Chapter 2: SERVICE-LEARNING

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to:

1. explain how service-learning leads to effective community intervention and active participation;
2. outline the different strategies applied or adopted in community services and intervention; and
3. formulate programs or campaigns that reinforce service-learning and community involvement.

OVERVIEW

This chapter deals with the guidelines and procedures of community service learning. It integrates
meaningful community service and reflection to enrich the students learning experience and social
development.

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 enrollees of NSTP-CWTS 2, students can use the insights they gain in the classroom and
provide solutions to real-life problems in the 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 recipes, 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 be monitored, and the results 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 services with community partners, develop press kits, and provide assistance in holding
events.

Characteristics of Service-learning

The common characteristics of service-learning include 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 developed.
3. It gives appropriate rather than simplified solutions to problems that seriously affect the
community.
4. It provides real-life experiences wherein students gain knowledge from a particular community
engagement activity rather than from a textbook. Through these direct experiences, 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 hours in order to graduate
4. Compensatory service assigned as a form of punishment by the courts or by school
administrators
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 it improves the community through the services
provided, and it also results in the improvement of the students and the other people providing the
services. Service-learning is rapidly growing and becoming popular because of its powerful impact on
people and their development. It is a dynamic process, through which the students' personal and social
growth are tightly interwoven into their academic and cognitive 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 experiential education wherein 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 experiences 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 Act 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 functions-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 the 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 make good decisions regarding
the problems affecting their health, families, and duties and responsibilities to the community. They
should be provided with opportunities for cooperative undertakings affecting the welfare of the entire
community, so they can develop into young men and women who look upon their own interests 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 beliefs
4. Have the opportunity to act on values and beliefs
5. Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills
6. Increase their knowledge of diverse cultures 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,
11. Test out the skills, interests, and values required in a potential career path and learn more about
their field of interest collaboration, and leadership
12. Connect with professionals and community members who will also learn from the service-learning
program
13. Grow 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 courses 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 enrollment by giving the proper motivation and active students to highly engaged
7. Enhance the leadership potential of their students
8. Expose their students to networking activities with active faculty members in other disciplines
 9. Promote quality relationships between them and the members of the community or the
institution which may facilitate collaborative endeavors 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 level of enthusiasm, perspective, and energy
3. Improve the organization's pool of volunteers as students engaged in service-learning will boost
their own morale prompting them to share their experiences 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 misconceptions
7. Prepare the youth of today, particularly students, to become tomorrow's responsible
community leaders
8. Establish strong networks with partners in other organizations and agencies
9. Gain access to the other resources of the university and strengthen collaborative ties with its
faculty members, students, and staff

The objectives of service-learning provide the stakeholders 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 partnerships with the local leaders, out-of-school youth,
businessmen, women leaders, and youth leaders regarding community issues and problems.

2. Establish partnership and linkages.

Establishing partnerships with different service-oriented organizations is necessary to make the delivery
of community services more effective. Maintaining and improving existing affiliations and developing
potential partnerships are important in ensuring that an organization's needs and limitations can be met
and worked on.

3. Indicate the specific learning objectives in the syllabus.

Specific learning objectives should be clearly stated in the 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 student 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 program.

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 processes 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 sources such as tie-ups with local businessmen, national
corporations, 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 perceptions 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 be properly documented. This signals a readiness for future
community projects.

10. Celebrate the achievement.

Appreciating and recognizing the students' active involvement in community projects will develop their
life-long interest in service involvement. Student names 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 Procedures

A. Preparatory Stage

Faculty members interested in conducting service-learning must see to it that the service-learning
program (SLP) is indicated in the syllabus.

1. The students and faculty members are both responsible for the selection of the community or
institution. However, institutions or communities with already existing Memorandum of
Agreements with the school/university are the most appropriate choices.
2. The faculty member 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 to
the selected community or institution. The letter 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 student affairs (OSA)
to be signed by their parents or guardians. The faculty member will collect the waivers a day
before the actual activity. Students without signed waivers will not be allowed to join the SLP.
5. The faculty member must conduct a classroom briefing about the program/activity before the
implementation of the SLP.

B. Implementation Stage

1. The students and the supervising faculty member of the SLP are required to wear the prescribed
school identification card (ID) and college T-shirt and observe 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 member on the SLP shall cover their respective transportation,
communication, and meal expenses during the period. Other logistical requirements shall be
based on those indicated in the 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 or follow-up of
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.
 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
tool that is designed for this activity. The performance of the students will be evaluated
using the same rubrics. The two evaluation results will be added and then divided by
two. Its average will be the SLP grade of the student, representing ten percent (10%) of
the total computed 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 settings, including schools, universities, and community-
and faith-based organizations. 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 school and
community in various service projects designed for the development of education, public safety, and the
environment.

For example, student-volunteers collecting trash or dredging an urban or rural river, stream, or
waterway render a valuable to the community. If students also analyze their findings to determine the
possible sources of pollution and share the results with the residents of the neighborhood 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 assigned communities. They may
also reflect on their future personal and career interests whether these be in the field of natural
sciences, behavioral 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.

Reference:
Villasoto, H.S., Villasoto, N.S., & Roxas, M.B (2 nd Ed). (2019). Service-learning and immersion towards
community building: NSTP-CWTS 2 worktext for college students. C & E Publishing, Inc. pp. 15 - 23