A digital itinerary for ubiquitous service-learning

Abstract

This work reflects on the inclusion of digital technologies in solidarity service-learning (SL) projects with a Latin-American perspective, based on research carried out to analyze the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the development of SL projects in public secondary schools in Argentina. The research analyzes a series of projects in which ICTs were integrated in the different disciplines to “expand” the students’ experience and help them connect the “distributed” knowledge to solve specific problems in their community. The research starts from the case study as a methodological option since we are interested in deepening and understanding how ICTs enter the selected projects. Among the results, we found that ICTs came in to better organize and represent the available information, develop critical thinking tools and better instruments to evaluate practices. In sum, ICTs give visibility to the invisible learning that occurs in solidarity projects. The young people recreated the disciplinary contents incorporating various multimedia languages and resources to improve their learning, express their ideas and reflections and communicate their initiatives. There emerged new spaces and formats for personal and group reflection and for communication between different actors to contribute new knowledge, accompany solidarity initiatives or access the service they provided, extending the scope of ApS projects to promote the development of a global citizenship.