Abstract:

Community-based learning is rooted in the theories of constructivism and experiential education and is a form of experiential education with a collaborative teaching and learning strategy designed to promote academic enhancement, personal growth and social responsibility. Students render relevant and meaningful services at certain service providers and in community settings that provide experiences related to academic contents (credit bearing and curricular). Through guided reflection, students examine their experiences critically and determine whether they have attained the learning outcomes, thus enhancing the quality of both their learning and their service, and helps foster social responsibility.

“In essence, community engagement is about civic responsibility and citizenship, and linking the best of research and teaching skills of the staff and students to the specific needs of this diverse community, thus giving effect to the ‘public good’ of universities. In turn, student life and the attributes developed while students are at university are enriched through their service and engagement” (University of Pretoria Strategic Plan 2011:10). Service learning has a reciprocal purpose whereby students participate in an organised service activity that meets identified community needs and in turn learn from the community. Ideally, both the community and students gain from the activity (Totten and Perderson in Allen 2005). Successful service learning necessitates the identification of real community needs, structured experiences whereby students grow and learn from it and an assessment of outcomes and completion of the experiences.

This paper will report on a compulsory module that must be passed in order to successfully become a B Admin: Option (Public Administration) graduate. These students are all adult learners and employed in various positions, mostly in the South African government. It is expected from students to compile a number of tasks, including the full management of a project within the disability sector. Students need to keep a reflection journal detailing personal growth in respect of the competencies required.

The course follows a constructivist approach which focuses on knowledge, skills and attitudes of learners, the process of learning, as well as on the final outcome/result/product of learning. Students are expected to take full responsibility and ownership of the learning process whilst the module leader is the facilitator of the learning process. There is critical need for capacity building, skills development and strengthening of competencies. This paper will report on the collaboration between the relevant University role-players, industry, as well as provide an overview of the experiences of the students within the disability sector. Universities need to develop constructive service learning programs to foster cooperation and partnerships between higher education institutions and sectors of the wider society in order to give effect to all spheres of development.

Keywords:

Community-based learning, service learning, university/industry partnerships, adult learning, projects.