Engineering and Public Service Information for Faculty

What is Service-Learning?

There are many definitions for service-learning, but at its core, service-learning involves the integration of public service with learning objectives. One definition describes service-learning as "a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and development. Reflection and reciprocity are key concepts of service-learning."

--Jacoby, Service-Learning in Higher Education, 1996, p. 5

For more information on service-learning in general, see the Haas Center Website.

Why Service-Learning in Engineering?

Service-learning has the potential to enhance the academic goals of engineering programs in any department, especially in meeting many of the program outcomes listed in ABET accreditation criterion 3. Community-based projects engage engineers in the development of real-world solutions for a tangible customer. This enhances their ability to work on multi-disciplinary teams, design systems to meet desired needs within realistic constraints, gain an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility, and increase their ability to communicate effectively. In short, students feel more engaged and hence learn more. As a by-product, faculty will be energized by student enthusiasm.

Models for Service-Learning in Engineering at Stanford

To see the full list of what's already going on in SoE, please see our list of engineering and engineering-related courses with a service component.

Capstone Design Courses

A number of senior project courses in the School of Engineering provide opportunities for students to engage in service. Prof. Warren Hausman in Management Science and Engineering has used Haas Center service-learning funding to provide opportunities for students in the MS&E senior project course to work on management projects with local city governments and non-profit organizations. Prof. Drew Nelson in Mechanical Engineering often has students working with local hospitals as well as disabled individuals to design prototype solutions to a variety of human-centered problems. He claims students typically are more excited by these projects than corporate-sponsored ones. Finally, students in the Computer Science senior project course, CS194, often choose to work with local schools and non-profit organizations.

Service-Learning in Introductory Courses

An undergraduate student section leader ran the first CS106A service-learning section in Spring 2006. CS106A is the introductory programming course in the CS department. The goal for the course is to broaden student’s understanding of the flexibility and variety of applications for computer science, thereby encouraging more students to stay in the major. In the course, students discuss case studies of organizations using technology for social benefit, teach basic computer programming to middle school students, and participate in a small final project.

Service-Learning as a Component of a Course

Prof. Alexandra Boehm in Civil and Environmental Engineering has developed a service-learning component for her course, CEE70: Introduction to Environmental Science. By having her students take water quality samples from nearby water bodies, she teaches them about mass transfer balance while providing a real service to the community as well as identifying potential research paths.

Service-Learning as Outreach

Prof. Beth Pruitt in Mechanical Engineering has collaborated with a local girls’ middle school dedicated to encouraging more girls into science, math, and engineering in ME80: Stress, Strain, and Strength. The Stanford students used what they learned to develop an interactive demonstration on a topic of their choosing. During an open house at Stanford under the theme “How Stuff Breaks”, they taught the 7th grade girls about everything from spider webs and stresses in bike spokes to how a samurai sword is made. Students in the course were able to delve deeper into a specific topic beyond lectures while learning communication skills, teamwork, and providing role models for the aspiring young engineers.

Service-Learning as Project-Based Learning

The d.School course, “Entrepreneurial Design for Extreme Affordability”, brings graduate students from a variety of disciplines together to work with an internationally focused non-governmental organization (NGO) partner. Typically mentored by a team of faculty and industry experts, projects have ranged from solar LED lamps for rural villages in India to educational projects in Bangladesh to sustainable design in Myanmar. The faculty and students involved with the d.School also have an interest in innovative solutions for K-12 education.

How can I get involved?

You could:

• incorporate service into an existing course
• start a new service-learning course
• serve as an advisor for an engineering student group
• oversee independent student projects
• organize an alternative spring break trip

Contact us with your great ideas!

back to top