Service-learning to foster microenterprise development in Mexico

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Mungaray-Lagarda ◽  
Germán Osorio-Novela ◽  
Natanael Ramírez-Angulo
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
State Government ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Baja California ◽  
Business Development ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Learning Program ◽  
Business Economics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Use Of Resources

PurposeThis paper presents a university service-learning program as an innovative model of assistance to deliver business development services to Mexican microenterprises.Design/methodology/approachThe main objectives were to deliver business development services in situ at no cost to unprivileged enterprises, conduct research on microenterprises development and build up a service-learning model of teaching and learning for students in the field of economics and surrounding disciplines. It was implemented by the Autonomous University of Baja California. It plays an important role in providing real cases and concepts on business, economics, markets and fiscal regulations. The service-learning approach prepare to students to be generous, selfless, problem solvers and job creators.FindingsThe experience demonstrates that program can play a key role, both in supporting disadvantaged microenterprises and in providing meaningful learning experiences to students. The program has shown its ability to take advantage of institutional, human and financial resources already released to higher educations institutions (HEI) and government, to support social business extensively, as to make less critical the use of resources in the form of subsidies.Originality/valueThis program was employed by the Mexican State Government of Baja California as a compensatory public policy against the unemployment burden created by the global crisis between 2009 and 2013. About ten thousand individuals pushed to necessity-driven entrepreneurship or informal social enterprises were assisted, trained and formalized in the tax authority by 700 university senior students.

PENGUATAN KAPASITAS WIRAUSAHAWAN MIKRO MENGGUNAKAN METODE PENDAMPINGAN DI DESA MEKARGALIH, KECAMATAN JATINANGOR, KABUPATEN SUMEDANG

Dharmakarya ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
RUDI Saprudin DARWIS
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Business Development ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Learning Program ◽  
Student Service

ABSTRACTWeaknesses that are still commonly found in the businesses carried out by MSME entrepreneurs are the weakness of business accounting and packaging. Small scale business with limited marketing is seen as not requiring bookkeeping in its management and does not require packaging that is too good. This is the basis for the need for assistance to improve the capacity of MSME actors. Improving the capacity of MSME actors individually is done using the mentoring method. The choice to use a mentoring method to increase business productivity. Assistance was carried out with students of SMEs during the student service-learning program in Mekargalih Village, Jatinangor District, Sumedang Regency. Bookkeeping assistance is carried out by students by carrying out bookkeeping practices together so that the community can continue to learn good bookkeeping methods. Likewise, assistance in improving the quality of shredded chili packaging. Students help SMEs in designing packaging that will be used on their products. The assistance process is considered effective in supporting the business development of MSME entrepreneurs because the process can be carried out intensively. ABSTRAKKelemahan yang masih banyak ditemui pada usaha-usaha yang dilakukan pelaku UMKM adalah lemahnya pembukuan usaha dan pengemasannya. Skala usaha yang kecil dengan pemasaran yang terbatas dipandang tidak memerlukan pembukuan dalam pengelolaanya serta tidak memerlukan pengemasan yang terlalu bagus. Hal ini menjadi dasar perlunya dilakukan pendampingan untuk meningkatkan kapasitas pelaku UMKM. Peningkatan kapasitas pelaku UMKM secara perorangan dilakukan dengan menggunakan metode pendampingan. Pilihan untuk menggunakan metode pendampingan dalam meningkatkan produktivitas usahanya. Pendampingan dilakukan bersama mahasiswa terhadap pelaku UMKM selama pelaksanaan KKN mahasiswa di Desa Mekargalih, Kecamatan Jatinangor, Kabupaten Sumedang. Pendampingan pembukuan dilakukan mahasiswa dengan cara melakukan praktik pembukuan bersama-sama sehingga masyarakat bisa terus mempelajari cara pembukuan yang baik. Demikian juga dengan pendampingan dalam peningkatan mutu kualitas kemasan abon cabe. Mahasiswa membantu pelaku UMKM dalam merancang kemasan yang akan digunakan pada produknya. Proses pendampingan dinilai efektif dalam mendukung pengembangan usaha pelaku UMKM karena proses bisa dilakukan secara intensif.

scholarly journals Reflections on a bilingual peer assisted learning program

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 284-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Cui ◽  
Tairan Kevin Huang ◽  
Corinne Cortese ◽  
Matthew Pepper
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
International Student ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learning Program ◽  
Peer Assisted Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bilingual Teaching ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
High Level

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and evaluate faculty and academic staff perceptions, experiences and expectations with respect to a voluntary, bilingual peer assisted learning (PAL) program, which operates for the benefit of students studying in the Faculty of Business at a regional Australian University. Design/methodology/approach – A survey instrument and semi-structured interviews were used to faculty executive and academic staff in order to collect information about the perceived benefits of the program and identify opportunities for improvement. Findings – Based on an analysis of student results, the bilingual PAL program is shown to have a positive effect on performance of students participating in the program. Results from interviews with executive and academic staff indicate a high level of support for this type of student learning program. Originality/value – Although the value of both bilingual teaching and PAL has been explored in the teaching and learning literature, few studies have examined the integration of these two approaches. This research contributes to the literature by exploring the practical contribution of integrating these approaches. This research also provides valuable information regarding executive and academic perceptions of PAL programs, which is infrequently addressed in the literature. Findings may be used to inform institutions of the value of bilingual PAL programs in relation to international student retention and learning support and provide a starting point for discussions around the practical implications of such programs.

Seeing Beyond: Visual Approaches in Global Learning

2010 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 45-48
Author(s):  
Hilary Kahn
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Visual Methods ◽  
Social Critique ◽  
Global Learning ◽  
Global Awareness ◽  
Learning Program ◽  
International Service Learning ◽  
International Service ◽  
Global Understanding

Visual methods and theories are no longer only relevant to filmmakers, media critics, photographers, communication researchers, and self-identified visual anthropologists. Increasing numbers of people acknowledge the broader role that visual approaches play within fieldwork, research, social critique, and cultural representation (Pink 2006). Fewer, however, consider the significance of the visual in teaching and learning, and how visual approaches allow us to teach what culture and global awareness really is. Whether in a classroom on a US campus or during an international service-learning program in Jamaica, visual frameworks guide students to trace linkages and challenge constructs and, thus, provide the competencies necessary for cultural and global understanding.

Improving international students’ understanding of local culture and financial institutions

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonnie Buchanan
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Learning Program ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Learning ◽  
The Global Financial Crisis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a case study of a service learning project focusing on financial literacy. In response to the global financial crisis there has been increasing emphasis on improving financial literacy skills and education. In this paper, the author argues for service learning as a means of integrating the finance curricula with real-world applications. Design/methodology/approach – Initially, the author surveys the growing importance of a financial literacy education as well as integrating service learning with a business education. The author then describes the implementation of a service-learning program at a private university that provides financial literacy workshops to community partners. Findings – The paper concludes with a discussion of the effectiveness of the financial literacy workshops and reflections of the service-learning experience. Research limitations/implications – It is an opportunity for learning among culturally diverse groups and has also helped international students become more culturally involved on campus. Practical implications – The undergraduate service-learning program is placed in an intermediate finance class. It is also an opportunity for cultural and financial institutional learning among international students. Social implications – Given the diversity of community service partners in this project, the service-learning experience has become an opportunity to teach all students on international cultural differences and social justice themes. Originality/value – This is one of the few pedagogical examples in financial literacy with an international dimension.

Impacting resilience and persistence in underrepresented populations through service-learning

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 174-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kisha N. Daniels ◽  
Katrina Yvette Billingsley ◽  
Janelle Billingsley ◽  
Yolonda Long ◽  
Deja Young
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Underserved Populations ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Civic Responsibility ◽  
Minority Population ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Learning Pedagogy

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to share the research on the use of service-learning pedagogy as a strategy to promote engaged learning that positively impacts resilience. It purports that although often overlooked as a teaching and learning strategy, service-learning offers a viable method for supporting persistence and resiliency in largely minority population. Design/methodology/approach – The research utilizes data from both quantitative and qualitative measures (surveys/questionnaires and open ended responses collected from focus groups). The data were collected over 15 months from undergraduate students who represent 5 different content areas (nursing, public health, psychology, nutrition and physical education). Findings – The data revealed that students positively favor service-learning pedagogy and value the tenets of civic responsibility and social justice. These outcomes contribute to a positive impact on persistence and resiliency. Research limitations/implications – This research highlights the findings from a small group of students enrolled in a specialized program, therefore may lack generalizability. Future research should replicate the study on a larger scale. Practical implications – This paper includes both theoretical foundational knowledge and practical applications to support faculty teaching and learning. Additionally, it seeks to support and increase understanding of strategies that positively impact persistence and resilience constructs. Social implications – The social implications of this research reflect an understanding of the inherent needs of students from underrepresented and/or underserved populations. Originality/value – This paper fills a void in the literature at the higher education level, by offering specific strategies, which focus on methods to support resilience through increased student engagement, civic responsibility and critical thinking. Additionally, historically black colleges and universities are among the least empirically examined institutions in American higher education.

scholarly journals Students service learning experiencies in Mexican Microenterprises

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Germán Osorio-Novela ◽  
Alejandro Mungaray-Lagarda ◽  
Natanael Ramírez-Angulo
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Baja California ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Small Enterprises ◽  
Compensatory Mechanism ◽  
Learning Program ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
Growth Prospects ◽  
Senior Students

This paper presents an experience of a service learning program in underprivileged Microenterprises. It shares the experience of Program for Research, Assistance and Teaching of Small Enterprises, an innovative model of assistance to deliver Business Development Services to low value added Microenterprises, including technical assistance and training with the participation of senior students, which act as advisers to the Microenterprises, implemented in the State of Baja California, Mexico, by The Autonomous University of Baja California. This program was propused as compensatory mechanism for the unemployment burden created by the low growth prospects. From 2009 to 2016, with about 1,500 students, the program has assisted, trained, and formalized in the tax institution about 11,300 individuals running microenterprises, which in addition, most of them have become subject to and has been given financial support by the goverment. The paper suggests that service learning programs with the participation of college students can play an important role both in supporting disadvantaged microenterprises and in providing meaningful learning experiences to students.

Competencies which shape leadership

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 514-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Delia Davila Quintana ◽  
Jose-Gines Mora Ruiz ◽  
Luis E. Vila
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Competency Development ◽  
Business Economics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Graduate Survey ◽  
Leadership Behaviour ◽  
Specific Competency

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse three dimensions of leadership behaviour in professional environments by disclosing the specific competency profile developed by those who actually lead in work organizations. Design/methodology/approach – Using data from a graduate survey oriented to provide evidence on the transition from higher education to labour market, a structural equations model (SEM) is specified and estimated to explain leadership behaviour at work in terms of the competency profile developed by individuals and its determinants. The competency profile behind leadership behaviour is the combination of two elements: the competency accumulated through professional experience and the competency profile of individuals five years before, which was partially a result of higher education. The relationships are tested on two subsamples of graduates from engineering and business/economics fields, and on a sample of graduates from all study fields. Findings – Estimates show evidence of significant direct and indirect effects of a specific competency profile on three connected dimensions of leadership behaviour at work: tasks, relations and change. The results show direct effects of competency profiles at the time of graduation on competency profiles five years later, and of specific higher education ways of teaching and learning on competency profiles at the time of graduation. The effects are also significant by field of study with slight differences on estimates size and on the composition of effects. Originality/value – The analysis brings together leadership behaviour, competency development and education production literatures to help scholars and managers to better understand the relationships between the process of competency development and individual leadership behaviour in working environments.

Understanding How Students Learn: Preparing Students to Become Professionals

2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-23
Author(s):  
Lizbeth Curme Stevens
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Communication Disorders ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Graduate Courses ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Community Partners ◽  
Scholarship Of Teaching ◽  
Academic Service Learning

Abstract The intent of this article is to share my research endeavors in order to raise awareness of issues relative to what and how we teach as a means to spark interest in applying the scholarship of teaching and learning to what we do as faculty in communication sciences and disorders (CSD). My own interest in teaching and learning emerged rather abruptly after I introduced academic service-learning (AS-L) into one of my graduate courses (Stevens, 2002). To better prepare students to enter our profession, I have provided them with unique learning opportunities working with various community partners including both speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and teachers who supported persons with severe communication disorders.

Community Involvement and Benefits From an International Service Learning Program

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (7) ◽  
pp. 5-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lata A. Krishnan ◽  
Christi Masters ◽  
Jennifer M. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Learning Program ◽  
Short Term ◽  
International Service Learning ◽  
International Service ◽  
Short Term Study ◽  
Service Activities ◽  
Study Abroad Program

Service learning (SL) is a form of experiential learning in which students are involved in community service activities that are related to academic course objectives. A key aspect that separates SL from other forms of experiential learning is the mutually beneficial nature of the service activities. Much of the SL and international SL (ISL) literature has focused on positive learning outcomes for students, with much less focus on the benefits of SL to the community. Speech, Language, and Hearing Services (SLHS) in Zambia is an intensive SL short-term study abroad program. This paper describes the benefits to the community via the SLHS in Zambia program.

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