Students Engagement and Development of Generic Skills in Gamified Hybrid Service-Learning Course

Azizah Yusof,Jamalludin Harun,Umi Mastura Abd Majid,Mohd Shafie Rosli,Noor Azean Atan

doi:10.3991/ijet.v16i24.27481

Abstract

Hybrid Service-Learning, an emerging trend of combining co-curriculum course embedded with service-learning instructional strategies in online settings, has increasingly gained popularity, as many service-learning educators are moving into online platforms. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated its needs, thus forcing education systems worldwide to find alternatives to face-to-face instructions, one of them being Hybrid Service-Learning. This has prompted many researchers to attempt utilising gamification in online courses to increase students’ engagement. The purpose of this research was to report a gamified Hybrid Service-Learning (GAMYSEL) through students’ level of engagement proposed by Schlechty, used as a data classification to compare students’ scorings in their earning of points, badges, level and leaderboards. The results of the study indicated that, the students’ levels of engagement were relatively high through Advocacy Hybrid-Service Learning approach, where majority of them achieved the Strategic Compliance and Optimal Engagement categories. The students’ generic skills were further analysed with one-way repeated measures ANOVA and it was discovered that, GAMYSEL had positive impacts in developing these skills in five stages of service-learning. Both of these findings suggest that student’s engagement and generic skills had a significant effect on students learning after the use of GAMYSEL.

Highlights

Service-learning is one of the recognized instructional strategies, which connects learning with real world problems by conducting community services
Gamified Hybrid Service-Learning (GAMYSEL) was successful in encouraging students to have an active involvement with community partners, namely, community of experts, locality-based community and community in need in an Advocacy Hybrid Service-Learning approach
This study proved Advocacy Hybrid Service-Learning as a service which provides a means for the community to experience a transfer of knowledge and skills, in addressing the community needs which involve the use of an online platform as a medium of service delivery to the community

Summary

Introduction

Service-learning is one of the recognized instructional strategies, which connects learning with real world problems by conducting community services. It has been established as one of the ways for an effective experiential learning practice, while nurturing students’ generic skills [1]–[4]. Among the issues pertaining to conventional service-learning is providing assessments, especially in large classes, where for course instructors need to assess students’ collaborative reflection, collaborative learning and progress-based learning outcomes [5]. To connect large classrooms with on-site service, it is imperative to have continuous reflection activities, along with the service-learning course [9]. A reflection of tasks is needed for a meaningful reflection, as it is one of the critical components in servicelearning [1], [10], [11]

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