What Students have to say about  Service Learning

Following Oakton's first semester of offering service learning in several classes, students were asked their opinions of this teaching/learning strategy.   While 54 percent of the 78 students responding to the survey had engaged in service prior to that semester, 90 percent said that they would engage in service in the future.  Almost seven in ten of these students (69%) indicated that they would consider taking another class that involved a service-learning assignment and almost nine in ten (87%) said they would recommend service learning to other students.  Finally, fully seven in ten believe that service learning should be offered in more classes at OCC.  Here are some of these students' statements about their experience:  I learned that I am capable of helping others and I enjoyed it.  The best part of it is that we get involved with different people, their ideas, and sometimes we learn a lot of things which are useful.  I was helping my community and not asking for something in return.  I was able to interact with kids and that is part of my future plans.  It helped me get involved in my community.  What I liked best about the service learning experience I had this semester was the kids I worked with -- they were great.  It gave me a feeling of usefulness to help these kids out.  I know that I am doing my part in the world and making it a better place, even if it is indirectly.  I was able to help the community in a positive way.  I met new people.  I learned new things.  I made people feel good.  Even though I do not have to, I am still going to volunteer after class is over.  I got to learn first hand what a teacher goes through day in and day out.  It taught me what I might do, giving me an inside look at teaching.  It made me feel very proud of myself that I accomplished a task not only for myself but for the children.  I really enjoyed working with foreign students.  Some of them were twice my age, yet the respect they gave me while I was teaching was titanic.  I had a chance to look through the eyes of a person who has [recently] arrived in America full of ambition.  I learned from my students' experience.  I was able to connect with girls my own age who were having much worse problems -- pregnancy, no home, no education -- but they still listened and appreciated my help and I in turn was able to learn things from them.  The assignment was important because I was getting out there, experiencing different kinds of people and problems and trying to take a positive attitude of helping towards others.

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Copyright & copy; 2000 Oakton Community College. Last update Summer 2000