CHAPTER 6: Assessing the Learning in Service-Learning Projects Using Outcome Measures Recommended by the Commission on Public Relations Education

Practitioners of service-learning are well aware of the value of service-learning, including the enriching learning experiences for students and the positive effects for the community. In order for service-learning to be sustainable, research is needed that facilitates understanding and acceptance by stakeholders. One way to undertake research of this type is to use a framework suggested by practitioners and educators in a specific discipline. Results derived from an established framework are likely to be particularly compelling. Service-learning has become a common pedagogical approach in communication; however the absence of standard methods of assessment has made it more difficult to compare service-learning with other pedagogical strategies. This chapter seeks to address that gap by suggesting a methodological approach for assessing service-learning using a framework developed from the 2006 Report of the Commission on Public Relations Education (2006). Practitioners and educators identified criteria for beginning practitioners in public relations. This research demonstrates application of those criteria in 2 ways. The first involves using selected criteria to analyze reflective comments and comparing to a thematic analysis approach. The second involves developing a quantitative survey based on the criteria. Students were asked to rate their learning on each item based on their service-learning experience. They were also asked to rate their ability on each item. This professionally defined assessment method potentially allows for a more standardized assessment technique to compare projects and programs, and may help provide evidence to garner institutional support for this pedagogy.