Benefits of service learning experiences from the perspective of students at the University Alberto Hurtado

Abstract

Service-learning usually refers to a pedagogical approach that seeks to provide students with learning in a given subject, as well as to develop a service that meetsthe real needs of a community. This methodology is informed by pedagogical trends such as experiential learning and constructionism. However, the nature of service-learning also suggests that it shares the characteristics of a social intervention. The present study addressed the research question: how do UAH students evaluate the benefits of service learning, after having had such an experience between 2015 and 2016? The aim of this paper is to describe the evaluation that UAH students make of the benefitsof service-learning, both for their own training and for social organizations. This is a descriptive exploratory study with mixed methodology, using a semi-structured questionnaire, with self-application, to students of degree programmes that implemented service-learning between 2015 and 2016. The main results show differences in the evaluation that students give to projects, both in terms of learning and the service performed, depending on the characteristics of the projects, whether in their planning, design or execution.