Abstract:

Introduction:
Service-learning is gaining interest in higher-education given the simultaneous potential benefits towards the learning process and society. Such experiences have shown to substantially improve perception of learning, making the process more enjoyable, providing social, educational and health benefits as well as engaging with more positive attitudes towards the learning experience. This is especially relevant when teaching instrumental and real-life procedural skills. On the other hand, supporting classes with technology-enhanced interaction have proven to be useful in higher education. In fact, interactive and engaging challenge-based activities have shown to promote knowledge retention. Promoting such methodologies for intergenerational students is a challenge for the academic professor. In this context, our aim was two-fold, to test a collaborative service-learning experience by bringing together young and adult undergraduates in hands-on practical workshops; as well as, combining it with follow-up Q/A clicker-based inclusive activities for digital and non-digital natives to enhance interaction, the learning process and motivation from our students.

Methods:
Forty-three individuals from diverse educational backgrounds, and ten younger undergraduate students, participated in this experience. Interactive presentations were carried allowing for anonymous feedback during the time-course of lectures. To ensure acquisition of specialized terminology and exploratory techniques, as well as fundamental theoretical concepts, students were tested using follow-up case-based activities and multiple-choice questions. Students underwent practical sessions to develop knowledge and skills on real-life exploratory procedures and techniques. Undergraduate students, who also learnt comprehensively the same concepts and practical skills before, joined as ‘group experts’ to provide a service while sharing competence skills. Instructors formed groups led by one expert and 4-5 students. We used questionnaires to evaluate students’ perception and satisfaction to the experience.

Results:
Students and instructors found the experience of great interest and highly valuable, promoting enriched discussions. Pre-experience activities increased conceptual assimilation, ensured specialized terminology acquisition, implication and motivation from students. Both digital and non-digital natives found them easy to perform. Exploratory techniques were carried in presence of instructors. Expert panels allowed experts provide a service and feedback, discuss results and observations, share methodological advice and further discuss in small groups overall findings as well as answers to proposed questions. Instructors and experts found the experience positive, and students revealed their interest to participate in similar experiences. Feedback from experts also revealed that simultaneously obtained valuable experience on age-dependent modifications from such exploratory and diagnostic techniques.

Conclusion:
Follow-up quizzes and case studies by means of audience clickers for non-digital natives promoted active learning and interaction. A service-learning experience successfully helped students’ knowledge assimilation and comprehension providing key conceptual insight and instrumental skills for correctly interpreting and performing complex real-life exploratory and diagnostic techniques. All participants found the experience highly valuable.

Keywords:

Service-learning experiences, Instrumental and soft skills, Exploratory and diagnostic techniques, Innovations in Higher Education, Technology-enhanced learning.