Appropedia as a Tool for Service Learning in Sustainable Development

Numerous studies have demonstrated that university students are capable of contributing to sustainable development while improving their academic skills. Unfortunately for many institutions, the expense of sending large cohorts of students on international service learning trips is prohibitive. Yet, students remain enthusiastic and well equipped to assist in sustainable development. This article reports on two pedagogical experiments in service learning that overcame this challenge by providing solutions to sustainable development problems using Appropedia.org, the site for collaborative solutions in sustainability, poverty reduction and international development. The course successfully used Appropedia (1) as a forum for students who were geographically dispersed, (2) for a whole-class writing collaboration, (3) to coordinate a sustainability-focussed outreach campaign to retrofit stop lights in communities throughout Pennsylvania and (4) to review class material with application to technologies for sustainable development.

[1]  Janet Eyler,et al.  The Theoretical Roots of Service-Learning in John Dewey: Toward a Theory of Service Learning , 1994 .

[2]  Daniel A. Panici,et al.  Service Learning's Foothold in Communication Scholarship , 2002 .

[3]  Joshua M. Pearce.  The Use of Self-Directed Learning to Promote Active Citizenship in STS Classes , 2001 .

[4]  Elizabeth Baldwin,et al.  Students Promoting Economic Development and Environmental Sustainability: An Analysis of the Impact of Involvement in a Community-Based Research and Service-Learning Program. , 2004 .

[5]  T. Endreny.  Storm water management for society and nature via service learning, ecological engineering and ecohydrology , 2004 .

[6]  Joshua M. Pearce.  Teaching Physics Using Appropriate Technology Projects , 2007 .

[7]  David W. Watkins,et al.  Integrating a global perspective into education and research : Engineering international sustainable development , 2006 .

[8]  Sara Grusky.  International Service Learning , 2000 .

[9]  Julie A. Hatcher,et al.  Implementing Service Learning in Higher Education , 1996 .

[10]  Andrew Furco,et al.  Service-Learning: A Balanced Approach to Experiential Education , 1996 .

[11]  Pf Logan,et al.  Physics in appropriate technology , 1980 .

[12]  Jeremy Cohen,et al.  ‘Doing Good’ and Scholarship: A Service-Learning Study , 1993 .

[13]  Joseph Domask,et al.  Achieving Goals in Higher Education: An Experiential Approach to Sustainability Studies. , 2007 .

[14]  Joshua M. Pearce,et al.  Getting It Done Effective Sustainable Policy Implementation at the University Level , 2003 .

[15]  Joshua M. Pearce,et al.  Interdisciplinary Environmental Education: Communicating and Applying Energy Efficiency for Sustainability , 2005 .

[16]  Seanna M. Kerrigan,et al.  An Assessment Model for Service-Learning: Comprehensive Case Studies of Impact on Faculty, Students, Community, and Institution , 1996 .

[17]  N. C. Zaferatos.  Sustainable Planning Education as Intercultural Service Learning , 2007 .

[18]  Joshua M. Pearce,et al.  Student Inquiries into Neglected Research for a Sustainable Society: Communication and Application , 2003 .

[19]  Adam S. Weinberg.  The University and the Hamlets , 1999 .