ABSTRACT
Primary among the goals of higher education is learning that lasts, which Mentkowski and associates posit includes the "integration of learning, development, and performance". Well-designed service learning experiences serve as bridges between the curriculum and the world outside the classroom, where problems are ill structured and the stakes are often high for communities and students alike. These opportunities build students’ capacities to develop, use, and refine their knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities. Successful critical thinking requires both attainment of higher levels of intellectual development and the use of cognitive processes such as metacognition, transfer, and problem solving. This chapter is intended to be useful both to those interested in assessment for research on cognition in service learning and to those interested in assessment of student learning outcomes for program enhancement. A.
