Educationists seek integration of service learning model in varsity curriculum

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s education sector have emphasised the need to integrate service-learning models in tertiary education curriculum to enhance the employability skills of graduates.

While highlighting the benefits of integrating the model into the school curriculum at the University of Ibadan (UI) Service-Learning Celebration Day, speakers at the event noted that doing so would mutually benefit students, faculty, college, and community.

The service learning model is an educational approach that integrates community service with academic instruction, promoting skills like leadership, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, valuable for graduate studies and future work readiness.

The celebration, themed: “Embedding service learning in curriculum for functional university education in Nigeria,” served as a platform to highlight the achievements of undergraduate students and community partners who have participated in service learning projects.

The principal investigator, UI service learning group, Dr Tolulope Gbadamosi, said the scheme gives students practical, hands-on experience, which connects them directly to their course work and allows them to contribute positively to the community.

Gbadamosi added that service learning strengthens the university’s connections in the community, and encourages students to be active citizens.

“Selected students from different departments have successfully undergone mentorship from our community partners as part of our ongoing research project aimed at enhancing graduate employability through the service learning model.”

According to her, the project not only contributed to the improvement of the community, but also played a vital role in developing essential skills and competencies that enhance students’ employment prospects.

The keynote speaker, Dr Becca Berkey, in her presentation, said defining a university’s role in addressing the complex issues that would shape the future of the nation and its people remained one of the challenges facing institutions to truly meet societal needs.

Berkey, a director of community-engaged teaching and research, Northeastern University, United States, said societal needs could be achieved through adequate assessment of the quality and impact of service learning programmes.

“Universities can meet society’s needs through the development of an intellectual foundation for outreach that emphasises a more seamless interaction between the extension and application of knowledge, and the other dimensions of the university’s academic mission,” she said.

Similarly, the Director of Research and Management Office, University of Ibadan, Prof. Ayodele Jegede, said integrating service-learning models in the university curriculum would lead to improvement in the educational system and learning process.

Besides, he added that such would also develop students’ civic responsibility through active community involvement.

One of the service-learning mentees, Miss Gbenuola Oluwole, a UI law student who had her mentorship attachment at Oyo State Mediation Centre, said the project had strengthened her critical thinking ability, communication, and practical skills.

On his part, a 500-level Chemical Pathology student, Daniel Anyirionye, said he was able to gain skills on personal branding, interpersonal development, time management and ability to identify and proffer solutions to problems.

The event featured awards and certificate presentations, networking sessions, comprehensive overview of research projects’ findings and the experiences of participating students.