Is There Learning in Service Learning? Measuring the Extent to Which VITA Participation Improves Student Technical Competence and Soft Skills

Students participate in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) to improve both technical competence and soft skills. To date, research primarily assesses student perceptions about these outcomes. We empirically measure and test for changes in technical competence and soft skills at the b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Issues in accounting education 2021-05, Vol.36 (2), p.21-42
Main Authors: Bootsma, Michael, Jeffrey, Cynthia, Perkins, Jon D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Clinical outcomes
College students
Income taxes
Learning
Participation
Skills
Soft skills
Tax preparation
Volunteers
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Summary:Students participate in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) to improve both technical competence and soft skills. To date, research primarily assesses student perceptions about these outcomes. We empirically measure and test for changes in technical competence and soft skills at the beginning and end of VITA participation at one major midwestern university. Our results indicate first-time participants in VITA improve in technical competence, but students do not become better calibrated with respect to “knowing what they know” as a result of VITA participation. Importantly however, participants in the program improve in their soft skills. Further, both first-time and repeat participants improve their communication skills, although we do not find improvement in interpersonal relations or personal abilities for repeat participants. In sum, our empirical results indicate that the VITA program does deliver the hoped-for outcomes across a wide range of skills.
ISSN:0739-3172
1558-7983
DOI:10.2308/ISSUES-19-113