Service Learning - A Way for College Students to Achieve Self-Realization
"Service Learning" has become a compulsory course in colleges and universities. Every college student must take this zero-credit course. Their schools make arrangements for them to help others. This is experiential education of a different kind. Through carefully planned social service activities and structurally designed self-examination processes, students can satisfy this service requirement and improve learning and development of service skills.
The service learning process helps to enhance students' social and civic responsibilities, improves their service skills, and facilitates their personal development and learning in real-life situations. It also serves to strengthen their self-examination and critical thinking abilities.
In addition, it is hoped, through service learning, the teacher-student relationship can be changed so that instead of passively accepting what they are taught, students can cultivate an active learning attitude. With service learning, the teacher-student interaction is expected to strengthen, and the school atmosphere is expected to be more open and the learning environment more helpful. Meanwhile, schools can gain resources and support from the community they are part of.
The fact is that the help the community is receiving and the problems being solved as a result of the services the students provide brings new thinking to the community and its organizations. And the growth experience students derive from participation prompts them to continue their social service and eventually leads to active participation in social and national affairs.
The MOE hopes to provide students with practical experience through service learning. By combining practical experience and knowledge and skills gained through academic learning, students can put what they learn in school into practice; and by providing services to others and helping others, students will better understand themselves, others and social problems also, thereby achieving personal growth. In addition, by serving the community and meeting its needs, the relationship between schools and communities will become closer, and they can share each other's resources and progress together. This process of interaction between service provider and recipient will eventually improve their shared environment and create a just and harmonious society.