100% online e-Service-Learning
a case study in a sample of Italian university students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21556/edutec.2021.78.2255Keywords:
Active Learning, e-service-learning, higher education, mixed methods, soft skills, active learningAbstract
The study aimed at exploring the impact of 100% online e-Service-Learning (e-SL) implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in a sample of Italian university students. The main objectives that guided the study were: to understand, from students' perspective, the advantages and disadvantages related to the implementation of e-SL in the online dimension (9 projects in total) and the value attributed to the experience; to investigate the effectiveness of e-SL in promoting soft skills development in university students and their perception of the importance of these soft skills in their future job career. The study showed that students perceive difficulties related to: complexity of working at a distance, lack of human contact, difficulty in understanding the impact of the project, decontextualization of the service activities, lack of digital skills and technological problems. However, they recognized that the digital environment offers new opportunities to manage work, potentially wider impacts and new approaches to digital design. Finally, the findings provided information on the benefits of 100% online e-SL as a strategy for soft skills development (communication, analytical skills, digital information and data processing skills, and digital problem solving). The study provided insights for teaching practice and future research.
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