Chapter 2

SERVICE-LEARNING

LECTURE
Service-learning provides students the opportunity to work with others, gain valuable insights,
and acquire different skills. Through varied community projects, they can apply what they have
been taught in class by formulating appropriate solutions to the problems they encounter in their
chosen communities.

As enrolees of NSTP-CWTS 2, students can use the insights they gain in the classroom
and provide solution in real-life problems in community. They become bona fide members of
their assigned communities as they render service and perform acts like the following:

1. Students can analyze the effect of natural disasters and use a kit to gather important items
during disaster preparation. Elementary students can design and distribute these kits to
the members of the community.
2. High school students can closely monitor the effects of poor nutrition and lack of
exercise by organizing health-related activities, concoct nutritious recipe, and putting up
fruit and vegetable stands in schools in the community.
3. Biology majors can study the complexity and diversity of wetlands to eliminate invasive
aquatic species. Streams can also monitored and the result may be presented to the class.
4. University students can help struggling local non-profit organizations cope with difficult
economic conditions. Students who are enrolled in communication-related courses can
provide varied public relations service with community partners, develop press kits, and
provide assistance in holding events.

Characteristic of Service-learning
The common characteristic of service-learning includes the following:
1. It brings good, substantial, and practical results for the participants.
2. It promotes cooperation rather than competition where the skills associated with
teamwork and active community involvement are develop
3. It gives appropriate rather than simplified solutions to the problems that seriously
affect the community.
4. It provides real-life experiences where in students gain knowledge from a
particular community engagement activity rather than from a textbook. Through
 these direct experience, service-learning offers great opportunities for students to
develop their critical thinking skills and learn how to identify relevant and
emerging issues in community settings.
5. It gives students a deeper understanding of concepts and real-life situations in the
community through immediately observable results.
6. Through an immediate understanding of a situation in the community, service-
learning becomes a more significant experience for students, leading to their
emotional and social development and cognitive learning.

What Service-learning is Not

Students have misconceptions about the conduct and value of service-learning. Service-learning
is not:

1. An episodic volunteer program

2. An add-on course to an existing school or college curriculum
3. Logging a set number of community service hour in order to graduate
4. Compensatory service assigned as a form of punishment by the courts or by school
administrator
5. Only for high school or college students
6. One-sided, that is, beneficial only to the students or the community

The distinctive element of service-learning is that improves the community through the
service provided, and it also result in the improvement of the students and the other
people providing the service. Service-learning is rapidly growing and becoming popular
because of its powerful impact on the people and cognitive advancement. According to
Eyler and Giles (1999), the service-learning model enhances understanding and leads to
more effective action.

Service-learning Theory
Service-learning theory is based on the idea that experience is the foundation for
learning, and the bases for learning are the different forms of community service (Morton
& Troppe, 1996). Service-learning, therefore, is a form of experimental education where
in learning occurs through cycles of action and reflection. Students work with others in
applying what they have learned in class to solve community problems while, at the same
 time, reflecting upon their experience as they seek to attain their goals for the community
and to develop skills for themselves (Eyler&Giles,1999).

Legal Bases of Service-learning

Service-learning is based on RA 8292, also known as the Higher Education
Modernization of 1997. This law reiterates Section 2(1) of Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution
by declaring that the “policy of the state is to establish, maintain, and support a complete,
adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and the society.”
This policy can be attained through the HEIs’ trilogy of function-academics (teaching-learning),
research, and extension (community service)- and their keeping in mind of their legal
responsibility to act as effective agents of change and development.

HEIs on Service-learning
One of trifocal functions of the university is community extension. According to tariman
(2007), its duty to the youth is to make them literate and functional, so they can make2 good
decisions regarding the problems affecting their health, families, and duties for cooperative
undertakings affecting the welfare of the entire community, so they can develop into young men
and women who look upon their own interest in terms of the welfare of others.

Benefits of Service-learning
Service-learning has potential benefits to the students, faculty, and community.

Students in service-learning classes can benefit academically, professionally and personally.

They will:

1. Increase their understanding of the class topic

2. Gain firsthand experience possibly leading to a future internship or job)
3. Question or defend values and belief
4. Have the opportunity to act on values and beliefs
5. Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills
6. Increase their knowledge of diverse culture and communities
7. Learn more about social issues and their causes
8. Improve their ability to handle difficult situations
9. Be open to change and become more flexible
 10. Develop or enhance their skills, especially in the areas of communication, collaboration,
and leadership.
11. Test out the skills, interests, and values required in a potential career path and learn more
about their field of interest
12. Connect with professionals and community members who will also learn from the
service-learning program
13. Growth a professional network of people, whom they can contact later for career growth
14. Be encouraged in joining public service or social organizations

There are personal and professional benefits that faculty members can derive from integrating
service-learning into the course they handle. Their decision to teach service-learning classes can:

1. Promote interactive teaching as well as reciprocal learning between them and their
students
2. Provide new concepts and subjects that will enrich the class
3. Open up new areas of concern for research
4. Motivate their students to engage in active learning and be exposed to varied teaching
styles
5. Enable their students to learn more and further develop themselves
6. Increase enrolment by giving the proper motivation to highly engaged and active students
7. Enhance the leadership potential of their students
8. Expose their students to networking activities with active faculty members in other
discipline
9. Promote quality relationships between them and the members of the community or the
institution which may facilitate collaborative endeavours
10. Offer firsthand information or concepts and opportunities for community involvement
that will help them understand and resolve issues

Community partners involved in service-learning can:

1. Receive additional human resource assistance that can expedite the achievement of
organizational goals.
2. Inspire a higher enthusiasm, perspective, and energy
3. Improve organization’s pool of volunteers as students engaged in service-learning
will boost their own morale prompting them to share their experience with their
classmates and friends
4. Enhance public awareness regarding significant issues confronting the community
5. Ensure future support for the organization
6. Make students well informed about issues in the community and enlighten them
regarding common misconception
7. Prepare the youth of today, particularly students, to become tomorrow’s responsible
community leaders.
8. Establish strong networks with partners in other organization and agencies
9. Gain access to the other resources of the university and strengthen collaborative ties
with its faculty members, students, and staff

The objective of service-learning provides the stake holders especially the implementers
of different programs and activities with opportunities for reflection and the assessment
of personal values, skills, and knowledge.

The following are significant and helpful steps in effectively implementing

service-learning:

1 Assess the community resources.

After selecting a project, the available resources of the community must be

assessed or evaluated. This includes looking into opportunities to establish
partnership with the local leaders, out-of-school-youth, business man, women
leaders, and youth leaders regarding community issues and problems.

2 Establish partnership and linkages.

Establishing partnerships with different service-oriented organization is

necessary to make the delivery of community service more effective. Maintaining and
improving existing affiliations and developing potential partnerships are important in
ensuring that an organization’s needs and limitation can be met and worked on.

3 Indicate the specific learning objectives in the syllabus.

Specific learning objectives should be clearly stated in syllabus. It must be a

dominant component that can be easily identified in the service-learning organized by
community-based organizations. Assessment tools should be devised and used to
evaluate students performance with regard to the application of the subject. The
service outcomes may differ from what is initially expected.

4 Initially plan on the chosen program.

In selecting the program, the initial stage of planning is of utmost importance.

Plan according to expected goals. Find out your human, financial, physical, and
intellectual resources including the additional student leaders who can assist your
group in executing and coordinating the different activities you have prepared for the
community.

5 Plan the details of the programs.

 Prepare the program with all the important things in mind like the rationale,
timeline, budget, and list of assignments. The partners must be involved in this
process. The community project must have the following components: a thorough
plan, schedule or time frame, benchmark, budget evaluation and assessment, and
tools and process to identify, document, and address problems and issues that can
potentially take place.

6 Look for funds.

It is necessary to look for adequate funding resources such as tie-ups with local
businessman, National Corporation, faith-based organizations, NGOs, government
agencies (GAS), and other local community organizations.

7 Implement and manage the program.

The plan of action must be properly implemented. The right intervals for
assessment must be set and partners must be involved in the process. This , in turn,
will enhance the program.

8 Organize reflection activities.

Carefully design activities that give students the chance to better understand
community service. Through this, the students’ knowledge and perception will
continuously be reinforced. Students must be permitted to record all their
experiences, including their assignments, in a journal. This also helps in further
improving the program.

9 Assess and evaluate the program.

It is imperative to include the active involvement of the community or

institution in assessing community service outcomes. The active participation of
individual students and organizations in the service-learning program must also
properly documented.

10 Celebrate the achievement.

Appreciating and recognizing the students’ active involvement in community

will develop their life-long interest in service involvement. Students name can be
posted in bulletin boards. The presence or attendance of community leaders in
 recognition programs is necessary for inspiring students and other active participants
in community projects.

Guidelines and Procedure

A. Preparatory Stage

Faculty members interested in conducting service-learning must see to it

that the service-learning program (SLP) is indicating in the syllabus.

1. The students and faculty members are both responsible for the selection of the
community or institution. However, institution or communities with already
existing Memorandum of Agreements with the school/university are the most
appropriate choices.
2. The faculty members must submit a letter of intent to the college dean through
the chairman or the head of the SLP. The letter should come with the
program/activity design indicating the rationale, objectives, time frame, the
evaluation process (rubrics and reflection papers), and the schedule of
activities.
3. The faculty member will write a letter of intent and request for permission to
conduct a SLP. The letters must be noted by the dean through the program
coordinator or head.
4. The students who will join the SLP must secure a waiver from the office of
students affairs (OSCA) to be signed by their parents or guardians. The
faculty members will collect the waivers a day before the actual activity.
Students without signed waivers will not be allowed to join the SLP.

B. Implementation Stage
1. The students and the supervising faculty member of the SLP are required to
wear the prescribed identification card (ID) and college T-shirt and observed
proper decorum while in the community or institution. Smoking and engaging
in other forms of vices while in the community or institution, whether before,
during, or after the SLP are strictly prohibited for both faculty members and
students.
2. The students and faculty members on the SLP shall cover their respective
transportation, communication, and meal expenses during the period. Other
logistical requirements shall be based on those indicate approved activity
design of the college dean.
3. The faculty member or the assigned group leaders shall take responsibility for
all communications and coordination with the partner community or
 institution in relation to the SLP. They are also in charge of ensuring the
safety and security of the students while in the community.
4. The college dean or the head of the program will conduct spot monitoring of
follow-up of the students involved in the SLP to determine the actual and
current status of the program.
5. In case the faculty member in-charge will be absent, he or she must inform
and ask permission from the college dean to find another faculty member as
substitute to supervise the students. Any SLP activity without the supervision
of an assigned faculty member shall be considered unofficial.
6.
C. Post-activity Evaluation Stage.
1. The students must submit a narrative report with pictorial documentation and
reflection paper to the faculty member. The report must be hard-bound, follow
the required format, and be submitted fifteen days (15) after the SLP activity.
2. The faculty member will evaluate the students’ narrative report using the
assessment too that is designed for this activity. The performance of the
student will be evaluated using the same rubrics. The two evaluation result
will be added and then divided by two. Its average will be the SLP grade for
the term.
3. The college or university through the chairman or head of the program must
conduct an exit conference with the community or institution beneficiaries and
leaders to assess the SLP implemented.
4. A certificate of SLP completion shall be issued by the college or university
upon the written request of the faculty member in charge.
5. The college or university shall issue a certificate of appreciation to the
cooperating community or institution upon the completion of the service-
learning activities.

CONCLUSION
 Service-learning is applied in a wide variety of setting, including schools, universities,
and community- and faith-based organization. It can involve a group of students, a classroom, or
an entire school. Students build character and become active participants as they work with
others in their schools and community in various service projects designed for the development
of education, public safety, and the environment.

For example, student-volunteers collecting trash and dredging an urban or rural river,
stream, or water way render a valuable service to the community. If students also analyze with
the residents of the neighbourhood also engaged in service-learning, they will be doing the
community much good.

Service learning provides an important service to the community. Students develop an

understanding of actual social, political, economic, and environmental issues in their future
personal and career interest whether these be in the field of natural sciences, behavioural
sciences, public administration, values clarification and formation, environmental studies, public
policy or other related areas. Through service-learning, both the students and the community
undergo a transformative experience.
 Chapter 3
COMMUNITY IMMERSION

LECTURE
“Experience is the best teacher.” It is the simplest way to describe the necessity of
community immersion among college students today, particularly for NSTP-CWTS 2 students
who study how community, in different aspects, function and develops. Community immersion
inculcates civic consciousness and defence-preparedness in the youth. They should be ready to
engaged in different community activities in order to be aware of community concerns, dynamics
and lifestyles. It is only through immersion in an actual community, they associate with the
people whom they intend to work with as their partner or allies in the community. Forms of
community immersion include home visits, living with selected families, informal discussion
with individuals or groups, sharing in household and community activities, attendance in social
gatherings, and assistance in production work.\

Community immersion is a strategy goes beyond acquainting students with community

concerns but makes possible their participation in their resolution. This type of activity the lives
not only of the students but also of the member of the community. As students aid in providing
solutions to problems by the community, the community also show and shares its way of living
that allows students to see the world from a different perspective.

Students gain benefits from their participation in community immersion. They are given
opportunity to comprehend people’s lives as they see real-life situations; gain social acceptance
derive from community relations; develop skills in conducting asset mapping and other life
skills; and imbibe social awareness and consciousness of the pressing conditions faced by certain
communities. Community immersion offers students an avenue to identify and undersatand
issues that help solve problems in the communities affecting the entire nation as a whole.

Community Immersion

One of the strategies of community organizing is community immersion. It involves

extensive exposure of the students to various community activities so that they may become
responsible members of the society where they belong. Students are also trained to becoming
socially, morally, and civic individuals on the area of sports, literacy, health, livelihood,
environmental service, values and other social welfare activities.
 Community immersion, as a voluntary and participatory approach in developing a
wholesome and ideal society, is reflected on the following student learning activities:

1. Determining the economic, psychosocial, and political status of the people as

students immerse in actual community life.\
2. Identifying the community needs, interest, and other concerns.
3. Gaining personal development through acquiring additional knowledge on
real-life situation and giving importance to good values and life skills.
4. Recognizing people’s dignity by letting students participate in community
participate in community programs and help in determining appropriate
course of action for community problems.
5. Realizing that students participation yields contribution to the welfare of the
community, and that community participation, in turn, gives meaning to the
holistic developments of the students.

Service-learning from Community Immersion

Labuguen et al. (2009) describe how the community immersion aspect of NSTP-CWTS 2
benefits not only the communities served but also the students who are accorded the following
advantages:

1. Have the opportunity for the students to appreciate other people’s lives
through living, identifying, and associating with the people
2. Gain social acceptance derived from community relations coupled with the
appropriate community services and activities.
3. Enhance experience in conducting resources and community inventory
mapping such as identifying geographic coverage, pointing out resources and
their uses, determining relationships of people with the existing resources
4. Establish rapport and relationship with different people who may be of help to
them at some future time.
5. Develop conscience that make them realize how their ability to help solves
problems in the community and how indifference of people affects
communities.
6. Acquire first-hand experience in dealing with community intervention and
services
7. Have the chance to learn life skills that will enrich and better them as persons.
Community Development Work

One might think that the community is something external to life, something extra like
that of having car, owning home, having a stable job working with supportive co workers, or
having thoughtful neighbours. Community is every connection one has with the world around
that sustains the way of life. A community does not include only people who live next door or
who work in the same office, but also those people who constructed the roads, who work at
markets, factories and malls, and even who plant wheat, grow crops, and raise livestock. The
people upon whom we rely on for our living often invisible or sometimes living thousands of
miles away. These people constitute the work of the community.

Community development work is the process by which efforts to improve the

socioeconomic and cultural conditions of the community. Community development works can be
referred to as efforts to improve the economic or structural conditions of a community. Such
efforts may focus on business or job creation and physical or infrastructure development. It must
be emphasized that community development work in general is a social learning process that
serves to empower individuals and involve them in collective activities aimed at socioeconomic
development.

Moreover, community development works are action that seek to build social capital,
promote interaction, and empower community resident to alleviate their