Evaluating Cognitive Outcomes of Service Learning in Higher Education: A Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis of nine studies compares courses with and without a service learning component on the basis of the amount of learning. The summary finds that the addition of a service learning component increases learning outcomes (d = .424). Using the Binomial Effect Size Display, this improvement translates into about a 53% improvement. The implications for the debate over whether to incorporate are discussed as well as the limitations of the available data.