e-Service Learning for COVID-19 and Beyond: Impacts of a COVID-19 Module in a Non-Majors Biology Course

Abstract

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the general public has been subjected to an “information epidemic” or an “infodemic” leading to a plethora of invalid information. We decided to educate a non-majors biology class with an intent to help advance public health awareness related to COVID-19. This is particularly important for non-majors biology students who may only ever take one science classes as a part of their core curriculum. In the light of an unanticipated transition to an online platform, an E-service-learning module was introduced for this course. In the four-week service-learning module, which included expert-led lectures and an E-service-learning assignment, students created digital infographics to inform their peers and community about COVID-19 safety precautions and completed a required post-reflection assignment summarizing their learning gains. Out of 112 enrolled students, 87 consented to have their reflections analyzed for this study and 8 students chose to participate in additional one-on-one online interviews. We categorized post-reflection and interview data into four broad categories: responses related to the service-learning, guest lectures, information on COVID-19 virus or pandemic, and those about the broader implications of COVID-19. Our post-reflection data and interview data together reveal that while some students were appreciative of an opportunity to be involved in the process of educating the community via infographics, a majority of the students reported a greater range of learning gains from expert led-lectures. Continued research on E-service-learning should explore the degree to which this pedagogical tool can maximize student learning in an online classroom environment.