Abstract:

A group of Geomatics students from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University participated a community service learning project in a remote area of Mainland China. They served a group of people with mental disabilities during their Year 1 summer vacation.

With the inspiration from their supervisors, they looked for opportunities to provide services to a charitable organization. They sought to understand the clients’ needs via dialogue with the service provider and their beneficiaries. They also self-explored the new Geomatics technique which they are going to further profess in their final year. Last but not least, they learnt how to manage a one-week project trip.

Their submission of Google map, Wikipedia, video and film clips witnessed their learning process on the application of GPS data, digital image and techniques to meet the needs of the marginal group. Underlying these memories, there also described their teaching and learning process in a hidden curriculum: the students’ reflections in different stages of the project showed how they grew from opportunities and challenges; the process of advising led to the discussion of transformation of teacher’s role for youths from a guide to a partner, through community service learning project with new technology.

Keywords:

Community service learning project, GPS, Internet Map.