Service-learning

Fostering Higher Order Learning in a Core Curriculum Module at Singapore Polytechnic

cdtlsd Paper Presentations , , , , ,

Kin Guan WEE1, Stephen En Rong TAY2

1School of Mathematics and Science, Singapore Polytechnic
2Department of the Built Environment, College of Design and Engineering (CDE), NUS 

wee_kin_guan@sp.edu.sg; stephen.tay@nus.edu.sg

Wee. K. G., & Tay, S. E. R. (2024). Fostering higher order learning in a core curriculum module at Singapore Polytechnic [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-kgwee-sertay/

SUB-THEME

Opportunities from Engaging Communities 

KEYWORDS

Service-learning, general education, communities, volunteering, social services 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation

 

BACKGROUND 

Singapore Polytechnic (SP) adopted interdisciplinary education through the SP Common Core Curriculum (CCC) in 2021 (SP Common Core Curriculum, n.d.). Within the SP CCC, the Data Fluency (DF) module aims to equip students with skills to employ data-handling processes. The assessments require students to demonstrate competency to use data to examine one aspect of a UN SDG (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals)1 and generate insights to support a theoretical solution to a UN SDG.  

 

The motivation to use scenario-based student-generated questions and answers (sb-SGQA) arose from the lack of understanding and application of the module content by some students even after Bigg’s Constructive Alignment (Biggs, 1996) and Michaelsen’s Team-based Learning (TBL) (Michaelsen & Sweet, 2008) framework were employed for DF in the previous academic years, evidenced by the low assessment scores in the submitted assignment CA2.  

 

The sb-SGQA pedagogy builds upon student-generated questions (SGQ) (Rosenshine et al., 1996), which leads to active engagement of higher domains in Bloom’s taxonomy (Bates et al., 2014). The positive outcomes of the sb-SGQA implementation in other university courses (Du & Tay, 2022; Tay & Liu, 2023) provided confidence for its implementation for DF in SP. 

Hence, our research questions are: 

  1. How does sb-SGQA help with students’ learning, as measured by the scores and the students’ artefacts in CA2?
  2. How do students perceive the implementation of sb-SGQA in CA2, as measured by a post-module survey questionnaire? 

 

METHODOLOGY 

In Academic Year 2024/25 Semester 1, the sb-SGQA (termed as “Data Q&A”) was implemented at the middle of the module. Students are tasked to collect data from the community and develop a dashboard in a team. Subsequently, findings are summarised in five questions and answers. A post-module survey was administered at the end of the term. After data cleaning, a sample size of 475 CA2 submissions and 16 survey responses were obtained. The study was approved by SP’s Institutional Review Board. 

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 

1. Students’ mark distribution 

A histogram of students’ CA2 mark distribution (n = 475) is illustrated in Figure 1. The distribution is slightly left-skewed, which signifies a higher mean than median mark. While a comparison with the control group was not possible due to changes in the assessment modes, an analysis of students’ artefacts revealed an improvement in the quality of assignments. 

Figure 1. Histogram of students’ CA2 mark distribution (n = 475)

 

2. Survey result 

Students perceived the implementation of sb-SGQA in the module as helpful and constructive, as evident in the positive responses (“Agree” and “Strongly Agree” options) to Questions (1), (2), and (3) (refer to Table 1). In addition, the students agreed that the skills learnt in the sb-SGQA process are transferrable for their future, as shown in Questions (4) and (5). Qualitative feedback will be discussed during the conference due to the abstract word limit. 

Table 1
Sb-SGQA survey result (n = 16, bracketed numbers indicate the percentage across the row)

 

3. Students’ artefacts 

Based on the dashboard (Figure 2), it was noted that the students were able to address questions and develop answers that incorporate thinking skills of varying orders (level 1 in Q1, level 2 in Q2 and Q3, and level 3 in Q4 and Q5 in Figure 3). Specifically, students demonstrated how the skills taught in DF were able to provide them insights into the community’s use of energy and water.

Figure 2. Student team’s Dashboard

 

Figure 3. Student team’s Data Q&A

 

CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE 

The sb-SGQA was successfully implemented in the DF module, which is part of the SP CCC. Though a comparison with a control cohort that has the same assessments was not possible, initial results were positive, indicating increased student engagement and learning in interdisciplinary subjects. Students appreciate the approach’s utility in their learning and professional development. The lack of hardware and software costs greatly aided with implementing sb-SGQA. The authors hope that this collaboration between IHLs could support and motivate similar efforts in the future. 

 

ENDNOTE

  1. The UN SDGs are 17 global goals established in 2015 to address challenges such as poverty, inequality, and climate change. Further details about the goals can be found on the official website: https://sdgs.un.org/. 

 

REFERENCES

Bates, S. P., Galloway, R. K., Riise, J., & Homer, D. (2014). Assessing the quality of a student-generated question repository. Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research, 10(2), 020105. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.10.020105  

Biggs, J. (1996). Enhancing teaching through constructive alignment. Higher Education, 32(3), 347–364. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00138871 

Du, H., & Tay, E. R. S. (2022). Using scenario-based student-generated questions to improve the learning of engineering mechanics: A case study in civil engineering. In Higher Education Campus Conference (HECC) 2022, 7-8 December, National University of Singapore.  

Michaelsen, L. K., & Sweet, M. (2008). The essential elements of team‐based learning. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2008(116), 7–27. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.330  

Palinscar, A. S., & Brown, A. L. (1984). Reciprocal teaching of comprehension-fostering and comprehension-monitoring activities. Cognition and Instruction, 1(2), 117–175. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532690xci0102_1  

Rosenshine, B., Meister, C., & Chapman, S. (1996). Teaching students to generate questions: A review of the intervention studies. Review of Educational Research, 66(2), 181–221. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543066002181  

SP Common Core Curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved 3 July 2024, from https://www.sp.edu.sg/sp/education/common-core-curriculum/about-the-ccc 

Tay, E. R. S., & Liu, M. H. (2023, 7 December 2023). Exploratory implementation of scenario-based student-generated questions for students from the humanities and sciences in a scientific inquiry course. In Higher Education Campus Conference (HECC) 2023, Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecc2023proceedings/exploratory-implementation-of-scenario-based-student-generated-questions-for-students-from-the-humanities-and-sciences-in-a-scientific-inquiry-course/ 

Engaging Communities in Sustainability

cdtlsd Paper Presentations , , , , ,

Eunice S. Q. NG 

Ridge View Residential College (RVRC)

E.Ng@nus.edu.sg 

Ng, E. S. Q. (2024). Engaging communities in sustainability [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore.  https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-esqng/ ‎

SUB-THEME

Opportunities from Engaging Communities 

KEYWORDS

Interdisciplinary education, sustainability education, environmental stewardship, service learning, experiential learning 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation

 

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

Sustainability challenges are complex global issues without straightforward solutions, which often invoke feelings of being overwhelmed and powerless within learners (Hickman, 2020; Pickering & Dale, 2024). Scholars and practitioners have recommended for sustainability educators to be aware of learners’ emotional and mental states, and recommended strategies for coping with these ecological emotions (Pihkala, 2020). Such strategies include fostering a sense of personal meaning in sustainability action, providing authentic learning experiences, and engaging in collective pro-environmental action (Olsen et al., 2024). By engaging communities in sustainability, learners can contribute meaningfully to sustainability while witnessing the impact of community participation on sustainability (Restrepo-Mieth et al., 2023). 

 

Offered at Ridge View Residential College (RVRC) in fulfilment of NUS General Education’s Communities and Engagement (CE) pillar, the course RVN2000 “Engaging Communities in Sustainability” explores the role of communities in addressing resource consumption and waste production challenges through field trips and classroom seminars. Field trips were designed to educate about Singapore’s three priority waste streams (Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, 2020) (see Table 1). As part of an assignment, students were also tasked to interview community members on a sustainability issue to understand their views and motivations towards sustainability.

Table 1 
Course Field Trips

 

These out-of-classroom activities offered students authentic learning experiences, allowing them to go beyond individual pro-environmental action to participate in collective action instead. Being part of a community invoked feelings of empowerment in sustainability, with one student reflecting that “the example of FRC demonstrated how we can initiate changes in our community by ourselves, rather than waiting for others e.g. government to step in”. 

Figure 1. Students rescued 5 tonnes of “ugly food” during a food rescue with FRC.

 

Figure 2. Students sorted through waste collected at NUS University Town’s Resource Sorting Station. 

 

Figure 3. Students observed how e-waste was sorted at ALBA’s E-waste facility in Tuas.

While field trips provided tangible examples of community participation in action, they appeared discrete and disconnected since each community had a different purpose. Hence, a key stage in the course was to actively frame students’ community engagement experiences within a broader framework of community participation. This highlighted the complementarity and contributions of various forms of community participation at the ecosystem level (Sandri, 2021). 

 

Students leveraged Rut et al. (2021)’s Ecologies of Participation framework (see Figure 4) to analyse different community participation approaches’ contributions and limitations vis-à-vis their field trip experiences. In doing so, students found deeper meaning in their out-of-classroom experiences, as evidenced in a student’s reflection that “the most memorable connection I have learnt is the power of the community. Seeing examples from case studies such as Koh Pitak as well as seeing FRC operate first-hand, I have learnt that with high social capital, a strong motivation and goal, we can achieve a lot in terms of pushing for sustainable initiatives”.

Figure 4. Ecologies of community participation in sustainability (Adapted from Rut et al. (2021)

 

By emphasising community participation beyond individual community units, students recognised the significance of having diverse, multiple forms of community participation within the broader ecosystem. Coupled with their personal experiences in engaging with communities in sustainability, students recognised their own role in addressing sustainability challenges and were empowered to be change agents for sustainability. 

 

REFERENCES

Hickman, C. (2020). We need to (find a way to) talk about … Eco-anxiety. Journal of Social Work Practice, 34(4), 411-424. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2020.1844166 

Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment. (2020, 30 July). The Resource Sustainability Act. Retrieved July 12 from https://www.mse.gov.sg/resource-room/category/2020-07-30-resource-sustainability-act/ 

Olsen, E. K., Lawson, D. F., McClain, L. R., & Plummer, J. D. (2024). Heads, hearts, and hands: A systematic review of empirical studies about eco/climate anxiety and environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 1-28.  https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2024.2315572 

Pickering, G. J., & Dale, G. (2024). The role of perceived powerlessness and other barriers to climate action. Canadian Geographies, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1111/cag.12938 

Pihkala, P. (2020). Eco-Anxiety and Environmental Education. Sustainability, 12(23), 10149. https://doi.org/10.3390/su122310149 

Restrepo-Mieth, A., Perry, J., Garnick, J., & Weisberg, M. (2023). Community-based participatory climate action. Global Sustainability, 6, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1017/sus.2023.12 

Rut, M., Davies, A. R., & Ng, H. (2021). Participating in food waste transitions: exploring surplus food redistribution in Singapore through the ecologies of participation framework. Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, 23(1), 34-47. https://doi.org/10.1080/1523908x.2020.1792859 

Sandri, O. (2021). Providing a ‘point of entry’: Approaches to framing sustainability in curriculum design in Higher Education. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 37(1), 56-68. https://doi.org/10.1017/aee.2020.19 

From Outreach to Empowerment: Cultivating University-driven Community Engagement

cdtlsd Paper Presentations , , , , ,

Julius BAUTISTA

NUS College

*bautista@nus.edu.sg

 

Bautista, J. (2024). From outreach to empowerment: Cultivating university-driven community engagement [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-jbautista/

SUB-THEME

Opportunities from Engaging Communities

 

KEYWORDS

Service-learning, community engagement, experiential learning, overseas classroom, Southeast Asia

 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation 

 

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

In the context of tertiary education, Community Engagement (CE) is defined as an inclusive approach to university teaching, research, and scholarship that prioritises the sharing of knowledge, wisdom, and resources with society at large. There are three research areas that constitute the pedagogical foundations of CE. These are (1) Service-learning (Sandaran, 2019), (2) Asset-based community development (ABCD) (Nelson et. al., 2011), and (3) Social impact analysis (Khan, 2020) (see Figure 1). Enhancing capacity in these three research areas will enable educators to build on the principle that working collaboratively with stakeholders outside the academe is the best way for us to “strengthen how we learn, deepen what we know, and have more impact on issues that matter.”

HECS2024-a57-Fig1

Figure 1. The pedagogical foundations of Community Engagement (CE).

 

Community-engaged universities are crucial to a robust economy and society because they cultivate valuable intellectual and physical resources that contribute to addressing national issues and problems. It is for this reason that the principle of CE has been identified by the Singaporean government as a key Student Development Experience. As such, community-aligned educational programs are widely implemented in various forms across the educational landscape in Singapore (NLB, 2014). At the secondary school level, CE is identified as part of students’ holistic educational development, particularly through the Values in Action (VIA) project (Ang, 2018). Similarly, most local Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL) are requiring forms of CE as a key graduation component. At NUS, a diversity of CE platforms are offered, such as the NUS College’s capstone Impact Experience (IEx) Project, or through other modules mapped on to the Communities and Engagement pillar of the NUS General Education Curriculum.


While CE is widely implemented and practiced, however, there are limited opportunities to develop such programs beyond the requirements of the school curriculum. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, the research literature, particularly in examining qualitative student and community partner experiences, is sparse and underdeveloped (Salam, et. al.. 2019; Choi et. al., 2023). There are few studies conducted on thinking about CE as comprised of the aforementioned three research areas in an integrated and interdisciplinary way, particularly in the Asia Pacific. Secondly, networking opportunities specific to CE in tertiary education are underutilised, in spite of the presence of established programs within most IHLs in the region. The most prominent pedagogy-inclined conferences in Singapore, for example the Redefining Pedagogy International Conference at the National Institute of Education, tend to be broadly conceived, thus precluding a sustained and in-depth discussion on how CE can be cultivated beyond curricular requirements. Thirdly, and most crucially, a majority of the CE platforms in institutes of higher learning (IHLs) are typically offered for a duration of one or two semesters, thereby limiting its focus to providing one-way community ‘outreach’ in the short term.


In view of these limitations, I will discuss the challenges we face in developing a robust CE infrastructure— that is, the intellectual resources, institutional policies, practices, equipment, and buildings that contribute to the facilitation of CE. Using case studies and feedback from the NUS College Impact Experience Program, I argue that overcoming these challenges will require a conceptual and operational transition from a short term “outreach” delivery framework (i.e., the academe shares expertise and practices with the public) to a reciprocal “empowerment” partnership framework (i.e., the university and its community partners co-produce solutions to societal issues in a way that adds value to existing community endeavours).

REFERENCES

Ang, J. (2018, September 18). Values in Action Program: Making lasting impact on students. The Straits Times.  https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/values-in-action-programme-making-lasting-impact-on-students-ministry-of  Accessed 19 June 2024.

Carnegie Foundation Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning (2024). The Elective Classification for Community Engagement. https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/elective-classifications/community-engagement/ Accessed 19 June 2024.

Choi, Y., Han, J. & Kim, H. (2023). “Exploring key service-learning experiences that promote students’ learning in higher education.”  Asia Pacific Education Review.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-023-09833-5

Khan, I. (2020). “Critiquing social impact assessments: Ornamentation or reality in the Bangladeshi electricity infrastructure sector?” Energy Research and Social Science (60).  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2019.101339

Nelson B., Campbell J., & Emanuel J. (2011). Development of a method for asset-based working. NHS North West.

Salam, M., Iskandar, D. N. A., Ibrahim, D. H. A., & Farooq, M. S. (2019). “Service learning in higher education: A systematic literature review” Asia Pacific Education Review, 20(4), 573–593.  https:// doi. org/ 10. 1007/ s12564- 019- 09580-6;

Sandaran, S. (2012). Service Learning: Transforming Students, Communities and Universities. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 66(7), 380-390.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.11.281

The Impact Of Service-learning Courses On Social Responsibility In Students: A Preliminary Study

cdtlsd Poster , , , , ,

1.2Kenneth CHONG, 1.2*Karyne Jie-lin TEO, 1.2HAN Qi, 1.3Anne Suet Lin CHONG, 1.3Nursafiqah SAAD, 1.3LOO Chuan-Jie, 1.4Pamela Qi Ming YEH, 1.4Carrie Jia Yu HO, 1ZHENG Liren

1Department of Social Work, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), NUS
2GEN2060 Team
3GEN2061 Team
4GEN2070 Team

* karyne@nus.edu.sg

Chong, K., Teo, K. J-L., Han, Q., Chong, A. S. L., Saad, N., Loo, C-J., Yeh, P. Q. M., Ho, C. J. Y., & Zheng, L. (2024). The impact of service-learning courses on social responsibility in students: A preliminary study [Poster presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-kchong-et-al/

SUB-THEME

Opportunities from Engaging Communities 

KEYWORDS

Service-learning, general education, communities, volunteering, social services 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation

 

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

The National University of Singapore (NUS) installed “Communities and Engagement” (C&E) as its sixth Common Curriculum Pillar in 2021, integrating service and learning to cultivate student engagement with broader societal issues through volunteer action, supported by structured training and guided reflexive learning. In this paper, we discuss the impact of three year-long C&E service-learning courses in developing social responsibility in undergraduate students.

 

The course GEN2060 “Reconnect SeniorsSG” is a partnership between NUS and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). Students serve as community befrienders for seniors facing social isolation. GEN2061 “Support Healthy AgeingSG” is also conducted in collaboration with AIC. Students are trained as Silver Generation Ambassadors to conduct Preventive Health Visits (PHVs) to check in on the well-being of seniors, as well as disseminate information on national support schemes and good practices to promote ageing-in-place. GEN2070 “Community Link (Comlink) Befrienders” is a collaboration between NUS and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). Students serve as befrienders to journey with disadvantaged families with young children through home visits and community interactions towards stability, self-reliance, and social mobility. As part of course requirements, each student undertakes 60-80 hours of coordinated service-learning work with the community partners. 

 

The Pilot Phase for these service-learning courses was conducted over two semesters in AY2022, with 181 students for GEN2060, 166 students for GEN2061, and 168 students for GEN2070 successfully completing their respective courses. Feedback from community stakeholders and students were found to be strongly positive. The courses have now been fully launched with a capacity of 600 students per semester for GEN2060, 750 students for GEN2061, and 300 students for GEN2070, with Course Tutor teams seeking to study the impact of students’ service-learning experiences in shaping their perceptions of community and self, as well as in cultivating social responsibility. 

 

Anonymised course evaluation surveys, students’ reflection papers as well as data from community partners were analysed. It was found that students expressed affective and cognitive growth from their service-learning experiences. For instance, students developed an emotional attachment to their service-recipients through the course, and grew in their empathy, recognition of their own privileges and a heightened awareness of social inequality. Students also demonstrated growth in their perspectives on the complexity of social issues, systemic barriers, and needs and resources in the community. These perspectives often lead to profound personal transformation and a sense of social responsibility. Finally, an encouraging proportion of students indicated a commitment to continue as a volunteer or be involved in other social initiatives after the course has ended. This commitment is often driven by a sense of personal agency and a belief in their ability to create change in society. 

 

These results suggest that the key learning objectives of the Communities and Engagement Pillar can be met through the service-learning courses. In addition, they provide insights for the teams to further encourage students to develop their sense of social responsibility. In the longer term, consideration can be given for the programme to be further expanded to the wider NUS population and other institutes of higher learning.

 

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 (Undergraduate Studies & Technology-enhanced Learning). We also acknowledge the support and guidance of A/P Esther GOH, Dr Alex LEE, and A/P LEE Geok Ling.

 

REFERENCES

Deeley, S.J. (2015). Critical Perspectives on Service-Learning in Higher Education. Palgrave MacMillan. 

Evans, Karen (2009). Learning, Work and Social Responsibility: Challenges for lifelong learning in a global age. Springer.  

NUS (2024). Communities and Engagement Pillar. https://www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/academic-information-policies/undergraduate-students/general-education/communities-and-engagement-pillar 

Wray-Lake, L., & Syvertsen, A. K. (2011). The developmental roots of social responsibility in childhood and adolescence. In C. A. Flanagan & B. D. Christens (Eds.), Youth civic development: Work at the cutting edge (pp. 11–25). Jossey-Bass. 

Soken-Huberty, E. (2022, October 23). What is Social Responsibility? Human Rights Careers. https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/what-is-social-responsibility/ 

From Classrooms to Community: The Role of Tutors in Facilitating Experiential Learning in Service-learning Courses 

cdtlsd Poster , , , , ,

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 

yvette@nus.edu.sg 

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). 

An Overseas Community Project in Nepal: Redesigning Student Community Engagement and the Global Learning Experience

cdtlsd Poster , , , , ,

Sheena K Singh

Centre for Life Skills
School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Temasek Polytechnic

sheena_kumari_singh@tp.edu.sg


Singh, S. (2024). An overseas community project in Nepal: Redesigning student community engagement and the global learning experience [Poster presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-sksingh/

SUB-THEME

Opportunities from Engaging Communities

KEYWORDS

Overseas community service, global competencies, service-learning, pedagogy, student development

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation 

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

Proponents of experiential global service-learning programmes have long extolled its benefits for holistic student development, global exposure, and personal growth. Yet, there remains a dearth of research on its impact on host communities and student participants. In light of the critical and broadened global issues we face today, there is also a pressing need to relook traditional models of overseas community service which often fail to instill in students the complexities of significant socio-cultural and economic divides and are typically centred in fulfilling objectives related to self. Through a mixed methods case study approach, this research aims to explore the effectiveness of an overseas community programme in Nepal which integrates structured guided reflection, reciprocity and, opportunities for community and cultural immersion in enhancing students’ global competency, social consciousness, and empathy. The study seeks to garner greater insights into the pedagogies and principles that enable an understanding and appreciation of global issues, promote global learning and add value for the community.

REFERENCES

Chan, S. C. F., Ngai, G., Yau, J. H.-Y., & Kwan, P. K. (2021). Impact of international service-learning on students’ global citizenship and intercultural effectiveness development. International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, 9(1), Article 8. https://doi.org/10.37333/001c.31305

Gegorová, A. B., Heinzová, Z., & Chovancová, K. (2016). The impact of service-learning on students’ key competencies. International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, 4(1), 367-376.

Hawes, J. K., Johnson, R., Payne, L., Ley, C., Grady, C. A., Domenech, J., Evich, C. D., Kanach, A., Koeppen, A., Roe, K., Caprio, A., Puente Castro, J., LeMaster, P., & Blatchley, E. R. (2021). Global service-learning: A systematic review of principles and practices. International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, 9(1), Article 11. https://doi.org/10.37333/001c.31383

Jones, R., Petrie, J., & Murrell, A. (2019). Developing global competency and ethical leadership in business students through global service learning. Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, 46, 91-92.

Viewing Message: 1 of 1.
 Warning

Blog.nus accounts will move to SSO login, tentatively before the start of AY24/25 Sem 2. Once implemented, only current NUS staff and students will be able to log in to Blog.nus. Public blogs remain readable to non-logged in users. (More information.)