Service Learning: Survey of the Field:1997 and 2003

Abstract

The authors surveyed the field in 1997 to determine the extent of utilization of service learning principles in the pharmaceutical education community. This manuscript reports the results of a follow-up survey consisting of the original survey and two additional items, preformed six years later in 2003. A raw response rate of 55% of schools and colleges of pharmacy in the United States was achieved with the follow-up survey. Data were analyzed for the aggregate sample and for institutions that had responded to both surveys. The use of service learning was found to have increased substantially, both as a required and as an elective offering. A synopsis of qualitative responses is also presented. The authors conclude that service learning in some form has been adopted by a majority of institutions in the United States. The confluence between service learning, community engagement, and initial pharmacy practice experiences is also discussed.