GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR THE REFLECTIVE ESSAY:

A. Relate the following questions to real-life situations and write your answers on the space
below.
1. What public awareness campaigns are needed to resolve the issues and problems in your
community?
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2. If you were given the chance to organize students to participate in a three-year strategic
planning for a service-learning program, how would you lead your team?
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3. Write real-life experiences have you gained after a particular community engagement?
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4. In what ways have your experiences significantly developed your cognitive learning?
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5. The importance for students to know the basis in law of the Self Learning Program.
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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
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 for 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, collaboration
and leadership.
11. Test out the skills, interess 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. 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 SLP 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 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
disciplines
9. Promote quality relationships between them and the members of the community or the
institutions: this will facilitate collaborative endeavors.
10. Offer first-hand information or concepts and opportunities for community involvement:
this will help them understand and resolve issues.