Service-learning as an educational tool in an introduction to engineering course

Abstract

Service-learning is a form of instruction which uses community service activities as part of the medium for learning. There are two components: (a) service which actively engages the student in community service, and (b) focused-directed learning. Service learning enhances the engineering curriculum by linking engineering directly to improving society, which makes the profession more appealing and more diverse. At Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), service-learning has been incorporated into a section of the Introduction to Engineering course. Students are given an opportunity to participate in the service-learning (s-l) laboratory section. These students are teamed with local high school students. As a result of their participation in the course, the VCU students (a) gain a better understanding of the concepts presented in class through the process of having to teach/explain these concepts to a high school student, (b) learn about the concept of mentoring, (c) reflect on one's own values and feelings about community service, (d) realize the importance of community service and its incorporation in the field of engineering, and (e) achieve the goals set forth in the course syllabus. The high school students (a) gain exposure to college and the study of engineering, (b) learn more about engineering and the types of things engineers do, and (c) learn about electronics and the construction of a digital programmable mobile robot. This paper describes service-learning and the Introduction to Engineering course and how the two are incorporated to enhance the educational experience of the VCU students and provide a service to the Richmond, Virginia community.