The Development of the Service-Learning Outcomes Measurement Scale—Short Version (S-LOMS-SV) and Its Preliminary Validation

This article describes the development and validation of a short version of the Service-Learning Outcomes Measurement Scale, the S-LOMS-SV. The original Service-Learning Outcomes Measurement Scale (S-LOMS) is a previously validated 56-item instrument measuring developmental outcomes in 11 domains under four overarching categories, especially appropriate for use in Hong Kong and related contexts.

In developing SLOMS-SV, 14 experienced service-learning researchers and practitioners reviewed the full-length S-LOMS for content validity and identified items with potential for inclusion in a shortened version. Through an iterative process, 21 items maintaining the original scale's factor structure were selected for the S-LOMS-SV. Validity and internal consistency analyses using preexisting student data sets demonstrated that the S-LOMS-SV has robust psychometric properties that match those of the full-length S-LOMS. Theoretical and practical implications and next steps are discussed. The 21-item S-LOMS-SV is included in the Appendix.