2. The student’s complain
• A student is unhappy about doing boring tasks for a service-learning
project like counting soup cans or cleaning ivy.
• It’s hard to see how small tasks connect to big problems like hunger,
water rights, or community development.
• An example shows how one issue (job cuts) led to more problems
(food shortages and protests), showing how issues are connected.
• Service-learning helps students understand deeper social and political
issues through real experiences.
3. • Service-learning is an educational approach where students learn by
actively participating in meaningful community service.
• Through this hands-on involvement, students are not just learning
theory in a classroom, but they are engaging with real-world
problems.
4. • This engagement allows them to better understand complex social
and political issues, such as poverty, inequality, discrimination,
environmental concerns, etc.
• The phrase "real experiences" emphasizes that students learn by
doing—by seeing, feeling, and interacting with communities and
situations directly.
5. Transformational learning
• Real learning, called transformational learning, happens when students
gain meaningful insights that change how they think and act.
• Transformational learning requires a mindset, heartset, and skillset—
critical thinking, care for others, and practical skills.
• Transformational Learning is learning that changes the way individuals
think about themselves and their world, and that involves a shift of
consciousness.
• It includes a deep, structural shift in the basic premises of thought,
feelings, and actions.
6. Problem-solving
• Problem-solving is the process of finding solutions to difficult or
complex issues. It involves identifying a problem, generating possible
solutions, choosing the best solution, and implementing it.
• Important steps in problem-solving often include:
• Identifying the problem – Understanding what the issue is.
• Analyzing the problem – Exploring the cause and scope.
• Generating possible solutions – Brainstorming different options.
• Choosing the best solution – Evaluating and selecting the most
effective one.
7. Problem-solving
• Implementing the solution – Putting the plan into action.
• Evaluating the outcome – Checking whether the problem is resolved.
• Students need to think about how projects can go beyond just helping
for the moment and solve bigger community issues.
• There’s no one right way to help—everyone contributes in their own
style. Understanding this helps with teamwork and problem-solving.
8. Critical Inquiry
• Critical Inquiry is a process of thinking deeply, questioning, and
analyzing information to better understand an issue, topic, or
problem.
• It means not accepting things at face value. Instead, you ask:
• Why is this true?
• What evidence supports it?
• Are there other points of view?
• Is the reasoning logical?
9. Critical Inquiry
• features of critical inquiry:
• Questioning assumptions – Challenging what is usually accepted.
• Analyzing arguments – Looking at how claims are supported.
• Considering perspectives – Exploring different sides of an issue.
• Using evidence – Supporting ideas with facts and logic.
• Reflective thinking – Thinking about your own beliefs and how they
affect your judgment.
10. Critical Inquiry
• If you're reading an article that says social media harms students'
mental health, critical inquiry would involve:
• Looking at the evidence the article provides.
• Asking whether the research is reliable.
• Considering whether there are positive effects of social media.
• Thinking about how personal experience or bias may affect the
conclusion.
11. Critical Inquiry
• Transformational learning helps people understand and solve
community problems by asking deep, critical questions.
• Critical inquiry means asking why a problem exists and who has the
power to solve it.
• This method is about understanding—not just complaining or
blaming.
• Problems like lack of school supplies or teenage vandalism are often
signs of deeper issues.
12. • Academic disciplines (like science, social science, and the humanities)
provide tools for understanding and solving community problems.
• Students from different majors can use their specific skills to help with
real-life projects.
• A student’s academic knowledge can be used creatively to serve the
community, even in ways they did not expect.
• Collaboration across fields helps solve problems better than working
alone.
• Real-life problems require flexible thinking, reflection, and teamwork.
13. Community Partners as Sources of Expertise
• Community Partners as Sources of Expertise refers to the idea that
individuals or organizations from the community who work with
students in community-based learning (CBL) or service-learning
projects bring valuable knowledge, experience, and perspectives.
• These partners—such as nonprofit leaders, local business owners,
health professionals, or educators—offer real-world insights that go
beyond what is taught in the classroom.
14. Community Partners as Sources of Expertise
• Service-learning lets students use their knowledge and skills in real-
life situations.
• Learning from books and theories is important, but it becomes more
meaningful when used in action.
• A big part of learning happens at the community site.
• People working in the community have special knowledge and skills
from real experience.
• This kind of knowledge is different from what students get in a
classroom.
15. • Community partners hope that students and teachers will share their
academic skills to help solve local problems. In return, students and
teachers learn from the community. They apply classroom theory to
real-world practice.
• This two-way exchange is called reciprocal learning. Service-learning
creates this shared learning between schools and communities.
• For example, education students tutored immigrants and refugees in
English.
•
16. • At first, they thought teaching English would be simple. But they
found that many students did not want to talk with each other in
English.
• The tutors were frustrated and said the students were uncooperative.
•
17. • The community partner then gave a workshop to explain the cultural
and historical reasons for the students’ behavior.
• The tutors began to understand how deep cultural and political issues
can affect communication.
• For example, education students tutored immigrants and refugees in
English.
• At first, they thought teaching English would be simple. But they found
that many students did not want to talk with each other in English.
•
18. • The tutors were frustrated and said the students were uncooperative.
• The community partner then gave a workshop to explain the cultural
and historical reasons for the students’ behavior.
• The tutors began to understand how deep cultural and political issues
can affect communication.
19. Learning to Accept Community Expertise
• Learning to Accept Community Expertise means understanding and
respecting that people in the community have valuable knowledge,
experience, and insights—just like teachers or professors.
• In community-based learning or service-learning, students must learn
to see community members as co-educators and not just as people
who need help.
20. Learning to Accept Community Expertise
• 1. Letting Go of the "Helper" Mindset
• Many students begin community work thinking they are going to
“teach” or “fix” things.
• But in reality: The community often knows best what it needs.
• Community members are experts in their own lives and challenges.
• Students should listen and learn first, before trying to lead or change
anything.
21. Learning to Accept Community Expertise
• 2. Respecting Local Knowledge
• Community expertise includes: Lived experience: what people know
from living in a certain place or situation.
• Cultural knowledge: traditions, customs, and values.
• Practical skills: knowing how to get things done in the real world.
• Students need to realize that this kind of knowledge is just as
important as academic theories.
22. Learning to Accept Community Expertise
• 3. Building Trust Through Humility
• Accepting community expertise means: Being open-minded and humble.
• Asking questions instead of making assumptions.
• Valuing the contributions of everyone, regardless of their education level or
background.
• 4. Becoming a Better Learner and Partner
• When students accept community expertise, they: Grow in empathy and
understanding.
• Build stronger relationships with partners.
• Become more effective at creating meaningful change.
23. Learning to Accept Community Expertise
• 5. Seeing the Community as a Classroom
• The community becomes a place of learning, where:
• Experience is the teacher.
• Mistakes are part of the process.
• Growth happens through reflection and collaboration.
24. Learning to Accept Community Expertise
• Sometimes students struggle to accept advice from the community.
• Architecture students worked with Habitat for Humanity.
• They designed houses, but all their plans were rejected.
• The designs were too costly or would not fit the land.
• They learned important lessons about budgets and city planning.
• In another case, marketing students made a brochure for a YMCA.
• It used college-level language.
• The YMCA asked them to start over because the average reader had a 7th-
grade reading level. These lessons may not feel like shared learning at first,
but they are valuable.
25. Learning to Accept Community Expertise
• Real reciprocity needs students to be open-minded. They must see
issues from the community’s point of view. Students should ask
themselves:
• Have I listened to the community partner’s views?
• Have I included them in planning?
• Have I shared the project’s goals clearly?
• Have I respected their values and needs?
26. Learning to Accept Community Expertise
• Reciprocity is not just about the final project. It’s about how the
project was done and what both sides learned.
• Service-learning also gives students a chance to learn about career
fields.
• For example, students who designed a company logo also learned
about the company’s rules, work culture, and how to accept
feedback.
27. Learning to Accept Community Expertise
• In result, Learning to accept community expertise is about shifting
your mindset from being the “knower” to being a learner and
partner.
• It’s a key step in becoming respectful, responsible, and impactful in
any community-based project.
28. Learning Beyond the Classroom
• "Learning Beyond the Classroom" refers to educational experiences
that happen outside the traditional classroom setting.
• These experiences help students apply what they’ve learned in real-
life situations, build practical skills, and develop a deeper
understanding of the world around them.
• It is often called experiential learning or informal learning and is an
important part of a holistic education.
29. Learning Beyond the Classroom
• Aspects of Learning Beyond the Classroom:
• Real-World Application
• Students connect academic knowledge with everyday experiences.
• Example: A biology student volunteering at a wildlife center to understand
ecosystems in action.
• Experiential Learning
• Learning through doing and reflection.
• Example: Science experiments conducted in nature or engineering projects
done in teams.
30. Learning Beyond the Classroom
• Community-Based Learning
• Working with local communities to solve problems or support
initiatives.
• Example: Language students tutoring immigrants in their native
language.
31. Learning Beyond the Classroom
• A student team made a CD to help cancer survivors.
• They learned medical terms, community health needs, and software
development.
• More importantly, they realized they were being ethnocentric.
• At first, they wanted everything to be in English.
• But many patients spoke other languages.
• So, the team added websites in different languages.
32. • They also learned about healthcare and how money affects treatment
options.
• This real-world learning gave them deeper understanding than any
classroom could.
• When students work on real community problems, they gain new
understanding. Community professionals help students see issues
more clearly.
• Working together, students see that social problems are complex and
need careful thinking and action.
33. Learning from the Community
• In Islamic society, learning from the community means gaining
knowledge, values, and behaviors by observing and participating in
the everyday life of the Muslim ummah (community).
• Islam encourages collective learning, cooperation, and mutual
support, and these values are often passed down not just in
classrooms but through family, neighbors, mosques, and cultural
traditions.
34. Learning from the Community
• Students also learn directly from the people they help.
• One sociology student worked at a shelter for women.
• She was amazed by their strength. Many were mothers.
• They pushed for legal help, dealt with schools, and paid bills even
when it was dangerous to go home.
• The student learned to appreciate what she had.
35. Learning from the Community
• An English major tutored non-native speakers.
• He taught grammar, but he learned about Vietnamese culture and
Buddhism in return.
• He said they taught him about life while he taught them about
language.
36. Seeing the World Differently
• The phrase “Seeing the world differently” means changing your
perspective — looking at life, people, or situations in a new or unique
way. It often implies:
• A shift in mindset or beliefs – You begin to understand things you
didn’t before, or you question what you once thought was true.
• Example: After traveling to a new country, you might see the world differently
by realizing that your way of life isn’t the only or “right” way.
37. Seeing the World Differently
• Increased empathy or awareness – You become more open to other
people’s experiences, cultures, or challenges.
• Example: Hearing a powerful story of discrimination might help you see the world
differently and understand social justice more deeply.
• Creative or innovative thinking – You look beyond the obvious and
explore ideas in a new light.
• Example: An artist might see the world differently by finding beauty in everyday
objects.
• In summary, seeing the world differently means developing a broader,
deeper, or more insightful understanding of the world around you.
38. Seeing the World Differently
• In a project called “Equalizing Access to Justice,” students worked
with youth in the justice system.
• One history major wrote about a Latino teen he worked with.
• The teen had done well, but because of one small mistake and no
proper legal support, a judge sent him back to detention.
• The student saw how unfair the system was and felt powerless. He
realized race can affect how people are treated in court.
39. • His experience helped him understand the justice system better than
any textbook.
• Service-learning often changes how students see the world.
• It shows how systems like law and government often favor certain
groups.
• One group of students worked with refugees from South America.
• At first, they had wrong ideas.
• One student thought it was easier to be homeless in Latin America
because of the weather.
40. • Later, they learned the refugees had escaped from war and lacked
basic rights.
• They studied history, talked to refugees, and saw how the U.S. had
supported a military coup in their country.
• This made the students feel connected and responsible.
• One said, “My country helped cause their situation, so I did too.
• Now I want to be more aware and politically active.”
41. Finding a New Purpose
• In another project, a student worked at a summer camp for disabled
children.
• She changed her career path and took physical therapy classes.
• She wanted to design tools to help children with disabilities.
• She told her professor she had found her “true calling.”
42. Final Thoughts
• Service-learning can change how students see the world and themselves.
• It can make students feel they can make a difference. These examples
ask you to think about yourself:
• What do you want to do with your life?
• How do you want to live with awareness?
• What do you want to be known for?
• You may be focused on finishing your course, graduating, or finding a
thesis topic. But one day, school will end. What kind of life will you build
after that?
43. Questions ?
•
• Q: What kind of service task is the student doing on Friday night?
Q: Why is the student frustrated with service-learning?
• Q: What does the text say about the connection between small tasks and big problems?
• Q: What is transformational learning?.
• Q: What three things does transformational learning require?
• Q: What example is given to show how community issues are connected?
• Q: How can service-learning help us understand hunger?
• Q: What project did students do in Exercise 8.2?
• Q: What are “ways of knowing”?
44. • Q: What question does the text ask about the students’ fundraising project?
• Q: Why is it important to know your learning style?
• Q: What is the goal of service-learning?
• Q: How does transformational learning help with teamwork?
• Q: What does the student think would be more valuable than pulling ivy?
• Q: What skill might you use if you enjoy organizing?
• Q: What is transformational learning?
• Q: What does critical inquiry focus on?
45. • Q: How is critical inquiry different from being negative or judgmental?
• Q: What is an example of a problem that needs deeper inquiry?
• Q: What kind of questions does critical inquiry ask?
• Q: What is the purpose of deconstructing a social issue?
Q: How can academic disciplines help in solving community problems?
