ERIC Number: EJ1051068
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 32
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1534-6102
EISSN: N/A
Grounding Service-Learning in the Digital Age: Exploring a Virtual Sense of Geographic Place through Online Collaborative Mapping and Mixed Media
Sandy, Marie G.; Franco, Zeno E.
Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, v18 n4 p201-232 2014
A sense of place has been an integral part of service-learning since the field's inception; it describes one's attachment to a particular geographic place and is often a precursor to engaging in action to care for localities and their inhabitants. But practicing service-learning in online environments requires reconsidering this core value. Should the field celebrate the "liberation" of service-learning from geographical constraints, as some authors suggest, or reclaim a geographically bounded sense of place as an essential part of service-learning? The authors recommend finding ways to cultivate a virtual sense of geographic place in online learning environments to enhance a critical understanding of physical localities, better prepare service-learners to enter service sites, and deepen connections among participating students. By providing examples of online collaborative mapping and virtual community projects, this paper considers some implications for theorizing sense of place for online and face-to-face service-learning in the digital age.
Descriptors: Service Learning, Online Courses, Computer Simulation, Human Geography, Maps, Cooperation, Cooperative Learning, Higher Education, College Students, Geographic Information Systems, Social Action, Social Problems, Case Studies
Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach, University of Georgia and the Institute of Higher Education. Treanor House, 1234 South Lumpkin Street, Athens, GA 30602. Tel: 706-542-6167; Fax: 706-542-6124; e-mail: jheoe@uga.edu; Web site: http://www.jheoe.uga.edu
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Wisconsin
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A