Assessing Community Impact After Service-Learning: A Conceptual Framework

Academic institutions that adopt service-learning seek to integrate students’ experiential learning with community service, yet the community impacts of service-learning have not been systematically studied. The scarcity of such studies may reflect the lack of a conceptual model for impact assessment and failure to investigate the end-beneficiary’s perspective. This study proposes a conceptual framework, in which the community impact of service-learning is analysed from three perspectives: that of the community partner, the end-beneficiary, and the service-learning intervention itself. We identify three impact domains salient for the community partner: the level of capacity for service provision; goals achieved and values furthered; and new knowledge and insights gained. For impact domains salient for the end-beneficiary, we present a needs fulfilment matrix, integrated with the concept of quality of life. The conceptual framework can accommodate community impacts generated for the community partner, the end-beneficiary, and the interactions between them. Examples of how to measure particular components are also provided. Challenges in applying the framework to assess the impact of service-learning projects are also discussed.