Appreciative Inquiry in Service-Learning Courses

Service-learning provides an opportunity for BSW students to actively apply course concepts in the field. Experiential learning can transform abstract theories that substantiate multidimensional contexts into practical scenarios in the field. Although service-learning courses are encouraged, faculty workload concerns and the need for guided, structured experiences deter many faculty members from participating. Appreciative inquiry, a strategy focused on using strengths to build solutions in agencies, can provide a framework for student assignments that entail student-group work with community agencies and communities. Using this framework, BSW students and instructors can co-create a learning experience through planned and structured interactions with community agencies. An explanation of appreciative inquiry and its utility in the service-learning classroom are presented.