eISSN: 1989-9742 © SIPS. DOI: 10.7179/PSRI__2024.45.15
http://recyt.fecyt.es/index.php/PSRI/
Versión en español: https://recyt.fecyt.es/index.php/PSRI/article/view/102104/78880
Author of the book: Santos Rego, Miguel Ángel; Lorenzo Moledo, Mar; & Mella Núñez, Igor. Year 2020. Publisher: Octaedro. Number of pages: 193. ISBN: 9788418615009
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn”. Although we probably do not owe these famous words the pedagogical revolution led by the methodologies of educational innovation, they reflect quite accurately the philosophy behind it: the need to train competent people from experience. The work to which we refer presents one of these methodologies that aims to ensure that students acquire knowledge, skills and values through active involvement: service-learning (SL).
The content is structured in four chapters with specific objectives: to contextualize service-learning, conceptualize it, guide the practice and transfer the results derived from its application.
To provide context for the reader, chapter one situates service-learning within the currently prevailing conception of learning, namely, the student as the protagonist of the process of competence development. In essence, it answers the question of what the legislative modifications derived from incorporating innovative methodologies mean for the university, aiming at forming competent students as the ultimate goal. And how does the university contribute to this purpose? By placing teaching practice at the epicentre of the pedagogical change. It is imperative to instruct teachers to learn about these pedagogies that transform students into active agents of their learning process and encourage them to incorporate them into their subjects. However, universities have a second mission concerning innovative methodologies: to reflect on teaching and transfer the results derived from their application in the classroom to guarantee its value.
This is precisely one of the purposes of this book, in which theory, practice and research results are combined and communicated to the teaching and scientific community. Specifically, chapter two deals with this conceptual approach to service-learning, defining it and highlighting its potential. One of its key aspects is that it is a methodology adapted to the current social and pedagogical scenario, since, above all, it consists of a service to the community that is provided from a curricular framework of reference, maintaining harmony between the two concepts. From its main characteristics, we can appreciate that service-learning does not focus on the acquisition of knowledge but rather appeals to a more moral and reflective dimension of learning. Although the authors do not hide the complexity of adequately incorporating this methodology in the classroom, they also argue that the effort would be worthwhile if it manages to respond to the demands and needs of society through the training of integral professionals.
To help us understand it as a plausible option, chapter three describes how service-learning experiences can be implemented in the university. Here the authors do a great job in offering us a phased guide that begins with the identification of those services that can be educationally interesting in the subjects we teach. Subsequently, they provide us with each of the steps we must follow to plan, implement and evaluate our project. In addition, to design a service-learning proposal we must take into account three fundamental axes: reflection, continuous evaluation and integral academic training, that is, academic, professional and civic-social.
To conclude this guide for the incorporation of service-learning experiences in the university, assuming and exposing the complexity, but also the necessity, of institutionalizing this innovative methodology, in chapter four the authors show us how to achieve it. Based on their example, they explain in detail their plan of action, oriented towards teacher training and the dissemination of the initiatives and the people in charge of their implementation. Also, they do not forget to share the results derived from their proposals, providing us with some evidence of the contribution of service-learning to the acquisition of competencies by university students. Without wanting to advance information to future readers of this book, it seems that, indeed, service-learning is a methodology that favours the acquisition of competencies such as social participation, leadership or self-efficacy in the university. Nevertheless, the authors leave the door open for further evidence.
This is an important reference for both higher education institutions and professors who are concerned about incorporating service-learning experiences in their centres. Unequivocally, we find ourselves in a context that is committed to this type of initiative. There is a sufficiently broad conceptual framework to know what these new pedagogies consist of and numerous practical examples and evidence of their effectiveness. We just need to take action.
Carolina Rodríguez-Llorente
Universidade da Coruña