Service Learning Placements
Service learning placements occur in ‘real world’ settings and are equally concerned with student learning and achieving service outcomes for host organisations and their clients. Students undertaking a service learning placement work to meet pre-identified community needs by providing a service or completing a project that would otherwise be unavailable to the community (Lyle et al., 2006). Students undertaking a service learning placement, have the opportunity to use their discipline specific knowledge, as well as to explore and better understand their professional and civic roles (Jones, 2015).
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Going Rural Health’s conceptual model of Service Learning
-Swanson et al., 2024
Developing Allied Health (AH) graduates who are skilled in responding to public health needs is crucial, particularly in rural areas where workforce shortages and poor health outcomes are common. However, workforce shortages in rural areas make it difficult to provide traditional student placement models to teach these skills. With the experience of over 500 SL placements over seven years, the GRH team have developed a conceptual model that underpins their implementation of this innovative approach to student placements for AH students while addressing rural health needs.
Key aspects of the model highlight the importance of relationship building and meeting the needs of three key stakeholders the community/host-site, students, and the enrolled university. Student support, interprofessional education and evaluation are also important elements for consideration.
*WIL: Work Integrated Learning
For more information about this model, please refer to:
Swanson, C., Oates, R., Bourke, L., Woodhart, L., Ackland, K., Mcneil, R., & Wright, K. (2024). Service-learning in rural Victoria: A conceptual model to guide innovative work-integrated learning for allied health students. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 25(2), 245–257.
Ten facts about service learning
- Service learning develops relevant skills for professional behaviour (Daly et al., 2013, Jones et al., 2015)
- Service learning placements have been proven to have a significant positive impact on health in local communities
- Students in service learning placements have found their placement to be very rewarding as they see evidence of the impact of their work on the lives of people
- Service learning placements develop students confidence as a health professional
- Service learning placements have provided opportunities for students to contribute towards innovative healthcare delivery
- Service learning placements have resulted in increased client satisfaction through student services (Kent & Keating, 2013)
- The service learning model is widely used throughout a range of disciplines beyond health including engineering and education
- Service learning placements form part of health curriculums throughout the world and allied health students partake in Service learning placements throughout Australia
- Service learning placements are supported by quality supervision from experienced clinicians
- Service learning placements can provide opportunities for inter professional work
References
Daly, M., Roberts, C., Kumar, K., & Perkins, D. (2013). Longitudinal integrated rural placements: a social learning systems perspective. Medical Education, 47(4), 352-361.
Jones, D., McAllister, L., & Lyle, D. (2015). Stepping out of the shadows: Allied health student and academic perceptions of the impact of a service-learning experience on students’ work-readiness and employability. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 6(1), 66–87.
Kent, F., & Keating, J. (2013). Patient outcomes from a student-led interprofessional clinic in primary care. J Interprof Care, 27(4), 336-338. doi:10.3109/13561820.2013.767226
Lyle, D., Morris, J., Garne, D., Jones, D., Pitt, M., Walker, T., & Weston, R. (2006). Value adding through regional coordination of rural placements for all health disciplines: The Broken Hill experience. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 14(6), 244-248.
Swanson, C., Oates, R., Bourke, L., Woodhart, L., Ackland, K., Mcneil, R., & Wright, K. (2024). Service-learning in rural Victoria: A conceptual model to guide innovative work-integrated learning for allied health students. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 25(2), 245–257.