From industrial fermentation to life planning: The meaning of meaningful service in a biology service-learning course

Hui Xuan XU, Yin Lee Maureen CHAN

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapters

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The difficulties involved in linking service-based activities and academic learning vary across disciplines. In pure science disciplines, faculty often report that it is challenging to design and arrange service activities that are linked to their highly specialised academic courses. In this chapter, we introduce how a faculty member in the Department of Biology arranged service activities with the integration of the concept of ‘fermentation’. In collaboration with a colleague in the Department of Social Work, fermentation was adopted as a metaphor for life planning. University students led activities designed to encourage secondary school students to ‘ferment’ their lives and set goals for their learning and next life stage. Our review of this case leads into a discussion of the definition of meaningful service and how it can be realised by students of pure science disciplines. Copyright © 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationService-learning capacity enhancement in Hong Kong higher education
EditorsGrace NGAI, Daniel T.L. SHEK
Place of PublicationSingapore
PublisherSpringer
Pages273-283
ISBN (Electronic)9789811924378
ISBN (Print)9789811924361
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Citation

Xu, H., & Chan, M. Y. L. (2022). From industrial fermentation to life planning: The meaning of meaningful service in a biology service-learning course. In G. Ngai & D. T. L. Shek (Eds.), Service-learning capacity enhancement in Hong Kong higher education (pp. 273-283). Singapore: Springer.

Keywords

  • Service learning
  • Metaphor
  • Pure science
  • Meaningful service

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