Fourteenth International Conference on e-Learning & Innovative Pedagogies

Abstract

In this paper I focus on moving a high-impact practice (service-learning) to an online setting during the time of COVID-19 when Sonoma State University’s courses were taught exclusively online. Service-learning is defined as a pedagogy that utilizes community service projects within the context of an academic course. It differs from community service as the experience is used as a “text” for the course; the projects are designed to meet a community need; and reflection is incorporated in order for students to process the experience. Service-learning is the only high-impact practice that underrepresented students are more likely to participate in. This service-learning project was in the form of a community diary project to support our community partner, the Sonoma County Library, who was collecting pieces, in the form of writings, art, images, or media to document this unique time in history. These items will be preserved and cataloged as historical documents for future generations to learn what it was like to live during this unique time in history. Faculty from various disciplines adopted this project and incorporated this this assignment in various ways-from the student’s own reflection to video projects interviewing underrepresented populations (e.g. elderly, non-English speaking, children, etc.) to creating art to express how students are feeling. In summary, I discuss how moving service-learning digital in a time of COVID-19 not only helped our community partner but it helped our students cope with their own feelings about living in such abnormal times.