Our students travel to community centers and YMCA's to demonstrate their skills like BP, pulse respirations and other vital skills. It teaches them who to interact with patients. It's very hands on, it gives them good expereince.
In my humble opionion, every clinic class should have a component of service learning. Students learn to interact with people of the community. It signs a good light on the school. When I was in school, I didn't have the oppurtunity to participate in service learning, I know it would have benefited me.
In community service,the primary benefactor is the community while the student benefits secondarily. In service learning, the primary benefactors are both the student and the community
Community service focuses on providing different types of service activities to the community. Service learning involves having the students apply their classroom knowledge in activities that benefit the community. Community service benefits the community whereas service learning benefits the community and contributes to student learning.
Service learning helps students visualize themselves working within their careers. Our program incorporates three service-learning components, two student-directed sessions, and participation in a campus-wide Health Fair. The student-directed opportunity requires the students to work in groups, select a target audience, and develop an educational program based on the knowledge they have acquired while completing courses. A presentation in class and a reflective learning paper follow these service-learning events. This is where it becomes so evident that they take pride in what they have learned and begin to realize that they can make a difference in other people’s lives by sharing their knowledge and skills. Many students share this realization in their reflection report, which requires a discussion of both formative and summative evaluation. The project also fosters development of critical thinking and problem solving, civic responsibility, and cultural competency. It is one of those rewarding moments for me as well as to why we do what we do, teach.
Community service many times seems like punishment. Students are required to complete so many hours by a certain date. While Service Learning seems to be interactive between the students and the community. The students seems to receive just as much as the community receives.
How is service learning different from community service in relation to student growth?
I thought this was great that I find to use for this discussion. This is just a thought and more to be processed
Service-learning represents a potentially powerful form of pedagogy because it provides a means of linking the academic with the practical. The more abstract and theoretical material of the traditional classroom takes on new meaning as the student “tries it out,†so to speak, in the “real†world. At the same time, the student benefits from the opportunity to connect the service experience to the intellectual content of the classroom. By emphasizing cooperation, democratic citizenship and moral responsibility through service-learning, higher education connects to the wider community and enables students to contribute to the alleviation of society’s urgent needs.
In this article, we report the results of quantitative analyses which directly compare service-learning and community service. For this purpose we do a longitudinal comparison of three student groups: service-learning participants, “generic†community service participants, and non-service participants.
Permalink: http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.3239521.0007.103
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COMMUNITY SERVICE HAS A SPECIFIC END GAME WHERE AS SERVICE LEARNING PROVIDES A CONTINUING EXPERIENCE FOR THE STUDENTS...PAUL T. ROUGEMONT
How is service learning different from community service in relation to student growth?
Service learning will enhance the students' education on their chosen field more so since it is directly tied to their educational goal and career. This allows for greater engagement. Our students do their culinary externship at a restaurant of their choice so they can cook that type of cuisine as well as get a job at that restaurant upon graduation.
Service learning is a more structured entity than community service. Because of this, the onus of accountability is built into it. Students would have to report back to their college facilitator and formal growth (and assesment) could occur through paper-writing and discussions.
Service learning allows students to follow their passion and choose opportunities that are mutually beneficial. As instructors we have the challenge of making the service part secondary to the knowledge gained by participating.
Community service target community needs and then works to meet those needs. Service learning is a teaching and learning experience. The students learn valuable skill in solving problems in their field of study. It also help the community by solving community problems. It also teach the students civic responsibilities.
Service learning is a new concept for me. Although I have heard the term used in several settings before, I always thought it was a new term for an old concept. Through this course, I have discovered some differences. Service learning involves the student in creation and application of concepts learned in class for the mutual benefit of both the student and the community. Teachers set guidelines that need to fit criterion that meets outcomes of the curriculum. Service learning helps students make connections between classroom content and real life as well as connections within the community and their future careers. High satisfaction and personal fulfillment are benefits for both the students and the community they have served.
While community service provides students with personal fulfillment and satisfaction, it does not necessarily originate with the student, nor does it necessarily fulfill a curriculum outcome. The benefits are primarily for the community and not for the student and the community as with service learning.
I understand that "service learning" was created to enhance the student's learning experience and give them the opportunity to apply what they have learned in a hands on practical manner. This is such an important part of their learning experience and is essential for their success. Every field of study should have "service learning" as part of their curriculum.
I would like to mention that when I take students on a "service learning" assignment, I observe that both the community and the students benefit equally.
With community service, there is more of a focus on the needs of the community or agency being served. If students get involved and happened to learn something, that is an added bonus.
However, service learning intentionally ties student learning to meeting needs within the community. Students' learning and application of their education are central and not just a happy coincidence. Service learning should tie directly to something within the students' curriculum. An example might be students in a desktop publishing course helping a non-profit agency produce a newsletter.
Dear Deb,
Thank you for mentioning that it is paramount to have the service-learning event tied directly to student's curriculum. Great post.
Trent Bartholomew
It depends on the source of engagement. Service learning should be student driven and tap into their personal interests. Community service is someone telling the students what to do and trying to force engagement upon them.
Service learning should have a specific connection between the job and the course of study of a student. It should come with precise credit value and be part of course curriculum. Community service is doing something for the community without necessarily haveing any educational value to a student.
In the culinary industry, sevice learning is a great way to for students to learn with hands on experience with the industry.
I absolutely agree with you Pattara. I think our culinary students benefit the most when they "stage" in different restaurants, one time events, catering facilities, or just volunterring at places like Project Angel Food here in Los Angeles. The experience they get outside of the school is so valuable and often helps them understand the learning process even more. It also helps them make a decision as to what direction they want to go. It also builds confidence along with speed and accuracy. It's a win win!
