A practical guide to incorporating service learning into development economics classes

Service learning has been proven to increase learning outcomes and can provide an effective teaching pedagogy for applied development economics classes. This paper discusses three different types of service learning used in an Economics of Poverty course including volunteerism, class field trips, and field experiments. Pre and post-course evaluations of service learning show strong student enthusiasm and positive learning outcomes. The paper provides a set of practical guidelines that help to enhance the service learning experience. By taking into account planning, logistics, communication, and follow-through, the instructor can help mitigate many of the problems that can arise with service learning.