Centro Latinoamericano de Aprendizaje y Servicio Solidario

UNIT 3

LEARNING AND SOLIDARITY SERVICE QUADRANTS

The concept of quadrants will be developed and described as a tool to differentiate service-learning practices
from other practices where communal intervention is developed within educational environments.

It is not always easy to differentiate service-learning activities from other practices: these participants did it very
well!

At our faculty we have activities that can be categorized in all the quadrants except for the Service Learning
Quadrant [now learning about SL I think not the only important one, but probably the most important one when in
the context on University and its community/civic engagement).Here are the examples that immediately come to
mind:

1. [bottom left quadrant] we have recently organized a collection of things needed for the group of Syrian refugees
relocated to live in Slovakia. It was important and helpful, but there was no learning and no real service involved.

2. [top left quadrant] each year before Christmas the students organize a "Christmas market" where they sell
various small hand made things, cookies, etc. The whole proceeds of this event goes to a selected orphanage or a
crisis center for families in the region. There in no intentional curriculum learning connection in the activity [they
might learn useful curriculum independent skills by having to organize such an event], but since this is a regular
event, I would put in the top left quadrant. There is again probably mot much real service involved, but I would
argue that it is more service then just e.g. the collection of things for refugees, because they have to think which
institution is going to be supported and why in a given year, thus they have to learn about the situation and needs
of the institutions a little bit more.

3. [bottom right quadrant] there are curriculum requirements for students of several study programs to do a
practice outside of the university. These include journalism students [internship in a media establishment of their
choice], psychology students [internship in a psychological/psychiatric clinic], students studying to become teachers
[the have to go to school and observe real classes and also teach a few]. These activities have a explicit intentional
learning component [most with the future teachers, because especially with the journalism internships there is no
guarantee they will not be used to conduct simple tasks without any learning] , however there is no service
component included.

Jan Banas

Assistant Professor and member of the Department of Philosophy at the Faculty of Arts and Letters, Catholic University in
Ruzomberok, Slovakia.

1
Centro Latinoamericano de Aprendizaje y Servicio Solidario

Bellow is my SL Quadrant-based analysis of some of the activities taking place at Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-
Napoca, Romania:

(1) Left top quadrant (III. Extension volunteerism - Institutional Community Service without Syllabus content) -
example: Cleaning up the Student Campus - a volunteer-based activity organized once or twice per semester by the
Council of Students of Babes-Bolyai University. The Council of UBB Students sends an invitation to all the Student
Associations of the University (they are 29 active student organizations belonging to the 21 faculties of Babes-Bolyai
University). This is an outdoor activity, with no direct curricular links. All the students can participate depending on
their time and availability.

(2) Left bottom quadrant (II. Unsystematic volunteerism) - example: spontaneous fund-raising campaigns started
by student organizations, i.e. finding the financial support needed by a family of a student who died in a car
accident while she was enrolled in the Work & Travel Program in USA.

(3) Right top quadrant (IV. Service-Learning) - the program Be Active Together organized by the Disability Office of
Babes-Bolyai University (students with and without disabilities, persons with disabilities from different NGOs from
Cluj-Napoca, therapy dogs from Dog Training Schools from Cluj-Napoca, which are collaborating with the University
in research projects). The program involves 2-hours sessions of structured sport activities with students and children
with disabilities (i.e. Down syndrome, Autistic spectrum, persons with motor deficits etc.), which come with their
families. Some of the sport sessions include para-agility exercises with therapy dogs, zumba (led by a student with
disability), sitting volleyball etc. All the student volunteers are previously trained to communicate and interact with
persons with disabilities, through a series of workshops periodically offered by the Disability Office of Babes-Bolyai
University. The planned activities within the Be Active Together program are related with several disciplines, such as
special education (inclusion procedures, animal assisted therapy for persons with special needs) and kinetotherapy
(sport and physical activity). The participation of the volunteer students in this program is credited with practical
activity hours within the above mentioned disciplines.

Alina Rusu

Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Office for Students with Disabilities
in Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania (www.ubbcluj.ro)

I. Internship. As wrote Mr. Banas in Slovakia, in many study programs the practice is obligatory and it is important
for development of professional competencies of students. There are differences in length, activities, quality of
reflection activities and also quality of filed work. It is not aimed at needs of community. In our social work study
programs the bachelor students have to take minimum 180 hours and master minimum 120 hours in practice. There
is a tutor of practice in organization and also in the schools. Students do written reflections and reports but they
need to attend also seminars for oral discussions and reflections and supervision. I like the idea of doing the
practice as a service-learning but I cannot imagine it now and I think that in this time we can find other ways.

2
Centro Latinoamericano de Aprendizaje y Servicio Solidario

II. Occasional community/volunteer activities. I prefer to use the word "volunteer activities” because in Slovakia
the world "community” is also new and it is not use in connection with any service. In our university students in
cooperation with teachers organize also every year collection of clothes, books or money. The main aim is service
and it is not connected with learning. I think that it is possible to incorporate this type of activities in curriculum as
service-learning activities.

III. Community engagement with no

curriculum links. It is also better say
long-term volunteering activities. In
Slovakia there are not many universities
which organize volunteer activities of
students (it is issue of NOG´s and
volunteer centres). There are a few
models but I can share it later (I wrote an
article about it also). The students of
Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica
are being engaged in volunteering for
more than 15 years. The aim is not only
to increase engagement of students in
voluntary activities during their
university studies but also to apply their
Brozmanová Gregorová, Bariaková, Kubealaková, 2013
experience in educational process and to
develop their social responsibility and
engagement which will also be transferred to their professional practice. Since 2000 voluntary activities of students
are organized in tight cooperation with civic association Volunteer Centre (I am president of this organization since
2001). Volunteer Centre develops volunteering not only at the university, but also at local and regional level. It is
also a member of umbrella organization Platform of volunteer centres and organization. There is an official
agreement between University and Volunteer Centre and we cooperate very closely on many projects and events.
For example Matej Bel University is main partner of Volunteer Week organized by Volunteer Centre. Volunteer
Centre implement also long-term volunteer programs and in many programs are active students. For example
mentoring program for children based on Big Brother Big Sister model, teaching program for Roma children in
community centres or assistance in school for children with special needs. The volunteering activities in these
programs are not connected with curriculum but I can imagine that we can connect it with some courses in the
future. Mostly we have students of social work, pedagogy and psychology.

Alžbeta Brozmanová Gregorová

Teacher and coordinator of service-learning team at Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica. Currenlty working in regional
volunteer centre and as a trainer in volunteer management and supervisor.