Factors Leading to Sustainable Social Impact on the Affected Communities of Engineering Service Learning Projects

Andrew G Armstrong,Christopher A Mattson,Randy S Lewis

doi:10.1115/detc2019-98407

Abstract

Abstract University engineering programs across the USA engage in service learning projects. These projects involve student teams designing and implementing products or solutions for communities in need, often in developing nations. There has been much research done relating to pedagogy and the impact of these programs on student learning. However, less research has been done on measuring the impact of these programs on the affected communities. This paper examines factors that practitioners believe are related to successfully delivering a desirable and transferable solution to affected communities. The authors identified 46 distinct factors from the literature that implicitly or explicitly are suggested to contribute to successful project outcomes. Formed as postulates in this paper, these 46 factors have been separated into 5 categories to assist understanding and implementing these factors into service learning programs. Lastly, different methods of analyzing and measuring project success and impact are discussed. Future methods for proving the viability of the 46 postulates are discussed as well.

Highlights

Engineering programs at universities across the USA participate in service learning programs where student teams design and implement projects aimed at improving lives in developing nations
For a service learning project, we hope that this solution improves the quality of life in at least 1 of 11 social impact categories (Stevenson et al, 2018; Rainock et al, 2018)
Service work performed as part of service learning courses were mentioned in 14 papers, club related work in 6 papers, academic research related in 12 papers, and work done by professional organizations or NGOs in 16 papers

Summary

Introduction

Engineering programs at universities across the USA participate in service learning programs where student teams design and implement projects aimed at improving lives in developing nations. Implement, and evaluate service learning opportunities it is worth asking ‘‘do these projects have a lasting impact on the communities served?’’ and ‘‘how can we create a real impact that leads to long term benefits for affected communities?’’. There is less research on the impact of these programs on the communities served. For a service learning project, we hope that this solution improves the quality of life in at least 1 of 11 social impact categories (Stevenson et al, 2018; Rainock et al, 2018). We hope that this impact will be sustainable over time (Mattson et al, 2019)

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Conclusion