Virtu@l-ApS: Technological Support for Virtual Service-Learning

Abstract

Virtual Service Learning (VSL) is Service Learning (SL) mediated by ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) − both for the provision of the service, and for the support, monitoring and assessment of the learning by teachers − and conceived for situations in which face-to-face communication between students, teachers and beneficiaries of the service is not practicable. Experience has shown that a web application for the support of VSL (and more generally, of SL) would be of great interest. Here, we present the development of such a web application: Virtu@l-ApS (from Aprendizaje-Servicio, SL in Spanish). To date, this software-development project has been carried out in the context of two collaborative and interdisciplinary UNED (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, the Spanish national distance-learning university) bachelor's degree projects, from the Social Education and Computer Engineering degrees, respectively. Though the currently-available version of the web application lacks important functionality, the experience of developing it has been extremely useful, in particular, in helping to clarify the requirements for a fully operational application which we expect will contribute to the support and expansion of SL in the Spanish higher education sector.

Keywords

• higher education
• information and communication technologies
• educational innovation
• project methods
• service learning, civics