Redefining Service-Learning for the Purpose of Social Change Within Education

Quality of Life in Asia

2022

Service-learning integrates experiential learning with community service, yet its community impacts have not been systematically studied. This may reflect the lack of a conceptual model for impact assessment, and failure to investigate the end-beneficiary's perspective. This study proposes a tripartite model, in which the community impact of service-learning is analyzed from three perspectives: that of the community partner, the end-beneficiary, and the service-learning intervention itself. The model identifies three impact domains salient for the community partner: the level of capacity for service; goals and value achieved; and new knowledge and insights gained. For impact domains salient for the end-beneficiary, the model utilises the needs fulfilment matrix developed by Max-Neef (1991), along with the concept of quality of life. It is argued that the model can accommodate the community impact generated from the community partner, the end-beneficiary and their interactions.

Section: Limited Prior Research Into Community Impact and Obstacles T...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing Community Impact After Service-Learning: A Conceptual Framework

Snell

Quality of Life in Asia

2022

“…Given that service-learning is "a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and development" (Jacoby, 1996, p. 5), its success also relies on the involvement of the community and CPOs. While a large body of research studies has accumulated to document the student developmental outcomes of servicelearning (see Snell & Lau, 2020), investigating its community impact remains limited (Cruz & Giles, 2000;Farahmandpour & Shodjaee-Zrudlo, 2015;Sandy & Holland, 2006). This phenomenon can be attributed to several factors, including inattention among academia, diversity of and lack of consensus about definitions of community impact, operational difficulties regarding data collection, and the multiplicity of confounding variables.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of the Community Impact Feedback Questionnaire for Service-Learning: A Delphi Study

Snell²

2023

MUJ

Community impacts of service-learning have gone largely unexamined by researchers, partly because of the absence of a well-established feedback tool. This study is a step toward filling this research gap by developing and validating the Community Impact Feedback Questionnaire (CIFQ) as a means for collecting feedback from partner organization representatives (PORs) on the impacts of particular service-learning projects on community partner organizations (CPOs) and, where applicable, end-beneficiaries. The CIFQ contains items about three categories of impact on CPOs, corresponding to a conceptual model developed by Snell & Lau (2022). These are: a) achieving project goals to further the CPO’s mission; b) augmenting resources of the CPO; and c) acquiring knowledge, insights, ideas, and techniques.There are also items on impacts for end-beneficiaries, overall impact evaluations, and future engagement. The CIFQ was validated with the Delphi method by inviting 16 practitioner panelists, mainly from CPOs, with prior involvement in service-learning. Three Delphi survey rounds helped refine the CIFQ as a tool for capturing the community impacts on CPOs and end beneficiaries arising from service-learning. Possible reasons for controversy and non-retention are discussed.

“…However, the impact of service-learning on the community, an equally important stakeholder of this pedagogy, has received much less attention. More than 20 years ago, Giles & Eyler (1998) identified the community impact of service-learning as one of the "top ten unanswered questions in service-learning research" and until recently the relative neglect of this question was still being criticized (e.g., Farahmandpour & Shodjaee-Zrudlo, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Exploratory Study of the Community Impacts of Service-Learning

Chan

Yeung

et al. 2021

MUJ

Research on community impacts from service-learning has been scarce, yet this area is worth exploring in order to understand how and why service-learning can make a difference. The current research sought to validate a conceptual framework (Lau & Snell, 2020), which categorizes the impacts of service-learning on community partner organizations (CPOs) and on end-beneficiaries. Under the framework, impacts on end-beneficiaries can arise directly from service-learning interventions, but can also arise indirectly as a result of impacts on CPOs. For the research, semi-structured, one-to-one or focus group interviews were conducted with 13 CPO representatives, seeking their perceptions of positive and negative impacts of service-learning. Most described impacts were positive, including, for CPOs: achieving project goals to further the CPO’s mission; augmenting resources of the CPO; and gaining knowledge, insights, ideas and techniques. These positive impacts for CPOs appear to reflect three factors: alignment between service-learning project goals and the CPO’s mission; mutual recognition of students’ potential for transferring knowledge from universities to CPOs; and mutual understanding of students’ status as semi-outsiders, free to challenge existing practices or systems. Further studies can explore impacts from the end-beneficiary's perspective, and adopt longitudinal and action research approaches.