Raiza RIFAAIE1,2, Qin Ying SIM1,2, Chin Yee TAN1,2, Hui Ting WANG1,2, Yvette SEOW1,3*, Hui Bin CAI1,3, Valerie CHUA1,3, Liren ZHENG1
1Department of Social Work, National University of Singapore
2GEN2050 Team
3GEN2062 Team
Seow, Y., Rifaaie, R., Sim, Q. Y., Wang, H. T., Cai. H. B., Chua, V., & Zheng, L. (2024). From classrooms to community: The role of tutors in facilitating experiential learning in service-learning courses [Poster presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-yseow-et-al/
SUB-THEME
Opportunities from Engaging Communities
KEYWORDS
Service-learning, general education, communities, volunteering, social services
CATEGORY
Poster Presentation
EXTENDED ABSTRACT
The National University of Singapore installed “Communities and Engagement” (C&E) as its sixth Common Curriculum Pillar in 2021, integrating service-work and learning to cultivate student engagement with broader societal issues through volunteer action. This is supported by structured training and guided reflexive learning facilitated by Course Tutors. In this paper, we discuss a key pedagogical innovation – Tutor on-site observation and feedback – that have tested to successfully deliver service-learning on scale for two activity-based year-long courses, GEN2050 Teach SG and GEN2062 Community Activities for Seniors with SG Cares. These courses are conducted in collaboration with the Uplift Programme Office of the Ministry of Education, Singapore, and with SG Cares Office of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth respectively.
As part of course requirements, undergraduate students collaborate in teams of 6 to 8 to undertake about 60-80 hours of coordinated volunteer work with community partners, comprising primarily of MOE schools for GEN2050, and Active Ageing Centres (AACs) for GEN2062. In GEN2050, student teams mentor groups of 15-20 primary or secondary school students in after-school programmes for 2 to 3 hours weekly over 2 consecutive MOE school terms (20 weeks), before handing over to the next cohort of student mentors to provide continuity in support to schools. The undergraduate students provide academic support, mentorship care, and organise enrichment activities such as learning journeys for underserved children and youth. In GEN2062, student teams plan and conduct activities to engage seniors at AACs, for 3 hours weekly over a period of 5 months, before handing over to the next cohort of students. The undergraduate students promote healthy ageing-in-place through activities that stimulate cognitive and mobility functions, leveraging on a natural intergenerational bonding. This encourages seniors to gather and bond within their community, combating social isolation.
The Pilot Phase for GEN2050 was conducted with 170 students over two semesters in AY2022, for GEN2062 with 156 students over Semester 2 in AY2022 and Semester 1 in AY2023. Feedback from community stakeholders and students were found to be strongly positive. The courses have now been fully launched with a capacity of 350 students per semester for GEN2050 and 530 students per semester for GEN2062, with Course Tutor teams seeking continual refinement of teaching pedagogies to facilitate reflexive learning meaningfully. In both courses, quantitative and qualitative evaluation feedback have revealed the overriding importance of Tutor on-site observation and feedback to the overall experiential learning of students. On-site observations and accompanying feedback sessions complement the structured training underpinned by Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle delivered through a blended learning format comprising online lecture videos, tutorial discussions, and personal reflection assignments. They also enhance the close support and coordination offered to students through messaging platforms.
This also accords with Tutor impact assessments. On-site observation and feedback provide students with opportunities for prompt peer-to-peer learning as they reflect on challenges and reflections collectively with their experiences fresh in their minds and allows tutors the opportunity to provide tailored guidance to shape team dynamics, attitude and behaviour before these become concretised. On-the-spot debrief sessions also facilitate timely, context-specific reflexive learning where students draw connections between their service-learning experiences with broader social issues, fostering empathy and personal effectiveness more effectively than delayed feedback or reflections. A key challenge with this approach is the high intensity of planning and tutor resources required. An optimum seems possible: to stagger the service-work of different teams to provide sufficient time of on-site observations of the first two sessions of each team, followed by a mid-to-end session for review and consolidation of learning lessons.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The GEN2050 and GEN2062 Tutor Teams are presently hosted by the Undergraduate Education Unit of the Office of the Provost, NUS. We acknowledge the support and guidance of Ms ONG Mui Hong, Director of Operations & Planning (PVO), and Prof Peter Ho, Vice Provost (UG & TEL). We also acknowledge the support and guidance of A/P Esther GOH, Dr Alex LEE, and A/P LEE Geok Ling.
REFERENCES
Bringle, R.G., & Hatcher, J.A. (1995). A service-learning curriculum for faculty. Michigan Journal of Community Service-Learning, 2(1).
Communities and Engagement Pillar. (n.d.). Retrieved August 15, 2024, from https://www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/academic-information-policies/undergraduate-students/general-education/communities-and-engagement-pillar
Kolb, D. A. (2014). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. FT press.
Werner, C. M., & McVaugh, N. (2000). Service-learning “rules” that encourage or discourage long-term service implications for practice and research. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 7(1).