Service learning

Il service learning

Today we are talking about service learning, a term increasingly used nowdays also in the context of our association. This term is mainly used when we talk about Erasmus+ projects such as EST (European Seniors Together), LAB (Locally Across Boarders) and MAB (Mentoring Across Borders).
But let’s see in detail what it is.

What is service learning?

Service Learning is a pedagogical, methodological and didactic proposal that combines service (citizenship, solidarity actions and volunteering) and learning (meaningful learning).
Based on this methodology, students carry out concrete actions with the community where they live, supporting schools in a strong collaboration with local institutions and associations. In this way a virtuous circle is created between learning and service.

Establishment of service learning

This teaching methodology emerged in USA, and then it was spread to Latin America and Europe (including Italy).
Educationalist and philosopher John Dewey is considered the father of service learning. According to his vision, the education of children should be less scholastic and above all provide for direct participation in the life of the community.
According to Dewey, the ultimate task of education is not limited to promoting the learning of “knowledge”, but must develop in young people the ability to participate in social life.
The pedagogist of reference for Latin America is, on the other hand, Paulo Freire, a Brazilian pedagogist engaged in the education of the poorest classes.
Freire implicitly speaks of service learning when he proposes an “active, dialogic and participatory” method, which overcomes the distance between learning in the classroom and reality, especially in its social and political dimension.

The advantages

Service learning is not a simple collaboration between school and territory, but it is a real active and constant interaction between the various subjects involved.
Indeed, this methodology offers students the teaching tools for developing behaviors in favor of the society in which they live (such as helping, service, sharing, empathy, caring for others and solidarity).
The students are placed at the center of the project and are the real protagonists in all phases: from the identification of needs, to the planning of the interventions, to the actions implemented, to the evaluation of the results.
The school community is increasingly open to dialogue with local authorities, families or voluntary associations in the area.
In summary, service learning is not a simple educational methodology, but a real didactic approach that uses more effective methodologies and strategies that give the student an active role in the area. In this way the sense of responsibility is stimulated and a collaborative learning method is proposed.
This allows students to act in first person and learning is much more authentic, as it facilitates the transfer of knowledge.

 

If you are curious about our Erasmus+ projects, click here.

Related Posts