A case study of a higher education institutional assessment on service learning

This article focuses on the various processes undergone by the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg campus (now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal) to research the institutionalisation of service learning. The application of three different processes and tools for assessment is discussed and located within the international context of institutional assessment trends. The relative utility of each of these assessment tools is discussed with particular emphasis placed on the narrative produced by using the Furco Rubric, as this highlights the role of contextual issues in the institutionalisation process. It is hoped that the reflections on these assessment processes will provide insight into the factors affecting the establishment of service learning as a sanctioned part of higher education’s academic and social agenda.