Enhancing Curricula with Service Learning Models

In today's digital age, technological advancements permeate every sector, especially higher education. However, higher education must go beyond merely integrating AI into the curriculum. Additionally, it needs to prioritize educating students about societal issues. Integrating service learning into higher education curriculums, however, is a significant challenge facing schools today. There is a need for comprehensive research on its effectiveness and guidance on institutionalizing it effectively. This hampers its potential to foster civic engagement and social responsibility among students. With clear strategies and best practices, institutions can implement service learning programs that benefit all stakeholders. Enhancing Curricula with Service Learning Models provides a comprehensive blend of theoretical frameworks, practical experimentation, and real-world examples to guide educators, administrators, and policymakers in fostering profound student engagement. It emphasizes the role of emerging educational paradigms, like service-learning, in instilling a sense of civic duty and purpose in students. By enriching the educational dialogue with an emphasis on the pivotal role of student engagement in creating transformative and purposeful learning experiences, this book empowers educators and institutions to create impactful and sustainable programs. To ensure that educators and stakeholders are equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to cultivate environments that encourage active student participation, Enhancing Curricula with Service Learning Models provides practical guidance on building effective tri-party relationships between community partners, academia, and students. By offering a meta-analysis of service learning practices, this book is a valuable resource for institutions looking to enhance their academic quality and community engagement.

Sharon Valarmathi is an accomplished academician currently serving as an Associate Professor within the Department of Commerce at CHRIST (Deemed to be University) in Bengaluru. Alongside her teaching responsibilities, she holds the pivotal role of Director at the Centre for Service Learning, exemplifying her dedication to experiential education and community engagement. With a robust educational background comprising an M. Com, M.Phil, and Ph.D., Dr. Valarmathi research interests span a diverse spectrum, focusing particularly on taxation, research methodology, and management. Her scholarly contributions are extensive and notable, with publications featured in reputable journals, including Scopus-indexed publications. Her research outputs cover various topics such as online teaching, work-life balance among women Anganwadi workers, University social responsibility, service learning Dr. Valarmathi actively advances knowledge in her field through participation as a resource person in research seminars and academic conferences. Beyond academia, she engages in workshops aimed at enhancing service-learning methodologies and has successfully secured grants to institutionalize service learning within educational settings. In her current capacity, Dr Sharon Valarmathi plays a pivotal role in shaping the academic landscape at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), making significant contributions to scholarly research and fostering community-centered initiatives. Her holistic approach to education and research underscores her commitment to academic excellence and societal impact within the university and beyond.

Jacqueline Kareem holds a PhD in Education on the topic 'Organizational Culture, Leadership Styles, Personal Commitment and Learning Organization: An Exploratory study'. She completed her MPhil in Individualized learning and cooperative learning: an experimental study. Master's in Education research was on Educational technology. She has over 21 years of work experience. Seven years of working for the corporate in the area of Computer Programming and since 2009 as a Teacher Educator in the School of Education, Christ University, Bangalore, India. She specializes in teaching of Pedagogy of Mathematics, Educational Psychology, Educational Technology, Quantitative Research Methodology, Assessment and learning, and Educational Statistics. Major research interests are in the area of educational leadership and management, Pedagogy of mathematics and physics, educational technology and Inclusive education. She is keenly interested in the latest technological and pedagogical innovations used to empower the student-teachers. She has been the coordinator for Service learning for the department since 10 years. She has presented and published a number of research articles in reputed Universities and Scientific Journals. She is a trainer for implementation of STEM education and ESD, AI in education, ICT in Education, Quantitative research methods and software packages used for teaching learning and assessment.

Veerta Tantia is an Associate Professor in the School of Commerce, Finance, and Accountancy at Christ University. Her research interests span diverse topics such as service learning, finance, accountancy, teacher occupational stress, organizational culture of K-12 schools, and the impact of support systems on teacher satisfaction in online teaching.