Investigating+the+impacts+of+an+experiential+service-learning

Nagwa Kassabgy, Senior Instructor, The American University in Cairo, Egypt nagwa@aucegypt.edu]  Yasmine Salah El-Din, Senior Instructor, The American University in Cairo, Egypt yasmine@aucegypt.edu]
 * Investigating the impacts of an experiential service-learning course **



**Keywords: ** Experiential service-learning, community-based learning, critical reflection, exploratory study **Track: ** Student development and learning **Format: ** Research paper **Date & time:** Thursday 10:50-12:00 **Location:** Salon 1 **Summary: ** The goal of community-based learning (CBL) has been for learners to provide meaningful service to a community through addressing one of its particular needs. This exploratory study had a twofold purpose. Firstly, the study sought to investigate the impact of an experiential learning “direct service” CBL undergraduate course on the academic, social, and personal development of the learners, i.e., the providers of the service, and, secondly, the study sought to investigate the impact of the service on the attitudes and perceptions of the University workers, i.e., the recipients of the service. The subjects in the first group were undergraduate students enrolled in LING268 Principles and Practice of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) in The American University in Cairo (AUC). In this course, learners are introduced to some theories and techniques of TEFL, and they are given practice not only by engaging in peer teaching but also in service learning by tutoring the workers (custodians, security guards, cleaners) employed by the University for two hours every week. The purpose of the CBL component of the course is for learners to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom to address an issue identified as a need by the community outside their classroom, i.e., to experience what they were learning by engaging in actual real life FL teaching and then to critically reflect on and evaluate the service learning experience.

Qualitative methods of enquiry were used. The students’ (Group I N=64) reflection papers, their responses to a questionnaire, and focus group interviews for triangulation of the data were analyzed qualitatively. Implications are that rather than accept CBL as an effective methodology, teachers need to reflect on the use of service-learning and thoroughly evaluate the assumptions and beliefs of the different participants and the contributions of the practice to academic achievement, personal growth, and social change.

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