Start Date
6-6-2013 11:05 AM
End Date
6-6-2013 12:15 PM
Description
This paper reflects the impact of service-learning in the nursing discipline at the University of the Free State (UFS) in South-Africa on students and community. Professional Nurses further their studies in the field of Nursing Education where service- learning is used as an educational tool to facilitate the implementation of global citizenship skills and mutual beneficial service-learning activities related to educational practice. As a pre-activity to developing a curriculum, nursing education (NE) students must perform a situational needs assessment in the community to ensure that the curriculum is relevant for all stakeholders. Furthermore, NE students design a lesson plan; facilitate a student-centered lesson and perform clinical demonstrations in the community as a learning environment. Sequentially, health care workers is exposed to innovative educational practices and receives an opportunity to go back to their communities and share their knowledge and skills to facilitate solutions to everyday health challenges. The research in this paper is embedded in a current research project at the UFS, funded by the National Research Foundation. The research question that is dealt with is: “How can Higher Education Institutions (HEI) and the community sector establish long-term, research-based collaborative engagements that will be mutually empowering and enabling through joint, reciprocal knowledge-based activities and capacity building.” This empirical research investigates the empowering developmental effect of applied knowledge on students and community partners involved in the abovementioned service-learning endeavour. Data gathering took place before, during and after the course implementation. A variety of techniques were used to ensure rigour and triangulation of the data e.g. direct observation embedded in experience, reflective journals, questionnaires, focus group discussions and multimedia. The following quotes in an analysis of the data describe the impact on a participative service-learning student and a community member: Student: “Service learning was like psychological therapy to me.” Community member: “The knowledge and the trust you have shared with us will enrich our lives forever.” The research results were ploughed back into the programme through a summative reflection and planning session attended by all stakeholders. Success was celebrated as a final closure of the monitoring and evaluation cycle.
Recommended Citation
Venter, K. (2013, June). The service learning journey among students and communities in a triad partnership. Paper presented at the 4th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Service-Learning: Service-Learning as a Bridge from Local to Global: Connected world, Connected future, Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China.
Included in
The service learning journey among students and communities in a triad partnership
This paper reflects the impact of service-learning in the nursing discipline at the University of the Free State (UFS) in South-Africa on students and community. Professional Nurses further their studies in the field of Nursing Education where service- learning is used as an educational tool to facilitate the implementation of global citizenship skills and mutual beneficial service-learning activities related to educational practice. As a pre-activity to developing a curriculum, nursing education (NE) students must perform a situational needs assessment in the community to ensure that the curriculum is relevant for all stakeholders. Furthermore, NE students design a lesson plan; facilitate a student-centered lesson and perform clinical demonstrations in the community as a learning environment. Sequentially, health care workers is exposed to innovative educational practices and receives an opportunity to go back to their communities and share their knowledge and skills to facilitate solutions to everyday health challenges. The research in this paper is embedded in a current research project at the UFS, funded by the National Research Foundation. The research question that is dealt with is: “How can Higher Education Institutions (HEI) and the community sector establish long-term, research-based collaborative engagements that will be mutually empowering and enabling through joint, reciprocal knowledge-based activities and capacity building.” This empirical research investigates the empowering developmental effect of applied knowledge on students and community partners involved in the abovementioned service-learning endeavour. Data gathering took place before, during and after the course implementation. A variety of techniques were used to ensure rigour and triangulation of the data e.g. direct observation embedded in experience, reflective journals, questionnaires, focus group discussions and multimedia. The following quotes in an analysis of the data describe the impact on a participative service-learning student and a community member: Student: “Service learning was like psychological therapy to me.” Community member: “The knowledge and the trust you have shared with us will enrich our lives forever.” The research results were ploughed back into the programme through a summative reflection and planning session attended by all stakeholders. Success was celebrated as a final closure of the monitoring and evaluation cycle.