Objectives

The Service-learning Community of Practice has been one of the CoPs supported by PolyU since the inception of the programme. Over the past two triennia, the CoP has engaged 914 academics in 24 events, receiving much positive feedback. In the meantime, the PolyU academic service-learning program has grown to be one of the largest in the world and a model of excellence in Greater China and Asia.

In the coming triennium, we propose to broaden the CoP to target student leaders as well as teachers. We have two objectives:

1. We wish to maintain and improve our academic service-learning program, so that we keep our position as the best SL program in Asia, and move towards becoming one of the best SL programs worldwide.
2. We wish to encourage and support a culture of service on campus, inside and outside of the academic service-learning requirement, to nurture and develop our staff and students into constructively engaged citizens.

The following are our specific objectives:

To provide a structured means for collaborative professional development in staff who are involved in service-learning and for the enhancement of service-learning experience among students, including:

1. To expand and improve our teachers’ knowledge and skills in SL pedagogy, including the design, delivering, and assessment of SL subjects;
2. To provide a means to exchange experiences on international trends and effective practices Page 2 of 10 on service-learning pedagogies between local faculty members and international counterparts;
3. To provide a platform for teachers from different disciplines to share their SL experiences, good practices, and new ideas and foster cross-discipline collaborations on SL projects;
4. To equip staff with the knowledge and means to perform scholarly work on teaching and learning in SL; and
5. To consolidate the impact of service-learning experience on student development and learning outcomes.

For students, to foster a culture of socially responsible community engagement, and to nurture them into socially responsible leaders in community:

1. To improve our students’ knowledge and skills in supporting SL subjects and projects, including assisting with coordination and liaison,
2. To provide a platform for student leaders to exchange experiences and learn from each other as well as the staff in designing and leading service-learning projects, with an eye towards fostering new ideas and collaborations

Expected Outcomes

1. Increase in knowledge and competence of teachers in designing, delivering, assessing and evaluating SL subjects and projects;
2. Increased number of teachers who plan, design, execute and research effective SL teaching strategies;
3. Increase in knowledge and competence of students in designing and coordinating impactful SL projects;
4. Increase in knowledge and competence of students in supporting academic SL subjects and projects;
5. Increased number of scholarly work, including conference presentations and publications, on SL pedagogy produced by members;
6. Increased number of cross-institutional collaborations, including with Mainland Chinese and international universities, in SL subjects/projects; and
7. Enhanced student learning experience and outcomes in SL subjects.

Work plan and activities

Our past experience with the CoP indicates that the workshops and seminars, especially those with topics that revolve around research-based topics, or with speakers from renowned international speakers, are much welcomed by teachers and colleagues. For example, during the last triennium, from July 2016 to June 2019, the CoP-SL organized 24 staff development activities, and attracted 914 participants. In particular, the International Conference in Service-Learning (ICSL 2016 and 2019) attracted 207 registered participants, a seminar by an external speaker from Valparaiso University attracted 52 participants, and a collaborative forum series by a speaker from the University of Minnesota attracted 130 participants.

The CoP-SL also provides some funding for PolyU teachers for professional development purposes, either for attending conferences related to service-learning, or for small-scale Page 6 of 10 action research projects. In the last triennium, 30 members were supported to attend conferences such as the International Association of Research in Service-Learning, The International Symposium on Strengthening Peace through Education, 7th International Symposium on Service-Learning, 2017 IBCR International Conference Contemporary Service Management and Service Experience Tourism and Hospitality Experiences in the Digital Era, The 3rd International Conference on Service-Learning 2019, Service-Learning in Higher Education: Teacher Development Course, International Association for Research on Service-Learning, and International Society for the Scholarship of teaching and Learning and Community Engagement.

Given the successful track record of the CoP-SL, we propose to continue driving membership among teachers in this manner. We anticipate that a similar approach will also be welcome among our students, albeit with topics that are less conceptual and more practical to fit their requirements.