What is Service Learning?

Have we, through traditions and conformity, confined the teaching and learning process to within the walls of a classroom? We know that much of our practical knowledge is obtained through our interactions with the world around us. Then, why should we not include and engage our community as a part of our pedagogy? Service learning is a community engagement strategy that aims at advancing student development and the common good, through combining learning outcomes with community services.

As defined by the National Service Learning Clearninghouse, service learning is “a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.”

Advantages of Service Learning

Service learning helps us to set and achieve multiple benefits for both the students and the community. For students, engagement in the community helps them to attain the following goals:

Learning outcomes: Engaging in the community will help them to apply their theoretical knowledge in the practical world. This allows them to improve their perception, apply their different cognitive skills and advance their learning.

Personal goals: Community participation encourages students to develop their communication skills, collaborate as a team and motivates them to enhance their leadership and interpersonal skills leading to improved personal efficacy.

Socio-cultural outcomes: Students are able to advance their understanding of the society and different cultures which helps in reducing stereotypes and discrimination against cultures. It also teaches them to become model citizens, setting an example for others and instilling a sense of respect and responsibility towards the community.

Career improvement: Interactions with different community personnel allows students to know more about their career options and provides opportunities for internship, which equips them with the needed skills and knowledge, which in turn may improve their career prospects.

Likewise, the community benefits from service learning, as it provides it with a young and enthusiastic task force and brain power through whom, various community goals may be addressed. It also helps to improve the relations between the student, school and community.

Integrating service learning within the classroom

Integration of service learning as a part of our classroom teaching largely depends on the goals that we are trying to attain. Below are some methods that we can start with:

One-time project: This can be planned as a whole class activity, with the goals being to facilitate community participation, building up on team skills, etc. For example, you can encourage students to organize an activity to raise money for a social cause.

Application projects: Students are encouraged to apply their classroom gained knowledge in real life experiences. To develop such projects, we may have to frame our goals in advance and decide on the areas that benefits from hands-on learning. These can then be posted as jobs students are required to complete and a roster can be scheduled with students assigned jobs for every week or month. The goals or objectives of the assignment are handed to the students and at the end of each job, they can be instructed to submit a write up of their experiences and connect their theoretical knowledge to their practical application.

Service projects: Using this method, students are given an opportunity to intern in their different career fields and gain a hands-on experience of a work environment.

Volunteer work: Encouraging the class to volunteer in different programs will help you instill and improve the human traits that are essential to the overall development of a student.

Thus, through service learning, students are taught not just to be good learners, but also to be model citizens of the community.

Discuss Here: What are some ways you encourage your students to engage with the community?