Service-Learning

Concept of Service-Learning

Service-Learning simply means to make use of what we have learnt in university studies and use our research skills to serve in the community. It also stresses our own self-reflection and learning which can favor students' learning and personal skills. Service-Learning is a holistic approach to education, that enables students to think, judge, care and act responsibly in an ever-evolving global village. It actualizes the long-standing motto of the university: Education for Service.

Why Service-Learning

In Hong Kong, China and other countries, we are facing many serious problems like the poverty gap, ageing population, global warming, energy shortage and food crisis which are inescapable in this globalized world. We expect that all Lingnan students can take action beyond the campus, see the world as their home and become leaders, to spread love, care and act for the good of people in need.

Roles of the Students

Students are expected to get fully involved in the S-L process and follow course instructors’ guidelines in finishing all required work.
Students are expected to follow the agency’s practice with respect to working hours, dress code, and general behavior.
Students must clarify on the use of confidential information and personal material for learning purposes with the course instructors.
Students should respect service users’ privacy. If students used any video/audio aids to assist learning, they should obtain users’ prior consent in written form.

Roles of the Course Instructors

To create and provide continuous learning opportunities so as to maximize the students’ scope of appropriate S-L opportunities and reduce any possible learning barriers.
To help students familiarize with the agency policies, structure, administration and services to let students perform efficiently within the agency context.
To identify the learning objectives and to offer on-going educational-oriented supervision to students.
To develop students’ abilities and confidence in independent thinking and decision-making, with the goal of students achieving autonomy in practice.
To encourage, support and advise students in difficult and challenging times throughout their service practicum.
To discuss written evaluations with students and allow room for students’ suggestions or comments on evaluation reports.
To conduct thorough evaluations on students’ overall performance. Course instructors are also responsible for the development of subject-related assessments.

Roles of the Social Service Agency Supervisors

To study the profiles of the assigned students and to make an available range and depth of learning opportunities in accordance with the students’ learning needs.
To provide professional advice for students when they are making their proposals and working on their service projects.
To provide necessary support and physical facilities to students (e.g. office space, telephone line, program expenses, and other administrative and logistic support) during their service practicum.

Roles of the Programme Coordinator (OSL)

To explore, identify and engage potential social service agencies that are suitable to match students’ learning needs with the available resources in their service area.
To match the students with social service agencies and course instructors.
To arrange S-L courses with different departments and to organize different S-L workshops for students.
To coordinate and provide training workshops for the students.
To arrange and monitor the progress of the service practicum.
To provide guidelines for the service practicum and the evaluation of students’ participation and performance.
To liaise with social service agencies and course instructors so as to optimize the partnership between the involved parties.


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