| This research investigated a proposed taxonomy of three somewhat distinct approaches to service-learning that integrate a community service experience with learning to advance different goals: (a) to provide opportunities for students to practice and reflect on skills in the world, (b) to help students explore concepts of citizenship and civic values, and (c) to encourage students to see themselves as capable of engaging with others to develop sustainable changes that address social injustice. A qualitative study, employing participant observation and discourse analysis, was conducted of three service-learning courses at the University of Colorado at Boulder over an entire semester to explore communication processes and practices involved in how each course was framed by instructors for students to further the specific course goals for student development. Results offered a rich understanding of these processes that have conceptual and practical implications for the study of communication and service-learning, including a set of best practices for communicating service-learning to students. |
