Managing Scope in Service Learning Projects

Abstract

Service learning projects enable students to work on real-world problems brought by stakeholders that produce real-world benefits. While the value and advantages of involving external stakeholders in student projects have been recognized, very little work has been done about formally assessing the scope of such projects. If the project is not scoped correctly from the outset or if there are factors that can significantly increase the potential of scope creep, a successful project outcome can be in jeopardy. We present work in progress to build a formal model to assess the scope of service learning projects that would help instructors and stakeholders better understand and refine the project requirements.