Academic service learning in undergraduate and graduate computer science courses to foster engagement and real world experience

Abstract

Academic service learning (AS-L) has been incorporated in higher education as a teaching pedagogy. AS-L provides a bridge between students, faculty, business, or other outside organizations to combine classroom theory with real-world solutions. AS-L is closely tied to the St. John's University mission statement. In this paper, we discuss that, by working with the Office of Academic Service-Learning at St. John's University, students in both undergraduate and graduate computer science courses work on real-world projects, which benefit the common (public) good and use the AS-L projects as a means of understanding and putting into practice course concepts.