Abstract:
Academic service-learning, different from internships, volunteer activities, or social practice, intends to bridge the gap among abstract theoretical knowledge, life and the social world. Both academic learning and service actions enhance each other in the end. Academic service-learning has begun to take shape in some countries and regions, such as the U.S., Great Britain and Taiwan; however, teaching practices and research about effective design and teaching strategies remain underdeveloped in Hong Kong. Nonetheless, in recent years, more and more Hong Kong post-secondary institutions have started introducing service-learning components into their academic programmes and courses. During 2008-09, for instance, HKIEd offered three pilot academic service-learning courses in the general education domain.
In order to promote academic service-learning at HKIEd, the project team attempted establishment of a database and resource bank on local and Asian countries’ practices and current research on academic service-learning courses. The purpose of this database, developed through a literature review, was to develop resources for teaching practice in courses that incorporate service-learning components, inform the organization of a series of service-learning related faculty development at HKIEd, and identify research themes and future research directions on academic service-learning in the Hong Kong context.
The project not only aligned with the Institute’s encouragement of “students ‘ whole person development and holistic learning”, “students’ social and intellectual engagement”, and their “caring for the community and humanity,” but also represented a timely endeavor in the face of the curriculum development in Kindergarten, primary and secondary education in Hong Kong.
In short, the project is expected to provide a comprehensive review of practice and research in the field of academic service-learning. This undoubtedly would benefit the teaching and research of our colleagues and students in the future.
Code:
T0076
Principal Project Supervisors:
Subjects:
Start Date:
08 Feb 2010
End Date:
07 Apr 2011
Status:
Completed
Result:
The project made three major achievements:
1. Identify teaching practice of service learning in the South and East Asia including
Service-learning in Taiwan Universities,
Service learning in Hong Kong higher education institution,
The University Service-Learning case in Singapore.
2. Categorize and conceptualize service learning experience in the South and East Asia in five categories:
Service learning combines with discipline studies
Service learning in welfare relevant disciplines
General education course with the input of service-learning elements
Service oriented courses
Overseas service learning with the enhancement of multi-cultural experience
3. Perspectives of service learning programs in the South and East Asia
Impact:
The effectiveness of the project could be examined from four aspects, a website as resources and reference for faculties’ teaching, materials to be used to promote student experiential learning, resources for primary and secondary teachers, and research directions in service learning.
The results and findings from the project would provide good teaching resource and reference for faculties. The project results show a plenty of exemplars in various disciplines to echo the teaching and administration issues above, which are good reference for faculties to think of the design of a service learning course as well as to consider the strategies of developing service learning within a specific institution. At the programme level, the categorisation of service learning programmes provides a good reference for a variety of stakeholders to develop relevant service learning programmes.
Deliverables:
Xu, H. X. (2011, June). Comprehensive and critical review of the service learning program. Paper presented C&I annual departmental conference, The Hong Kong Institute of Education.
Xu, H. X. (2010, Dec). Reciprocity between student learning and community being served--A study on the impacts of service learning pedagogy at a teacher education institution. Paper presented at the 2nd East Asian International Conference on teacher Education Research, The Hong Kong Institute of Education.
Xu, H. X. (2010, Oct). Cognitive learning outcomes of service learning courses and program characteristics that matter. Paper presentation at the 10th International Research Conference on Service Learning and Community Engagement, Indianapolis.
A seminar on “Service learning curriculum development in the South and East Asian counties” by Dr H. X. Xu at the Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School in September 2011.
A seminar on “The perspective and Design of Service Learning” at the Hong Kong Institute of Education in September 2011.
Service learning in the East Asia. (2011). Retrieved November 14, 2012, from http://slea.mobi/https://repository.eduhk.hk/en/publications/42539205-218e-4d64-8163-295a...
Financial Year:
2009-10
Type:
TDG