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.