Abstract:

Sport in its various characteristic forms – multi-perspective, formal, informal - and its associated clubs in the cities and municipalities form a fundamental element of sport regions. However, it is not only sport, but also universities which considerably influence the development of regions (e.g. UYARRA, 2010). Furthermore, universities can make a significant contribution towards the preservation and further development of sport in a region. This primarily takes place through the type of activities which can be classified as what is known as the third mission.

Among the tasks of universities as part of the third mission ROESSLER, DUONG and HACHMEISTER (2015) include alongside technology transfer and innovation tasks above all cooperation with civic participants, the performance of scientific services and service learning offers for students. Contributions to the third mission always seem to be particularly successful when they connect their focal points in science and research with the problem areas of the region. In the process it is above all the event format of the service learning which stands out, in which the content and focal points of academic education are combined with the charitable engagement of the students.

With regard to specialist and methodical abilities service learning is located at the point of contact between academic education and the development of occupational field-specific performance and organisational competences. In the process against the background of the specific problems of an open civil society it is in particular the self-efficacy and problem-solving ability of the students which is taken into account (Gerholz & Losch, 2015; YORIO & YE, 2012). Via metacognitive-based educational work the learning process is related to the performance of complex, civic relevant tasks, which are for example widely available in the field of regional popular and elite sport in Germany.

The Paper demonstrates through the example of a student sports agency, the contribution which the concept of service learning can provide for the promotion of elite sport through the university. Furthermore it is demonstrated how on the one hand students can be made aware of the various civic problems of sport in the regional surroundings of the university through the didactic approach. On the other hand, the concept of service learning used in the specific context of elite sport enables the development of occupationally-specific performance and organisational competences which are of great importance for subsequent work in marketing both for and with sport.

References:
[1] Gerholz, K.-H., & Losch, S. (2015). Can service learning foster a social responsibility among students? – A didactical analysis and empirical case-study in business education at a German university. In L. O’Riordan, S. Heinemann & P. Zmuda (Eds.). New Perspectives on Corporate Social Responsibility: Locating the Missing Link (pp. 602-622). Wiesbaden.
[2] Roessler, I., Duong, S. & Hachmeister, C.-D. (2015). Welche Missionen haben Hochschulen? Third Mission als Leistung der Fachhochschulen für die und mit der Gesellschaft, Arbeitspapier Nr. 182, Gütersloh.
[3] Yorio, P. L. & Ye, F. (2012). A Meta-Analysis on the Effects of Service-Learning on the Social, Personal, and Cognitive Outcomes of Learning. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 11(1), 9-27.

Keywords:

Service Learning, Social Entrepreneurship Education, Training Company, Third Mission, Civic Engagement.