Every class at CU tends to culminate with a final paper or exam — sometimes both. Hours of library time is spent either cramming or typing untill the end. Research papers tend to be the bane of them all — requiring hours upon hours of research before even beginning to write. Journal article after journal article, searching for that evidence to back up your thesis.
Having a service learning class changes the traditional structure of assessment; sure we have to still write a paper but in this instance we are writing about our own experiences. Going out and volunteering somewhere that piques your interest will make for an easy write at the end. Spending fifteen hours working at a homeless shelter will surely provide enough for an engaging paper; starting a paper with an anecdote is a sure way to knock out a page or so.
Service learning is also a way to encourage students to go out an participate in the community that they live. It’s hard to find time outside of school to do some volunteering so making it part of the class is perfect — so much better than homework. My general feeling is that most CU students don’t spend much time participating in the greater Boulder community, this is a perfect opportunity for us to get involved politically, civically, and/or benevolently.
