Service-learning: A survey of experiences in Spain

Abstract

<jats:p> Service-learning is a teaching methodology that promotes students’ learning through active participation in experiences of community service. This methodology allows students to engage directly with those to whom it offers a needs- and context-adapted service, very often outside the classroom. While there are numerous projects that follow the service-learning methodology, surveys of experiences carried out at higher education level remain scarce. We performed a survey study with 424 undergraduate students participating in service-learning projects in order to identify the type and level of student participation, the skills and competences acquired; the characteristics of services provided; and the levels of satisfaction of students taking part. We found that the students had a positive perception of the effects of their participation; that the skills and competences developed were primarily teamwork, ethical commitment, adapting to new situations and problem-solving; and that the usefulness of the service was mainly in moral development and commitment. </jats:p>

Design and Validation of a Questionnaire for University Students’ Generic Competencies (COMGAU)

“…As Tejada (2013) stated, the development of competencies means a close collaboration between what the individual brings to the work process and what the educational institution can provide for development of competencies (for example, time and space to reflect, the chance to take on appropriate levels of responsibility, etc.). Consequently, it is necessary to have criteria, evidence, and validated evaluation instruments that allow us to measure the acquisition of generic competencies that university students gain (Tobón et al, 2010) and their potential employability from the practical educational approach of service-learning (Brice, 2018;Rodríguez-Izquierdo, 2018;Folgueiras et al, 2018;Mtawa et al, 2019;Mella, 2020). We consider the factorial structure of the COMGAU to have a good theoretical fit.…”

“…In this way we refer to the connection between the content of university courses and the demands of the market, to personal development, and the preparation for a future occupation, the relationship between the academic and the professional trajectories, and also to the existing links between academic reality and the reality of work. Thus, through service-learning this gap between graduates' skills and the demands of a competitive and changing world can be shrunk (Salgado et al, 2012;Brice, 2018;Rodríguez-Izquierdo, 2018;Santos-Rego et al, 2018;Folgueiras et al, 2018;Mtawa et al, 2019;Mella, 2020).…”

“…In addition to purely academic skills, service-learning develops students' social awareness and active citizenship (Bringle and Clayton, 2012;Mayor-Paredes, 2019;Opazo et al, 2019) along with socio-relational skills such as empathy, managing groups, resilience, and solidarity (Whitley et al, 2017;An and Decker, 2019;Calvo et al, 2019). In terms of professional skills, Folgueiras et al (2018) showed that students acquired numerous generic competencies through service-learning, particularly working in teams, ethical commitment, adaptability to new situations, and problem solving. Similarly Naval and Arbués (2016) confirmed the positive effect of service-learning on the development of generic competencies including professional communication skills, leadership and motivation, working in teams, project management, techniques for beginning work and professional development, negotiation skills, decision-making and problemsolving, dealing with customers, initiative, creativity, and change management.…”

Hypervalent Iodine Reagents by Anodic Oxidation: A Powerful Green Synthesis

“…Using an electrochemical microreactor, [49][50][51][52][53] Wirth et al [54] developedaflow protocol for the synthesis of diaryliodonium salts. The microreactor consists of two platinum electrodes separated by at hin (250 mm) fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) foil containing ac hannel of 23 mLv olume( Figure 1).…”

Service Learning with a Gender Perspective: Reconnecting Service Learning with Feminist Research and Pedagogy in Sociology

“…The first university network around SL was recently created, in 2010 (Batlle 2014). Only recently has it been institutionalized and booming in Spanish universities, as a development of teaching and learning innovation together with an emphasis on social responsibility of the universities (Opazo, Aramburuzabala, and Cerillo 2016;Folgueiras et al 2020). Even though there are 76 993465T SOXXX10.…”