Integrating Critical Approaches to Technology and Service-Learning Projects

Discussions of service learning emphasize opportunities for students to gain real world experience through work in community contexts. Less attention, however, has been given to the role of technology in these projects. Incorporating critical reflection on the rhetorical and social dimensions of technology throughout students' collaborations with clients can help to situate their practices within larger public contexts. This sort of reflection can encourage student engagement on a variety of levels: professional, rhetorical, intellectual, personal, and civic.