Service-Learning in the Computer and Information Sciences: Practical Applications in Engineering Education

A road map for service-learning partnerships between information science and nonprofit organizations

While service-learning is a well-known educational method for integrating learning experiences with community service, it is only now beginning to emerge in computer and information sciences (CIS). Offering a truly global perspective, this book introduces for the first time an essential framework for service learning in CIS, addressing both the challenges and opportunities of this approach for all stakeholders involved—faculty, students, and community nonprofit organizations (NPOs), both domestic and abroad.

Service-Learning in the Computer and Information Sciences outlines numerous examples of successful programs from around the world, presenting practical working models for implementing joint projects between NPOs and academia. It provides faculty members with vital insight into how to coordinate projects with a community partner, arms students with real-world problem-solving skills specific to issues faced by NPOs, and gives NPOs the expertise to leverage information technology to improve the overall value of their services. This book:

• Shows academics how to interact with local and global NPOs for mutually beneficial project partnerships
• Helps IS students enhance their classroom experience through community service, preparing them for the workforce
• Examines the range of available options for service learning in CIS, especially project-based or capstone courses
• Includes case studies from technologically challenged regions
• Helps NPOs become better users of technology in such areas as marketing, fundraising, and communications