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Wikipedia, the open crowdsourced encyclopedia that anyone can edit, ranks among the top ten most-visited websites globally. Its integration into university curriculum as an innovative educational tool is a slowly growing trend; however, many higher education institutions have yet to fully grasp its potential. In response, a specific optional module for Wikipedia editing, designed for the selected undergraduate science courses at the School of Advanced Studies, Russia, was implemented as an optional extra credit service-learning activity, a teaching methodology combining meaningful service to the community with curriculum-based learning. Students who chose to participate and those who preferred not to participate in the activity were invited to participate in a research project to explore their perspectives and experiences. In total, five sessions of focus group discussions were conducted with participants (12 females and 2 males) in one set and non-participants (5 females and 4 males) in another to identify students' perspectives on themes such as their interest in science, reasons for their choices, and their expectations before the activity while post-experience focus group discussions were used to identify the perspectives of participant students on themes, encompassing contribution of the service-learning activity, acquisition of new skills, and the development of prosocial behaviors. Students' opinions on integrating social responsibility topics into the curriculum were also explored. The results extracted from these focus group discussions, analyzed through consensual coding, revealed factors promoting student participation, like interest in the subject, novelty of the activity, and grade improvement opportunities, as well as factors deterring participation, such as concerns about academic benefits, workload, and time constraints. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that Wikipedia editing serves as a novel teaching methodology, promoting student learning and development in digital literacy and information literacy, which are among the twenty-first-century skills. Interestingly, at the same time, not all students could address the value of contributing to open, crowdsourced knowledge for public service or interpret this activity as an academic service-learning. These suggest that Wikipedia editing is an innovative teaching approach, fostering students' learning and development while also indicating its potential to enhance students' understanding of responsible citizenship and public service in the digital age.
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Purpose: To evaluate student pharmacists' confidence after providing education within diabetes groups in a non-medical community setting. Program Description: Three 8-week diabetes group courses were developed and executed within a local public library. The courses aimed to teach participants with diabetes how to effectively manage their medical condition to prevent future related complications. Student pharmacists were responsible for checking and recording the patients' vitals, assisting in answering questions posed by the participants throughout the session, presenting different medication information each week, and creating a brochure which described the highlights of the specific week's medication class. The student pharmacists were then surveyed regarding their confidence level in providing diabetes education in the future as well as their experience of working within these groups. Summary: Seventeen student pharmacists participated in three 8-week sessions. The majority of the student pharmacists reported increased confidence in being able to provide diabetes education as well as newfound empathy for persons with diabetes on how to manage their medical condition.
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INTRODUCTION: Service learning integrates community service, didactic and student self-reflection while at the same time striving to identify and meet needs of the community partnership agencies involved. Project Descriptions. In this manuscript, two baccalaureate nursing students describe their service learning experiences while embedded in an integrated primary care community partner site for two years. In project one, students designed and conducted an educational group for mental health clients in a rural day treatment program. In project two, the student revised a diabetic clinic educational form to reduce client burden.Project management and outcomes: Projects were designed in collaboration with community partners and faculty. Project one resulted in increased knowledge of coping mechanisms in a majority of group participants. Three months after implementation of the revised form designed in project two, a majority of diabetic clients served in the clinic had A1c reductions. DISCUSSION: Lessons learned by students during the experiences include communication skills such as developing rapport with specific client groups, steps of change management, professional team interactions and increased civic engagement. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first manuscript wherein baccalaureate nursing students add their voice to the literature describing the benefits of academic service learning. Our next step is an online follow up 9 months post-graduation, to examine whether benefits and skills are maintained.
RESUMEN
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a long-term on-going international academic service-learning (I-ASL) intervention. Its goal was to improve swallowing, feeding and oral care technique of medical staff in an orphanage in Guatemala to children who are medically complex and have special needs. METHOD: The PRECEDE-PROCEED model was used as the conceptual framework of the program. Five major target areas were identified during the diagnosis, assessment, implementation and evaluation phases of the model: knowledge and skills, feeding equipment, feeding and oral care technique, positioning and communication. Verbal instruction, modelling and small group training was provided by the research team across all visits. A five-day intervention designed to increase feeders' knowledge of feeding and oral care technique, signs and symptoms and complications of dysphagia and to improve their feeding, positioning and oral care technique was implemented and evaluated. RESULT: Statistical analyses showed significant increases in knowledge and appropriate feeding, positioning and oral care technique. CONCLUSION: As a consequence of the intervention, a trusting and mutually supportive relationship was built between the I-ASL team and the host organization.