The Measure of Service Learning: Research Scales to Assess Student Experiences

presented as a resource for measuring key aspects of student development in service learning courses in order to improve the utilization of service learning and deepen the understanding of service learning practitioners and program evaluators about the value of service learning. As stated convincingly by the authors “systematically collecting information positions educators to make informed decisions that can improve their craft, enhance their understanding about why certain outcomes were achieved and increase the confidence with which they represent their work to others, including colleagues and the general public ” (pg. 11). The authors of this 230-page text proceed to offer innovative tools to make this possible including tools for furthering general research in service learning with the goal of establishing its strengthens and identifying areas for improvement. In addition to their usefulness in pushing forward general research, it has been recently reported that the utilization of assessment measures during a service learning course is valuable for focusing and expanding students ’ reflective thinking and for assessing student achievement of learning objectives (Ash et al., 2005). As this text focuses on the use of research scales for assessment of learning, the authors dedicate an entire chapter (Chapter 2) to the discussion of research and measurement theory, particularly as they pertain to the use o