Service-Learning Report: Community Engagement Project
For this part of the assignment, students are to document the work carried out for the Service-Learning initiative as well as the corresponding findings and insights. A copy of the report shall be shared with the respective community partner to solicit their feedback, which shall be considered in the assessment.
The report shall contain the following sections:
- Introduction: Explain the motivation of the initiative
- Objective: List the aims and purposes of the initiative
- Approach: Describe all the pertinent activities carried out to meet the initiative objective
- Results: List and describe the outputs and outcomes as a consequence of the activities carried out
- Discussion: Consider the following aspects – Assess the degree of success of the initiative, i.e. Was the objective of the initiative met? What constitutes ‘success’? Who gets to define success? Who should get to define success? Refer to the submitted proposal and highlight deviations implemented. Explain the reasons for the deviations. Describe the challenges encountered during the execution of the initiative and how they were addressed or how they could be addressed. Consider the limitations of the initiative and make feasible recommendations for improvements or suggestions for future work. Deliberate the potential implications of the initiative to the community as well as the community partner.
- Conclusion: Summarise the key results and their significance with reference to the initiative’s objectives.
- Appendices (optional): Append any relevant information, artefacts etc. that were not included in the previous sections.
Report format:
The report shall contain no more than 1,500 words (excluding the list of references). Where applicable, figures (e.g. photographs, illustrations, diagrams, graphs, flowcharts) are encouraged and should be appropriately captioned. Students are reminded to carefully format their reports to ensure readability. Clear and organised formatting not only enhances the overall presentation of the work but also makes it easier for the assessor to read and, therefore, evaluate your content fairly. Remember that effective communication through this report is a skill that extends beyond academics and into future professional endeavours.
2. Poster Presentation (35 marks)
The end product for the assignment shall be presented to your peers and community partners, using the format of an academic poster to showcase your work, findings and insights from the Service-Learning initiative you have implemented with your community partners.
Briefly, an academic poster is a visual representation of a project’s key points. It contains concise annotations and figures (e.g. photos, graphs, charts etc.) printed on a large sheet to summarise the project’s objectives, approaches employed, results, discussion and conclusions. Academic posters are commonly used in educational settings (e.g. conferences and symposiums) to communicate complex information in a concise and visually engaging manner. They serve as a means for presenters to share their work and engage with an audience. Refer to Appendix I for some useful tips on poster making and presentation. More information will be shared in the poster format on the Announcements in Canvas.
Presenters will have 15 minutes to share their work with the course instructors and community partners. Feedback (Q&A: 10 minutes) from the respective community partners will also be sought to be considered in the assessment. The presentation shall take place in Week 5 of the next semester. The course instructor shall provide more details of the day, time, and venue as well as other pertinent information, including instructions for the submission and setting up of the poster.
3. Peer Evaluation (5 marks)
Group collaboration is crucial for leveraging diverse perspectives, enhancing problem-solving skills, and fostering innovation. The purpose of introducing peer evaluation into this Service-Learning initiative is to promote accountability, encourage active participation, and provide valuable feedback. Peer evaluation allows group members to assess each other’s contributions, ensuring a fair distribution of work. It encourages self-reflection, helping participants identify their strengths and areas for improvement. This ultimately enhances the group’s overall effectiveness and learning experience.
Use the Peer Evaluation form in Appendix II to evaluate your group mates. You will receive an evaluation from your group mates as you will give each of your group mates an evaluation based on your observation and working experience with each other.