“Backstage” service learning: Using interdisciplinary collaboration to provide service-learning experiences to large and/or underfunded communication courses

Communication and dietetics departments co-created an assignment to design health campaign materials for a rural South African community that promotes healthy eating habits for pregnant mothers and mothers of young children. The goal of this assignment was twofold. First, we explored the possibility of incorporating a service-learning element into a large module (approximately 500 students) that lacks resources to take students into the community. Second, we explored the impact of the service-learning element on students’ investment in the assignment. The dietetics department provided students on the persuasive communication course with information to develop material for the Trompsburg community. The communication students applied the skills they learned to design audience-centered health campaign materials for the dietetics students to take to the Trompsburg community. Students overwhelmingly provided positive feedback, indicating that they were more invested in the project, that the projects would have a positive impact, and that they were able to apply course concepts in a real-life situation. We argue that cross-disciplinary partnerships can effectively provide larger and/or underfunded classes with service-learning assessment opportunities. Courses This project was implemented in a large, multi-campus persuasive communication class, but could also be applied to any module that teaches content creation, such as marketing communication, strategic communication, visual communication, and so on. Objectives The objective of this project was to create an assignment that allowed students to apply the persuasive skills they learned throughout the semester in a way that benefitted a rural, poverty-stricken, South African community. Additionally, we wanted to assess whether students could receive the same benefits of service-learning projects without directly engaging with the community they were serving.