Service-learning Experience Research Articles

지역사회 문제 해결 서비스러닝 경험이 지속가능발전 인식에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study is to analyze how the experience of local problem-solving service learning, which was operated as part of education for sustainable development, affects university students' perception of sustainable development and to suggest an effective way of Education for Sustainable Development. In order to show changes in knowledge, attitude, and behavior about sustainable development the paired t-test was applied targeting 41 students. As a result, only the behavioral level showed a statistically significant difference, but knowledge, attitude, and behavioral levels all improved. In addition, the level of awareness on sustainable development was higher in the active type than in the proposal type. Also, it was found that interests and affection for the region, volition to solve the social problems, confidence for pro-social behavior were formed in the process of solving problems.

"It's the most important work we will ever do": Chiropractic students, servicelearning experiences at a day laborer center in California.

From 2009 to 2019, staff, students, and faculty volunteers from a chiropractic college started Mission Trip America, later re-named Service Trip America (STA), providing monthly free chiropractic services at a hiring hall for day laborers in San Francisco until the 2020 COVID-19 hiatus. We report on volunteers' service-learning experiences. Mixed-methods analysis comprising document review, descriptive report of site visit records, and thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 12 student and faculty volunteers. STA conducted 104 visits (8-11 per year) including 2272 patient encounters. Document review revealed an average of 22 patients per visit, with 60% to 85% return patients. On average, 3 student interns and 2 student assistants attended each visit, supervised by a doctor of chiropractic faculty member and the program director. Most commonly, interns treated 8 patients during the 4- to 5-hour visits. Patient concerns included musculoskeletal problems and other health conditions commonly seen at chiropractic offices and teaching clinics. Interns also regularly saw chronic health problems exacerbated by poor living conditions, violence, limited access to health care, low educational attainment, chronic stress, and the extreme biomechanical loading resulting from heavy labor. Interview results yielded 4 themes: learning, attitudes, challenges, and program strengths. Interviewees described opportunities to learn while working with a marginalized population and discussed long-term effects on their postgraduation practice as chiropractors. Patients' physical, mental health, and psychosocial issues illustrated unique circumstances and profound needs of the underserved population being cared for by STA volunteers. Our findings may provide guidance for other community-based chiropractic service-learning programs in marginalized and underserved communities.

Application of project-based service-learning courses in medical education: trials of curriculum designs during the pandemic

BackgroundDue to COVID-19, face-to-face service activities in service-learning courses have become unfeasible. To address this challenge, this study aims to integrate project-based learning into medical education’s service-learning curriculum. This study also seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of this instructional approach and identify factors that influence its success.MethodsA total of 135 first-year medical students enrolled in a mandatory 1-credit service-learning course were recruited. The course involved various service activities aligned with the needs of the local community. The students were organized into 12 groups, each working on different service-learning projects, such as raising health awareness or educating the public about specific diseases. Following the completion of the course, a questionnaire was distributed among the students to gather feedback on the course, and 122 (valid responses were collected, representing a response rate of 90.3%).ResultsThe results indicated that the project-based service-learning course significantly improved students’ “interpersonal communication skills,“ their ability to “learn and grow from work,“ and their sense of “professionalism” (all p ≤ 0.037). Among the various aspects of service learning, the highest agreement was observed for “executing the project,“ followed by “group discussions and project formulation,“ “overall course review,“ “review of project outcomes,“ “outcome presentations,“ “teaching proposal writing and project brainstorming,“ “sharing of service-learning experiences by teachers,“ and “sharing of service-learning experiences by teaching assistants.“ Students also found certain factors to be beneficial in enhancing the learning effectiveness of service-learning courses, including “prize money for service-learning outcomes,“ “funding for service-learning activities,“ and “consultations from medical personnel” (all p ≤ 0.01). However, “course credit” and “photography software” did not show significant effects (both p > 0.05). The most preferred resources or activities for future service-learning courses were “course credit” and “face-to-face service-learning activities.“ConclusionsThe project-based learning method improved the learning effectiveness in service-learning courses. Students perceived that the number of course credits reflects the course value and plays a pivotal role in enhancing the learning effectiveness in service-learning courses. During the epidemic, students still expect to have face-to-face service activities in service-learning courses. Therefore, without the impact of the epidemic, service learning courses should return to face-to-face service activities.

Shared Decision-Making: A Phenomenological Study of Student Service Learning

The concept of collaborative shared decision-making began with the quality assurance and research efforts associated with the late 1970’s effort of the United States of America President Jimmy Carter. The value of service-learning has been well documented in medical and allied health education. Several studies have examined the cultural experiences and clinical reasoning abilities of persons involved in service-learning. What has not been well-examined is the concept of shared decision-making by those engaged in service-learning. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify how Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physical Therapy (PT) students defined shared decision-making while engaged in a weeklong international service-learning experience with an underserved population in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Through facilitated and recorded discussion, the researchers used qualitative methods to unearth the lived experience and shared decision-making of student participants during the daily service-learning activities. Concepts related to a shared decision-making definition evolved during the week of service-learning for these students. Thoughtful reflection identified processes whereby collective problem-solving contributed to both student experiential learning while addressing the broader needs of the client and the underserved population. Participants defined shared decision-making as a collaborative and interprofessional experience. The beliefs and values of team members, including the patient/client, were found to be influential and relevant to the definition.

CISing Up Service Learning: A Systematic Review of Service Learning Experiences in Computer and Information Science

The benefits of service learning in computer and information science (CIS) are believed to be significant, ranging from providing students with real-world experiences to retaining students to positively impacting community partners. Although there are many benefits of service learning, the CIS domain does impose unique costs for integrating service learning into the curriculum. Yet there is little systematic research to help the CIS community understand best practices for maximizing benefits while minimizing costs. Experience reports about service learning courses in CIS have appeared in the literature annually since 2000, and thus we address this gap in knowledge by conducting a systematic review and content analysis of 84 experience reports from the The ACM Guide to Computing Literature . We synthesize the current state of service learning in CIS as well as derive recommendations for best practices and future research directions.

Collaborative Service-Learning: Sharing Music in a Preschool Classroom

The benefits of service-learning experiences for preservice undergraduate students are well-documented. However, the perspectives of in-service teachers and their students are not commonly presented in the literature. There is a need for more research examining the impact of service-learning experiences on all stakeholders. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perspectives of preservice undergraduate students, a local preschool teacher, and her preschool students as they shared musical experiences in a collaborative service-learning model. We found that the preschoolers enjoyed music lessons and were able to recall specific musical concepts. Preservice undergraduates expanded their teacher identity, confidence, and flexibility, but still did not feel like experts. The preschool teacher expanded her ability to provide musically rich experiences to her preschoolers but reported challenges with lesson planning. We conclude with implications for university supervisors and researchers interested in creating equitable service-learning opportunities.

Educating for the sustainable development goals through service-learning: University students’ perspectives about the competences developed

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived impact of a Service-Learning (SL) experience titled “Educating for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” at the Porto campus of Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP), in which 15 university students from different programs were challenged to train other students about the SDGs. The main aim of the SL project was to raise awareness about the SDGs among the recipients (200 high school students, 20 students from a University in Angola and 40 from a University in Brazil). Besides the development of soft skills in UCP students, the learning objectives also focused on training socially responsible citizens who can take the SDGs into their future professions and help create a better and more sustainable world. UCP students were asked to reflect on their SL experience in the middle and at the end of the semester, based on structured reflection prompts. Based on these reflections, the present study aimed to understand the perceived impact of the SL experience on UCP students, particularly on their understanding of sustainable development (e.g., knowledge of SDGs), and the recipients (e.g., knowledge of strategies to achieve SDGs). Qualitative analysis was performed through NVIVO software. The results showed an impact not only on the academic learning and the UCP students’ personal and professional domains, but also on their literacy about the SDGs. According to the UCP students’ perceptions, the SL experience was particularly helpful in promoting SDGs awareness in the recipients and predisposing them to change attitudes and behaviors. Therefore, we conclude that the SL project accomplished its purpose of promoting awareness of the SDGs among the recipients. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of the role of higher education institutions and SL experiences in sustainable development.

Transforming Society Through Critical Service-Learning: A Position for a Justice-Based Approach to Experiential Learning in Physical Therapy Education.

In response to the numerous calls for the physical therapy profession to position itself as an equity and social justice-centered profession, we are called to provide aspiring physical therapists with the skills to dismantle inequities and injustice in their communities. Exposure to health inequity and injustice through conceptual and experiential learning alone does not prepare students to create positive change and may serve to perpetuate stereotypes and offer simplistic solutions to complex problems. We argue that a traditional service-learning model lacks transformative potential for bringing about social change. Therefore, we introduce critical service-learning, compare it with the traditional model in the context of physical therapy experiential learning, and provide rationale and guidance on transitioning to this educational approach. We believe critical service-learning is an action-oriented approach that works to identify the root causes of social and structural determinants and accept personal and shared responsibility for acting to ameliorate their effects. Critical service-learning experiences require critical reflection and call for intentional design including teacher training, rich community engagement, student assignments that challenge current paradigms, and use of evaluative measures that assess community goals. These aspects add to the historically practiced traditional model. We invite educators to shift to critical service-learning, an approach that has great potential for benefiting all interested parties in meaningful and long-lasting ways. Critical service-learning holds the opportunity for our profession to be better positioned to transform society.

Secondary choral students’ and preservice music educators’ perceptions of a service-learning experience in the United States: An action research study

AbstractThe purpose of this service-learning action research study was to develop and investigate after-school individualised vocal lessons for secondary students aged 14–18 years (n = 15) taught by preservice music educators (PMEs) (n = 12) in the United States. In service learning, all parties should benefit from the experience while addressing curricular and community needs. Therefore, our intentions were to: (a) improve secondary student preparedness for solo experiences, (b) provide an authentic teaching experience to improve the quality of instruction given by PMEs, and (c) develop a mutually beneficial and collaborative service-learning experience. The following themes emerged from the data: (a) perceptions of teaching disposition – such as confidence, interpersonal skills and enthusiasm; (b) perceptions of teaching skills – such as student engagement, questioning techniques and responsive teaching; and (c) perceptions of pedagogical content knowledge – such as vocal anatomy, physiology and pedagogy.

Autoethnography as a Tool for the Achievement of Deep Learning of University Students in Service-Learning Experiences

This exploratory study was carried out within the framework of a pilot learning and service experience in the subject of Qualitative Research Tools in Social Work, where the autoethnographic field journal was used as a tool for the development of deep learning competency in a group of third-year university students undertaking a degree in Social Work and fourth year students undertaking a double degree in Social Education and Social Work in the Social Work, at the University of Deusto. The authors hypothesized that this qualitative research tool could help students develop their ability to critically reflect on their experiences, identify their own strengths and weaknesses in relation to deep learning competency, and establish goals to improve their learning. The service-learning methodology experience proposed for the students involved to participate in a program aimed at the transition to adulthood of young people in situations of vulnerability, where they were required to record in a field journal the emotions, interpretations, and contradictions that the experience of meeting and living with unaccompanied migrant minors using the program could evoke. The results of the qualitative study showed that the autoethnographic field journal was an effective tool for developing deep learning competency in the students participating in the pilot service-learning methodology experience. The results concluded that the autoethnographic field journal could be a valuable tool for promoting reflection, self-awareness, and critical thinking.

Service-learning projects’ contribution to students’ development

The aim of the research is to determine the contribution of the use of the service-learning (SL) approach in social studies courses to the students’ development. The participants of this research, which was carried out using qualitative research methodology, are 15 students and two social studies teachers who participated in SL projects within the scope of social studies course. Students had a 16-week experience of SL. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with students and teachers. The content analysis technique was used to analyze the obtained data. The result of the research revealed that the contribution of using SL approach in the social studies course contributed to the academic, personal, social, and citizenship development of the students.

Global Service-Learning Fosters Collaboration, Cultural Humility, and Spiritual Growth among BSN Students.

Nursing practice is evolving to include a more global perspective; therefore, nursing education must transcend the confines of the traditional classroom to prepare students to serve vulnerable populations across the globe. Collaboration, cultural humility, and spiritual growth through reflective practice are three themes identified in the literature as takeaways for students participating in global service-learning experiences. The development and implementation of a course on global service-learning is explored in this article. Biblical examples and anecdotal student comments support the themes identified in the literature.

Creating inclusive materials: a university Service-Learning experience

This paper presents a service-learning experience at the University of Extremadura (Spain). Its objective has been to develop an educational experience using service-learning in which students acquire curricular learning, adapting awareness-raising materials and evaluating the importance of providing, also, a quality inclusive educational response to individual needs. A total of 75 university students participated in the experience. An observation record, a report preparation and a satisfaction questionnaire are used as a method for evaluation. The results obtained are presented in relation to three issues: (a) the project, finding a positive evaluation by the students of participation, collaboration, interest and involvement; (b) learning, noting that the qualification has improved in terms of curricular learning, but also in relation to soft skills; and (c) the service, promoting awareness values among the educational community towards inclusion and sustainability. In conclusion, it is highlighted that the use of this type of methodology favours the motivation and involvement of students in the development of their learning, not only in relation to academic issues but also commitment and social responsibility. Creare materiali inclusivi: un'esperienza universitaria di Service-Learning. L’obiettivo di questa esperienza è stato quello di sviluppare un'esperienza educativa utilizzando l'apprendimento di servizio in cui gli studenti acquisiscono l'apprendimento curriculare, adattando materiali di sensibilizzazione e valutando l'importanza di fornire una risposta educativa inclusiva di qualità anche ai bisogni individuali. All'esperienza hanno partecipato complessivamente 75 studenti universitari. Come metodo di valutazione vengono utilizzati strumenti qualitativi (registrazione delle osservazioni e redazione del rapporto) e strumenti quantitativi (questionario di soddisfazione). I risultati ottenuti sono presentati in relazione a tre temi: (a) il progetto, riscontrando una valutazione positiva da parte degli studenti di partecipazione, collaborazione, interesse e coinvolgimento; (b) l'apprendimento, osservando che la qualifica è migliorata in termini di apprendimento curriculare, ma anche in relazione alle competenze trasversali; e (c) il servizio, promuovendo valori di consapevolezza tra la comunità educativa verso l'inclusione e la sostenibilità. In conclusione, si evidenzia che l'uso di questo tipo di metodologia favorisce la motivazione e il coinvolgimento degli studenti nello sviluppo del loro apprendimento, non solo in relazione alle questioni accademiche ma anche all'impegno e alla responsabilità sociale.

Affective and emotional experiences in arts-based service-learning environments

Dewey (1938) once wrote that the most effective forms of learning connect intellectual processes with emotion, which is able to inspire curiosity and excite the learner. This paper adds to the body of research that attests to the transformative role of affect in teacher education, which is able to be cultivated through arts-based service-learning experiences. Pre-service teachers at two universities in Sydney, Australia were placed in service-learning settings that were based around participatory experiences in drama and storytelling, music, dance or visual art. The pre-service teachers’ reflections on the placement revealed a transformative experience which combined emotional learning with critical analysis of social justice issues as they relate to education. As part of their placement, they experienced arts engagement that utilised affect and emotion as a transformative pedagogy. They broadened their understanding of the role of teachers, both in an institution and in society. These emerging understandings led them to find voice as advocates, investigate arts education and community projects as alternative career paths and re-evaluate their own perceptions of quality teaching. Some participants continued engaging with the community arts projects after the placement had concluded, and others became advocates for the arts in education and society. Finally, they adopted a critical stance on social justice issues, and shed light on the ways that arts learning service-learning placements can become deeper engagements, leading to sustainable benefits for all parties. Keywords: affect, emotion, arts education, education, creativity

Digital Competences in Teacher Training and Music Education via Service Learning: A Mixed-Method Research Project

This study investigates applied service learning (SL) methodology with the goal of analyzing digital competence in teacher training. Twenty-three preservice teachers completed validated questionnaires regarding both general and specific digital competence in music as well as a self-evaluation of SL in a case study complemented by a quasi-experimental quantitative pre-post-test comparison. The experience highlighted in this paper not only includes the application of a variety of didactic, musical, and technological knowledge and strategies but also emphasizes the aspects of reflection, analysis, and the proper use of digital media for personal, educational, and social purposes on the part of students at different educational levels. The results indicate that preservice teachers acquired the values of social and personal responsibility (82.6% of participants) and became aware of the advantages of incorporating technologies into the music classroom (87.5% of participants). Moreover, the research design provided these teachers with an in-depth perspective on the evaluation of the SL experience and its significance.

E-service-learning is equally effective as traditional service-learning in enhancing student developmental outcomes

The adoption of online learning has been accelerated by COVID-19, including experiential learning such as service-learning (SL). This study compares the student developmental outcomes between the traditional face-to-face and e-service-learning (E-SL) to reveal the effectiveness of E-SL and its good practices. A self-reporting measurement instrument was used to collect and compare the developmental outcomes perceived by students before and after SL experience between the traditional SL and E-SL cohorts of a course with the same setting, including instructor, curriculum, and assessment criteria. Qualitative research methodology is adopted to analyse students’ learning artefacts to reveal possible reasons for the differences identified in student developmental outcomes, and good practices derived in E-SL. Results indicate that both traditional SL and E-SL cohorts show significant enhancement in student developmental outcomes after participating in SL. Although there are no significant differences between the two cohorts, E-SL seems to slightly outperform traditional SL in enhancing student developmental outcomes. Qualitative analysis indicates that good practices, such as stakeholders’ commitment and students’ constant reflection, could be the reasons why the challenges posed by the online environment in E-SL is turned into learning opportunities to students.

Immediate and sustained effect of a service-learning course grounded in public problem analysis

This study aims to propound an instructional design for a service-learning course grounded in public problem analysis and verify its immediate and sustained outcomes through the actual instructional process. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted wherein students who were enrolling in a service-learning course were considered as a treatment group, while those not enrolling in the course were categorized into a comparison group. Three-wave surveys were distributed at the beginning, end, and 6 months after the end of the course. Our difference-in-differences (DID) analysis showed that the project-based service-learning experience seems to be negatively related to perceived problem-solving ability but positively associated with students’ public service motivation (PSM) in the short term. However, the above influence did not sustain as time progressed. This study helps to clarify the relation between service-learning courses and students’ problem-solving ability as well as PSM in the field of public affairs education. It can also serve as a foundation for efforts to improve subsequent instructional plans of service-learning courses.

A Phenomenological Pre- and Post-Reflective Comparison of Graduate Student Intercultural Competence from Agricultural Service-Learning Experiences

The purpose of this study was to determine growth in intercultural competence after graduate students participated in an international service learning (ISL) experience. One method for developing intercultural competence is service learning, where students apply learning in real-world settings through a cycle of action and reflection. This study used an interpretative phenomenological analysis related to the lived experience of eight graduate students who participated in two intensive ISL projects in Timor-Leste or Guatemala. Results included the student point of view (emic) narrative as an ethnographic crafted profile for each participant to demonstrate the process of intercultural competence development across individual and interaction processes. Students demonstrated knowledge gains after the experience, and several internal and external outcomes in their post-reflective narratives. Despite visiting different countries, the two groups of students demonstrated similar intercultural outcomes along the theoretical framework, indicating that despite contextual differences in experience, this framework maintains a robust perspective for analysing student experiences during ISL. The Process Model of Intercultural Competence served as a framework to assess intercultural competence. The process began with personal attitudes, openness to intercultural learning, and curiosity. Interpersonal outcomes developed with knowledge/comprehension through skills such as listening, observing, and interpretation. Developing flexibility, empathy, and adaptability promoted an informed frame of reference for a desired internal outcome. The external outcome resulted in behaving and communicating effectively from experience. Measuring intercultural diversity as a learning outcome from ISL can ensure adequate preparation for international development professionals.

Reprint of: Effects of experiential service learning in improving community engagement perception, sustainability awareness, and data analytics competency

This study examines if and how incorporating an experiential service learning intervention within an accounting course, beyond the traditional lecture, could impact students’ community engagement perception, sustainability awareness, as well as their data analytics competency. We conduct a quasi-experimental investigation with a group of 103 accounting students from a large public U.S. university. Results show that, in comparison to a group with only lecture intervention, students exhibited improved community engagement perception, sustainability awareness, and data analytics competency in both Tableau and Power BI, following the lecture plus experiential service learning intervention. Using Kolb’s four-stage experiential learning cycle as the underlying conceptual framework, further analyses of the feedback from both students and host partners illuminate the ways in which experiential service learning has helped to impact learning. Our findings suggest the value relevance of leveraging experiential service learning within an accounting course toward improving students’ development in areas outside the core curriculum. Results of this study could be of interest to accounting educators as they contemplate the efficacies of incorporating experiential-based service learning projects to elevate students’ proficiencies in the increasingly important areas of sustainability, civic awareness and data analytics.

Exploring key service-learning experiences that promote students’ learning in higher education

Service-learning has gained popularity as a new effective pedagogical approach in higher education across Asian countries in recent years. Yet, there are relatively few qualitative studies on students’ service-learning experiences in the unique educational context of each Asian country. This study explored critical experiences in service-learning programs that promote undergraduate students’ learning and examined how students incorporate their learning into other learning contexts by conducting in-depth interviews with students who actively engaged in extracurricular service-learning programs at a Korean university. The qualitative findings of this study demonstrated that students’ learning process and reflection were promoted by seven critical experiences: (a) understanding and providing benefits that recipients really need, (b) designing and planning a project by themselves, (c) solving a real-world problem, (d) collaborating with diverse people, (e) undertaking a specific role of responsibility, (f) recognizing and managing uncomfortable feelings, and (g) reflecting on their interest and abilities. Additionally, this study revealed that students had expanded their learning and reflection of their service-learning experiences into multidimensional learning contexts by (a) connecting with formal academic courses and (b) engaging in new on- and off-campus activities. This study contributes to broadening the global knowledge base of the service-learning field and it furthermore provides practical implications for policymakers and educators in higher education to design and improve service-learning programs.