SOL Research
“We see research service-learning
as a promising pedagogy because we believe it has the potential
to make service-learning and civic engagement an organic part
of Duke’s research mission, not peripheral or antithetical
to it.”
- Alma Blount, HLP Director
SOL is a research
service-learning (RSL) program. RSL is an emerging practice
that connects service-learning with the mission of research universities
to create new knowledge. Students, faculty and community partners
identify a question of shared interest. Research is conducted in
the context of a service-learning experience, where the research
components (problem analysis, synthesis, and conclusions) become
an integral part of the service provided to the community. Students
produce a tangible research product for their community partner.
They also participate in a structured process of critical reflection
on the ethical, intellectual, and civic aspects of their experience.
In accordance with the RSL
pathway at Duke, SOL has three
stages:
1. A preparatory (gateway)
course in the spring.
2. A summer research project with a community-based organization.
3. A follow-up (capstone) seminar in the fall.
The summer
community-based research project is only one type of research
undertaken by SOLsters during the year-long program. Students are
also required to produce a social
issue investigation portfolio in the fall capstone seminar.
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