Transcript for Podcast on What is Service-Learning?

Service-Learning as a teaching and learning strategy is gaining momentum in universities

across South Africa because of its documented benefits for students, academic staff,
universities and communities. More specifically, service-learning promotes the
development of cognitive complexity, citizenship skills, social responsibility, active and
engaged learning, while also responding to the pressing needs and burning issues of the
broader society.

According to the authors in the book: SL in the curriculum. A resource for HEI in SA,
Service-Learning is a module-based, credit-bearing experiential educational approach
involving learning activities in which students —
• participate in contextualised, well-structured and organised service activities aimed at
addressing identified service needs in a community, and
• through structured reflection, students examine and analyse their service
experiences critically in order to gain a deeper understanding of the linkage between
curriculum content and service, as well as achieve personal growth and a sense of
social responsibility.

As a philosophy of education, Service-Learning reflects the beliefs

that education must be linked to social responsibility;
the most effective learning takes place when it is active and experiential and providing
opportunities for students to reflect critically on their experiences.

Essential elements of service-learning are:

it is integrated in the curriculum
Enhance academic learning;
Relevant and meaningful service with the community;
Structured opportunities for reflection. and
Purposeful civic learning (social responsibility);

Thus, Service-Learning links academic study to community service through structured

reflection; it engages students in responsible and challenging community service; and it
provides structured opportunities for students to reflect critically on their experiences

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Book: Bender, C.J.G., Daniels, P., Lazarus, J., Naude, L. and Sattar, K. (2006). Service-Learning
in the Curriculum: A Resource for Higher Education Institutions. Pretoria: Council on Higher
Education. Available online at http://www.che.ac.za/documents/d000121/index.php