Service-Learning in Asia: Curricular Models and Practices

8 - Service-learning in University Curricula: A Case Study at Fu Jen Catholic University

Due to the emerging needs and incentives provided by the government, servicelearning has become a popular pedagogy in Taiwan. Aside from Fu Jen Catholic University, 86 of the 146 universities and colleges in Taiwan have incorporated service-learning as an essential part of the curriculum. Some of these institutions facilitate service-learning through administrative offices, such as the offices of student affairs and academic affairs, some implement a mentoring system to facilitate service-learning, while others have established a specialized servicelearning center to promote service-learning curricula and related programs. The content of the service-learning programs varies widely. Some programs incorporate participation in campus life and community service, while others combine volunteer work and service or professional training. In May 2007, the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Taiwan officially instituted the Service-Learning Project for Colleges and Universities to encourage students’ participation and engagement in social service as a way to foster a sense of responsibility and enhance the qualifications of our future citizens. The MOE plans to incorporate service-learning programs into the regular accreditation of the Annual Teaching Excellence Project funded by the government. Items to be accredited and reviewed include organizational functionality, curriculum planning, teacher profiles, promotional schemes, and course evaluation and award systems. With the active involvement of the MOE, service-learning activities which used to be limited to a small number of universities (particularly those affiliated with religious groups) in Taiwan have become popular among an increasing number of university campuses. More universities are committed to exploring service-learning as pedagogy, developing course materials, and compiling guidelines and procedures in the practice of service-learning. The overall impact of service-learning programs is noticeable among students, the university campus, social agencies, and non-government Service-learning in University Curricula: A Case Study at Fu Jen Catholic University Jen-Chi Yen and Bai-Chuan Yang 8 Jen-Chi Yen and Bai-Chuan Yang 112 organizations, and the role of service-learning is expected to increase as more universities become engaged. Fu Jen started service-learning about a decade ago. Born from the heart of the Church and rooted in the Jesuit educational philosophy, we hope to provide students with an education that features a balanced combination of experience, self-reflection and love. Our persistent efforts to promote servicelearning have been one of the ways to fulfill our mission and have been well rewarded. More importantly, its influence has started to spread into various spheres of the community. Now that the policy has officially been implemented at the university, the comprehensive service-learning program has matured and is a model for other universities in Taiwan. The experiences at Fu Jen have been a valuable resource for our counterparts, and the various activities and programs designed for service-learning are worthy lessons for universities interested in developing similar programs. Implementing a service-learning program was undertaken by Fu Jen to realize its educational goal of fostering each of our students into a “whole person.” Through years of experiences, trials, and errors, we have concluded that the most effective model for a service-learning curriculum is one that combines professional training and service. With the guidance of professors from the Holistic Education Center or the respective colleges of students’ majors, students can practice the skills and knowledge they learn from classes as they help marginalized groups or people from local communities, sometimes working with non-profit agencies and at other times, independently. Through learning by doing, students not only obtain professional knowledge but also develop compassion, concern, and empathy. The pedagogy has proven to create more fruitful learning experiences for both students and faculty, inspire in-depth reflection, and affirm the goodness of others in the minds of those served. As pedagogy, service-learning also can offer a comprehensive learning experience for students. Dissolving the boundary between the ivory tower and the community, a service-learning curriculum has allowed students and faculty to sharpen their awareness about the needs of others. Through personal participation, they come to a different understanding about social justice and ethical values. Therefore, in many ways, service-learning as pedagogy has corrected the imbalance of university education in Taiwan— which used to overemphasize knowledge and skill—by implementing a platform that helps educators equalize the weight given to theory and practice (or by combining theory and real work) while simultaneously cultivating healthy emotional development. Service-learning in University Curricula 113 Project Description...