one important reason: Reflection, which is an essential component of service-learning (Jacoby 1996), plays no formal part in the students’ learning strategy. Furthermore, the service provided to the community represents but a single episode in the students’ overall college experience. The multilevel learning potential of service has not been integrated into the general course of studies. As a result, whatever social benefit occurs can seem like an afterthought.
