REVISTA DE ESTUDIOS ANDALUCES

of individual or group service-learning, most participants of the study identified challenges associated with logistics and choice. Participants observed that generally it was more difficult to negotiate scheduling and choice of community partners with group service-learning. One

participant noted that “Every time we would talk in class, the groups would always talk about how they couldn’t get anything together because of the time and schedule” (ISL 8, interview). As one group participant described “…in the group setting it was give and take…compromise. I like working with animals, but nobody else really cared for that so I had to go with visiting the elderly facility” (GSL 2, interview). Another participant agreed that scheduling for group service-learning was difficult at first:

But, once the activities were planned, a strong service-learning opportunity occurred…. a sense of enthusiasm…that allowed a more cohesive experience with the other students…I believe the group service-learning activity allows a more holistic experience because of the multiple aspects and ability to discuss individual experiences that are completely different due to the varying personalities and decisions. (GSL 1, journal)

Even though many participants agreed that scheduling was easier for individual service- learning because participants could decide “this is what I wanted to do and did not have to consider that maybe other people did not want to do this” (ISL 7, interview) perhaps easier is not necessarily best because “you don’t always get a lot out of something that is easier” (ISL 7, interview). However, several participants viewed the scheduling autonomy of individual service- learning to actually force them to venture further outside of their comfort zone because

Other positive attributes of individual service-learning proposed by several participants was that it allowed for a more “personal connection with the people you were helping” (ISL 5, interview) and because it is just you working with one schedule:

…you may get more out of it because [you] are focused more on you than your peers in that setting. I focused on observing and interacting with the kids and if one of my peers had been there, I probably would have been talking to them rather than focusing on the students. (ISL 4, interview)

Another participant surmised that individual service-learning could provide an appropriate “intimacy” with the people you were assisting by creating situations where:

You could talk to them one-on-one. You could stay as long as you want. There would be no time limit. People aren’t pushing you out the door or holding you back from leaving. It would be a lot more personalized and you could do it any time you chose. You would not have to work around others’ schedules and it would be a lot easier. (GSL 1, interview) It was interesting to note that participants also discussed how choice and independence could impact their motivation to engage in service-learning. One participant described that with individual service-learning “there may not always be the motivation to want to do it. I can do it anytime. I don’t really need to do it for a while. That can definitely be a con” (GSL 1, interview). One participant admitted that he procrastinated with his individual service-learning. “I waited until the last possible minute to do service-learning and I am sure if I would have been in a group that would not have happened” (ISL 3, interview). However, another participant cautioned that group dynamics can also foster negative motivation. He shared that sometimes, “…complacency loves friends and if someone was complacent in the group, he had friends. So you just had to work through it” (GSL 1, interview).

When recognizing the many aspects of individual or group service-learning, participants also acknowledged that some attributes could be viewed as both an advantage and a

With the group, I think it forces you to work together to plan things out…. I mean the bigger the group is, the harder it will be…[we] did have some success finding things and the other part of the group joined in. I mean it did work out for us…I guess it was a pro and con because we couldn’t necessarily go do the things we wanted to do but do the things that were available for the group. But the pro of that was it forced us to get out of our comfort zone and plan and engage our other co-workers. (GSL 3, interview)

Another participant anguished, “I wish I would have done something better for my service-learning. I honestly just did something to get it done…. I could have used better preparation to make a better decision on the kind of service-learning I chose to do” (ISL 6, interview). Even though this participant admitted to making a poor decision, she still believed that “someone who self-selects gets more out of it [their service-learning experience]” (ISL 6, interview) and that the best solution would be a combination of group and individual service- learning opportunities. Other participants agreed that with the unique benefits derived from both individual and group service-learning, it would be advantageous to provide opportunities for students to experience both kinds of service.