Direct and indirect service learning in civil engineering education

Abstract

Most of the service learning subjects are delivered in form of direct service, students participate directly in field work and reflect on the connection between community service and their academic learning; the benefits to the students and community cannot be manifested without the careful choice of project and detailed coordination of the faculty. Indirect service learning, on the other hand, students do not participate directly in field work, they understand the community through teachers, and can be more focused on applying their knowledge to address the needs of the community. The indirect service learning approach shifts the management of service learning from coordinating individual students’ field work to managing students’ group efforts on behalf of the community. Benefits and tradeoffs of these approaches are discussed in this paper; moreover, the nature of service required is another factor that should be considered when choosing between direct or indirect service. The author do not see direct and indirect service as mutually exclusive, rather, the faculty should consider an appropriate blend of the two to suit students’ background and intended learning outcomes. An example of integrating direct and indirect service a service learning subject for civil engineering students is discussed in this paper.