A Hong Kong University first: Establishing service-learning as an academic credit-bearing subject

Abstract

Service-learning, where university students are trained to serve or educate the less able for a defined number of voluntary work hours and where the service experience is relevant to the course into which the service is integrated, can be an effective means of community engagement. Many universities in the US have factored in a term for credit-bearing service-learning courses, so that students are oriented to developing a service mentality and nurturing a ‘giving culture’ on campus. In the Asia Pacific region, Lingnan University, with its liberal arts ethos, is the first university in Hong Kong to use service-learning as a vehicle for knowledge transfer between university and community. The first service-learning program was offered by the Faculty of Social Sciences in 2004 as an optional learning experience, and the university is now moving towards making service-learning a graduation requirement that bears academic credits. Service-learning is currently integrated in the majority of disciplines of the university, as part of the undergraduate program. 
 
 In addition to detailing the history, development and operation of the service-learning program, this article discusses the lessons learned in the institutionalisation of service-learning, as well as the way forward for service-learning in higher education in Hong Kong.
 
 Keywords: service-learning, knowledge transfer, whole-person education, experiential education, higher education, campus-community partnerships

The Role of International Service-Learning in Facilitating Undergraduate Students’ Self-Exploration

“…At Hong Kong higher education institutions there has been a considerable increase in the provision of service learning programmes, some of which send students to overseas communities exposing them to a variety of ISL situations (Ma, Chan, & Chan, 2013). The growing attention to service learning is a response to Hong Kong's recent undergraduate curriculum reform aimming to nurture students' all-round capabilities and sense of social responsibilities (University Grants Committee, 2004).…”

Becoming productive 21stcentury citizens: A systematic review uncovering design principles for integrating community service learning into higher education courses

“…As explained above, we assessed the studies using the CASP. Of the original 31 studies, 16 studies met four out of ten quality criteria (Brundiers, Wiek, and Redman 2010;Cloete and Erasmus 2012;Ebacher 2013;Hondagneu-Sotelo and Raskoff 1994;Hydorn 2007;Kincade and Gibson 2012;Ma and Chan 2013;Mumford and Kane 2006;Musa et al 2017;Sánchez-López 2013;Shannon, Kim, and Robinson 2012;Stoecker et al 2010; Trudeau and Kruse 2014; Volkema 2010;Werner et al 2002;Zollinger et al 2009); seven studies met five quality criteria (Campbell 2012;Karasik, Maddox, and Wallingford 2004;Klink and Athaide 2004;Marx and Miller 2008;Murawski, Murawski, and Wilson 1999;Roman 2015;Whitley and Walsh 2014); and six studies (Allison 2008;Bringle and Hatcher 1995;Bringle 2017;Playford et al 2017;Straus and Eckenrode 2014;Welch 2010) met three criteria. Two studies appeared to have the highest quality, with one study meeting seven quality criteria (Maddrell 2014) and another meeting six (Wei, Siow, and Burley 2007).…”

Conceptual Framework for Assessing Process Variables Salient for Service-Learning Experience

“…A broad range of intended developmental outcomes for students have been invoked. For example, Lingnan University's service-learning programme aims to enhance seven graduate attributes, including problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills and social competency (Ma & Chan, 2013). The Hong Kong Polytechnic University launched its service-learning programme in 2010 to facilitate four developmental outcomes: a) knowledge and skill application; b) empathy, civic engagement and responsibility; c) becoming professional and responsible citizens; and d) connecting between the academic content and the need of society (Chan & Ngai, 2014).…”