Service learning in auditory rehabilitation courses: the University of Texas at Dallas

The aim of this work was to review service learning (SL) principles and its implementation into the auditory rehabilitation (AR) curriculum at the University of Texas at Dallas and to evaluate the courses to determine whether potential benefits of SL are worth the substantial time commitment and course restructuring.

Via retrospective review, student outcomes for 25 students from 3 cohorts who completed the adult AR course prior to implementation of SL curriculum (pre-SL) were compared with those of 28 students from 3 SL cohorts. Data included final examination grades, ratings for overall course content, amount learned, clarity of responsibility, workload, relevance, and course comments. Student journals from the SL group and mentor surveys also were reviewed.

The majority of student outcomes were comparable for pre-SL and SL cohorts. Clarity of responsibility and workload were rated lower for SL courses than for pre-SL classes, with medium and small to medium effect sizes, respectively. Mentors rated the projects and process of high value and benefit, and several projects remain in use beyond the end of the course.

Continued use of an SL approach is supported, but additional guidance for students is needed for reflection and project analysis.