Implementation of service-learning for diversified education during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Main Authors: Cordero, Dalmacito A., Jr., Vicente, Niku E., Moredo, Peter Jayson A.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2022
• Subjects: Service learning; Service Learning
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/13805
• Institution: De La Salle University

Service learning (SL) is a growing pedagogy among many educational institutions in the Philippines. It is a valuable educational experience for students that addresses the goal of achieving a diversified education. This program awakens their sense of responsibility and enhances more positive social interaction skills. However, the COVID-19 pandemic made the usual face-to-face setup impossible because of the many restrictions imposed by the government. With this, the researchers/facilitators reformulated adaptive forms of E-SL (Electronic Service-Learning) programs by adjusting their input based on the current situation and emphasizing the essential principles of the Lasallian Reflection Framework (LRF), which can still be applicable despite the difficult situation. With the use of participant observation coupled with their rich experience as facilitators for many years, they administered the E-SL program to the selected 116 students of a Catholic university. This process resulted to the proposal and actualization of more creative service projects from the students which are useful and hopefully addressed the needs of the respective partner communities such as digital marketing modules, virtual flyers, campaign ads, posters, brochures, leaflets, social media information sites, and others. This online program can serve as a sample model for other institutions or even be used as a benchmark to reformulate respective community service programs, especially during times of crisis where the online platform is the only possible way to continue school operations.