The Johannes Kepler University Linz is offering a new innovative course titled ‘Learning. Commitment. Responsibility’, based on a ‘service learning’ method. Students attending this course received an in-depth introduction to the concept of service learning, a combination of academic education and community involvement. Students not only learned about the theoretical principles, but also about the wide range of opportunities throughout Upper Austria to become more actively involved in serving the common good.

The hands-on portion of the course consisted of 40, 60, or 80 hours of volunteering at a non-profit organization, or creating a social initiative and carrying out the work. Students then reflected on their experiences to better understand what they learned and talked about their experiences to learn from others.

Students benefitted greatly from this educational format. Service learning hones key skills that include team work, communication skills, problem solving skills, and time management skills. The students also experienced personal growth as they discovered and expanded on their personal skills and learned more about their own potential. Students were able to broaden their perspectives by addressing real-world situations, getting out of their comfort zone, and being confronted with real-life societal challenges.

This course was not about learning something to simply just regurgitate the content back - something that AI can do nowadays to a large extent - but rather to focus more on reflective learning and encourage students to critically question what they do, why, and what their personal experiences can teach them. This type of reflection fosters a feeling of independence as well as a sense of awareness that their actions can contribute positively to society.

Thanks to funding received in 2024, the course organizers created flyers and a short film to promote the course. The film not only served to raise awareness about the course, it also showcased the diverse options and the benefits of service learning.

The introduction course was also digitized so students unable to attend on-site could listen in and engage online. The digital options made the course more flexible and accessible to students.

Students actively engaged in creating course content and were actively involved in revising a written reflection sheet to facilitate a structured and in-depth account of their experiences.

Thanks to financial support and active student involvement in various activities, we intend to continue raising awareness about the L.E.V. course and extending its outreach to benefit the community.