Best Practices in

Course Design and Evaluation

Deborah Mae C. Salem

Director, Institute of Service-Learning
Silliman University, Philippines
 SILLIMAN UNIVERSITY AS AN
ACADEMIC INSTITUTION . . .

• at the forefront of efforts to develop and heighten

social awareness and community consciousness
among its students
 SILLIMAN UNIVERSITY AS AN
ACADEMIC INSTITUTION . . .

• in consonance with its vision as a leading Christian

institution committed to total human development
and environmental conservation, Silliman U. has
made social engagement central to its academic
curriculum
PHASES in Designing Service-Learning
 Exposure
 Project Proposal- Pilot Project
 Institutionalization
 Internationalization
 Research and Publications
 International Conferences
 EXPOSURE
• 1999, Seminar-Workshop on Service-Learning,
Trinity College (now Trinity University of Asia),
Quezon City

• Sponsored by the International Partnership for

Service-Learning and Leadership
 PROJECT PROPOSAL
• Proposal after the workshop approved by the
United Board for Christian Education in Asia
(UBCHEA)
 Interdisciplinary Community-Based
Service-Learning Program
 To work directly with the community not
through an agency
 PILOT PROJECT
• Assisted by the University Extension Office for linking
with the community
• To familiarize faculty on the concept and practice of
service-learning
• To have several disciplines engaged in
service-learning in the same community
 ACADEMIC UNITS INVOLVED
ACADEMIC UNIT ROLES
1. Anthropology-Sociology Baseline survey; community
profiling; elderly
2. Social Work Community organizing and
mobilization
3. Business Administration Entrepreneurship of women

4. Nursing Maternal health care

5. Physical therapy Elderly
6. Medical Technology Children
 PILOT PROJECT RESULTS
• Published a special issue on service-learning in the
Silliman Journal

• All disciplines involved published their experiences

• 20+ academic units now have service-learning

program
 INSTITUTIONALIZATION
• 2003, Seminar-Workshop on Module Writing for
Integrating Service-Learning into the course.

• Designation of Service-Learning Coordinator

with a 3-unit equivalent academic load
 INSTITUTIONALIZATION
• Forming a core team of S-L advocates
 INSTITUTIONALIZATION
• Service-learning orientation conducted to all
academic units by the S-L core team on integration of
service-learning in the curriculum.

• Course module incorporating service-learning as

requirement for funding
 INSTITUTIONALIZATION
• Departments with faculty engaged in service-learning
were provided Php 15,000 per year on their budget

• Submission by units/colleges/departments of their

service-learning experience reports

Service-Learning with PT students in Dauin, Negros Oriental

 College or departmental service-learning:
Course-based

• College of Agriculture
 Agronomy and Animal Science
 Agribusiness
 College or departmental service-learning:
Course-based

• College of Arts and Sciences

 Biology
 Chemistry
 English
 History and Political Sciences
 Philosophy
 Social Work
 College or departmental service-learning:
Course-based
• College of Business Administration
 Accountancy
 Economics

• College of Education
 Elementary and High School Majors
 Nutrition and Dietetics
 College or departmental service-learning:
Course-based

• College of Mass Communications

• College of Nursing
• Divinity School
• Institute of Clinical Laboratory Sciences
• Institute of Rehabilitative Sciences
• School of Basic Education
 CERTIFICATE IN SERVICE-LEARNING
An 18-unit certificate course
 Introduction to Service-Learning
 Educating the heart of the Service-Learner
 Community Empowerment
 Social Research and Service-Learning
 Designing & Managing a Service- Learning Program
 Community Engagement
(with option to do S-L abroad)
 STARTING A
SERVICE-LEARNING PROGRAM
1. Develop S-L advocates and champions committed to
adopt the S-L strategy
2. Conduct orientation for all the faculty
3. Prepare proposal for whole school, implement with
or without funding
 STARTING A
SERVICE-LEARNING PROGRAM
4. Integrate in the syllabus of particular course/subjects
5. Document experiences and compile data
6. Share experiences within

Service-Learning Forum for Students and Faculty

 STARTING A
SERVICE-LEARNING PROGRAM
7. Institutionalize, create structure to oversee the
program
8. Collaborate either with local or international
institutions
9. Publish and share your experiences during
conferences-local, national, international
10. Join national and international S-L networks
 BEST PRACTICES
• Inclusion of SL language in the mission statement of
the university

• A centralized office for visibility and presence

• Dedicated staff and Core Team

 BEST PRACTICES
• Internal funding and provided physical resources
including space

• Experience provider for both local and international

universities

• UBCHEA partner in providing S-L workshops in Asian

countries like China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia,
Thailand, India, Myanmar
 BEST PRACTICES

• Providing Service-Learning workshops to other local

schools

• Training/development opportunities,
including active organizational memberships
Thank you!