Previous literature on service learning also informs on how to facilitate the development
of leadership skills. David Kolb’s (1984) model of experiential learning suggests
that individuals cognitively process knowledge in one of four ways: through
concrete experiences, abstract conceptualizations, active experimentations, or reflective
observations. Service learning is a particularly promising avenue for leadership
development opportunities because the experiential learning that is taking place contains
both concrete experiences as well as reflective opportunities (Billig & Eyler,
2003). When designing service learning projects to maximize the transfer of practicalskills, such as leadership, Lester, Tomkovick, Wells, Flunker, and Kickul (2005) found
that it is important to emphasize the job characteristics that are highlighted in the work
of Hackman and Oldham (1976). Specifically, projects that emphasized skill variety,
task identity, task significance, and feedback were all significantly related to student
perceptions of gaining practical skills.