Assessing students learning in an information systems service-learning course through two lenses: the students and the clients

In Information systems (IS), service-learning is essential in helping students gain real-world experience and serve the community. IS students need a specific set of skills upon graduation and helping them develop such skills is crucial to their future success. We collected and analysed data from students and clients of an undergraduate consulting course involving 27 team-based community outreach projects. Our results provide evidence of improved self-efficacy in relation to essential skills for IS students including problem scoping, solution evaluation, social context sensitivity, and technical confidence and flexibility. Additionally, the data from the community partners' surveys provide strong evidence to support student-teams' enhanced domain-specific skills, i.e., project planning, solution fit, implementation, rigour, process, testing, and documentation. This research contributes to the IS service-learning literature by quantitatively exploring a relatively novel set of skills that are essential for IS graduates to help them add value in today's workplace.