scholarly journals Community-based Project Module: A service-learning module for the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology at the University of Pretoria

2014 ◽  
pp. 269-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Jordaan
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Physical Sciences ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
University Of Pretoria ◽  
Student Projects ◽  
The University

In 2005, the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT) at the University of Pretoria, implemented a compulsory module, the Community-based Project Module, for all its undergraduate students. The module is an eight-credit module (80 hours) that is offered on an open-ended and project-orientated basis. A large number of students are registered (±1 600 students per year) and work on more than 590 projects, with more than 400 community partners annually. The module requires students to work in the community for at least 40 hours, during which time they address a specific need in the community. They subsequently have to complete various assignments where they reflect on their experiences. Popular student projects include teaching Mathematics and Physical Sciences at secondary schools, doing renovation projects, repairing old computers for schools and non-profit organisations, and teaching basic computer skills to community members.

Dr Math

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.Botha ◽  
L. Butgereit
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Service ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Mobile Social Networking ◽  
University Of Pretoria ◽  
Math Tutoring ◽  
The University

Dr Math is an online math tutoring service hosted by the CSIR Meraka Institute in South Africa, which aims to support secondary school learners with Mathematics. The service is predominantly accessed through the mobile social networking service MXit. Since 2007, students from the Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT) at the University of Pretoria, have been assisting “Dr Math” in fulfillment of a compulsory undergraduate module, Community-Based Project. They have supported 28,000 registered users in user initiated interactions. This purpose of this paper is to describe the mobile scaffolding environment and scaffolding practices as well as the tutor support that enhance the Dr Math service as a sustained example of mobile learning.

scholarly journals Rainwater Harvesting for Campus Student Center: A Sustainable, Community-Orientated Senior Design Project

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanon Reckinger ◽  
Joseph Bocchino ◽  
Andrew Jackowitz ◽  
John Perry
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Piping System ◽  
Water Usage ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Senior Design ◽  
Drainage Line ◽  
Student Center ◽  
The University ◽  
Maintenance Plan

A team of three mechanical engineering senior undergraduate students and one faculty member designed and installed a rainwater harvesting system in the University’s student center.  After an extensive analysis of the piping system, the team was able to use existing rain leaders and piping to move all the rainwater from the third floor patio to a mechanical room located on the first level of the building.  In the mechanical room, the piping system was redesigned to route the collected water into a large storage tank.  From the tank, the rainwater was pumped into the irrigation line and used to water a large portion of the campus lawns and greenery. In addition, the system incorporated an overflow feature, a drainage line, a new pump, a flow meter to track water usage (which was previously never tracked at the University), a design where regular flushing of the system is automatic, and a maintenance plan.  The harvested rainwater could also potentially be used to fill up the University watering trucks to water the flowers, shrubs, and greenery that covers the 200-acre campus.  Students found that this community-based project opened their eyes to sustainability, the environment, and was rewarding work.  

Developing Leadership Skills and a Commitment to Civic Engagement During an Undergraduate Community-Based Service Learning Class

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 317-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim C. Graber ◽  
Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko ◽  
Jamie A. O’Connor ◽  
Jenny M. Linker
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Leadership Skills ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Carnegie Classifications ◽  
Community Data

Civic engagement and service learning opportunities provide students with unique real-world experiences they are unable to acquire in a traditional in-class setting. Students develop a commitment to the community in which they live, exposure to other populations, leadership abilities, skills to work successfully within a team, and a chance to learn from failure. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized the importance of such opportunities and has added the Community Engagement Classification to the restructured Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education. The purpose of this paper is to provide a synthesis of the literature that addresses civic engagement and service learning opportunities and to describe a university class that was designed to provide undergraduate students with a capstone service learning experience promoting wellness for older adults in the community. Data that were collected to evaluate the success of the class are also described.

A University/Community Partnership to Bridge the Digital Divide

2011 ◽  
pp. 3880-3889
Author(s):  
David David Ruppel ◽  
Cynthia Ruppel
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Life Experience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Skilled Workers ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Analysis Design ◽  
The University

A policy concern in the information age is the “digital divide,” a gap between those who have easy access to technology and those who do not. References are made to information “haves” and “have-nots” in an age where information is equivalent to wealth (Holloway, 2000). The “have-nots” are in danger of exclusion from the new economy and marginalization into low-wage jobs (Dunham, 1999). In 2000, the President of the United States asked the IT community to help close this digital divide for moral reasons and to ensure that the economy flourishes with the availability of skilled workers (Shewmake, 2000). This overview summarizes a five-phase service-learning project accomplished through a partnership between the University of Toledo and a local K-8 parochial/non-profit school. The students were primarily enrolled in a Systems Analysis, Design and Implementation course (SAD). This longitudinal project was undertaken to plan, design, and wire a network for the school and to assess and implement continuing and future computer needs. It allowed students to gain “real-life” experience while contributing to the growth of IT among children in a non-profit setting.

REACH for Health

2018 ◽  
pp. 126-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Risto Marttinen ◽  
Ray N. Fredrick III ◽  
Anthony J. Villanueva
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teacher Education Program ◽  
Educational Experiences ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Comprehensive University ◽  
Teaching Experiences ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
The University

This chapter begins by briefly introducing the background of service-learning in kinesiology and, more specifically, physical education. A push for service-learning at the university level has led to teacher education programs across the nation to implement a variety of programs to provide their students with opportunities to engage in meaningful educational experiences. The main objective of this chapter is to provide an explanation of how one regional comprehensive University in California re-imagined their teacher education program to provide undergraduate students various service-learning experiences before attending a teaching credential program. These service-learning courses provide a service to under-resourced schools in the community while providing pre-service teachers authentic learning and teaching experiences.

scholarly journals The Development of Media Activities by Undergraduate Students in Order to Promote Agricultural Tourism Community Enterprise According to the Principles of Social Service Learning and Community-Based Leaning

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 38
Author(s):  
Kuntida Thamwipat ◽  
Pornpapatsorn Princhankol ◽  
Sakesun Yampinij ◽  
Sopon Meejaleurn
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Community Based ◽  
After Action Review ◽  
Level Of Satisfaction ◽  
Addie Model ◽  
Agricultural Tourism ◽  
Tourism Community

This research was aimed to develop media activities by undergraduate students to promote agricultural tourism community enterprise according to the principles of social service learning and community-based learning, 2) to evaluate the quality of such media activities, 3) to measure the income of the community after the development of media activities, and 4) to evaluate the satisfaction and the learning achievements of the sampling group. This research was conducted in the second semester of the academic year 2016. There were 5 important phases as in 1) Survey on the concepts and the community’s demands, 2) Development of media activities according to ADDIE Model, 3) Evaluation of the quality by 9 experts and the results showed that the contents were of good quality (=4.33, SD=0.63) and that the presentation was of good quality (=4.48, SD=0.54), 4) Measurement of the income of 34 persons in the community and it showed an average income of 6000 to 12000 Baht, or 15% increase, and the satisfaction of the local shops was at the highest level (=4.66, SD=0.54), and 5) Evaluation of the satisfaction and the learning achievements of 79 undergraduate students showed that the students expressed the highest level of satisfaction (=4.70, SD=0.26). After Action Review (AAR) showed that the learning achievements were good because students gained practical knowledge and used their experience in every step of their activities.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Modifications to a Service-Learning Project Designed to Prepare Special Education Students to Be Effective Participants in Transdisciplinary Collaborations

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy Doody ◽  
Katrina Fulcher ◽  
Pamela Schueltze
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Speech Language Pathology ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Language Pathology ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Early Childhood Settings

This research study examined the impact of COVID-19 on university students’ perceptions about the effectiveness of a community-based service-learning project designed to prepare graduate students in special education and undergraduate students in psychology and speech-language pathology to work in transdisciplinary teams in early childhood settings. Students were placed into transdisciplinary teams and assigned to one of two community-based early childhood programs to administer a universal screening tool that assessed young children in several domains. The project was in its sixth year when the country stood still because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project was re-envisioned, mid-course, to provide an equitable and rigorous assignment for students who were unable to complete the original assignment due to the lockdown. Student perceptions were compared, pre and post COVID; subsequent results are discussed in alignment with the original four goals of the project. Additionally, suggestions are posed to position this service-learning assignment for remote delivery should the pandemic persist to disrupt higher education.

scholarly journals Assessment of Community-based Service Learning at the University of Lyon: an Opportunity to Rethink Public Health Education

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre LEBLANC ◽  
Pauline Occelli ◽  
Jerome Etienne ◽  
Gilles Rode ◽  
Cyrille Colin
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Public Health Education ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Students First ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Health Objectives ◽  
The University

Abstract Background. The French government set up a community-based service learning programme on health promotion for undergraduate health students to involve them in key public health objectives. At the University of Lyon, students first underwent formal instruction, including e-learning, lectures, and interactive seminars, and then became health educators for school pupils. The main objective of the present study was to assess the process of implementing this programme during the 2018-2019 academic year.Methods. Satisfaction and perception of medical and midwife students with service learning experiences were assessed by a questionnaire, semi-directive interviews, and observations.Results. Over time the students evolved from a negative perception of service learning to a positive one. Students were mostly satisfied by interactive seminars that allowed them to gain confidence and competence in health education. They felt valued by taking part in this service learning. They became more aware of their educative responsibilities on public health issues as future professionals.Conclusions. Students had a positive perception of the implementation of a community-based service learning programme in our University, as it seems a good way to raise their awareness of prevention and health education issues.

scholarly journals Hybrid Virtual- and Field Work-based Service Learning with Green Information Technology and Systems Projects

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 44-59
Author(s):  
Kadra Branker ◽  
Jacqueline Corbett ◽  
Jane Webster ◽  
Joshua M. Pearce
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Real Field ◽  
Community Group ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
On Line ◽  
Energy Audits ◽  
Green Information Technology ◽  
Information Technology And Systems

Traditional engineering service learning (SL) projects can be classified as: 1) collaborations with a community group or non-profit organization to provide specific engineering around a community need, or 2) an internship-like experience with industry to address work requested by a client. The limitation of both traditional SL approaches is that they do not prepare students to implement unprescribed projects. In contrast, here students chose both the project and the partner for a self-directed engineering SL experience. This paper presents the findings of this novel pedagogical exercise in which students acted as change agents for industry by implementing unsolicited energy conservation measures (ECMs) focused on green information technology and systems (IT/S), in order to improve organizations’ environmental and economic performance. The hybrid SL projects had both ‘virtual’ and ‘real’ (field-work) SL components. For the virtual component, student teams developed and published on-line, open-source ECM calculators. For the field-work component, the teams self-selected industry clients and performed IT/S energy audits. Applicable ECMs were then selected and tailored, forming the basis of recommendations to the organizations. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of such hybrid engineering SL projects.

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