Integrating Service-Learning and Consulting in Distance Education

by Marie-Line Germain

Overview

The pressures upon students from employers are greater than ever. Demands for a highly skilled workforce in a digitalized economy mean that higher education institutions need to do more to prepare their student bodies for this new way of working. The geographical boundaries set by traditional on-campus courses prevent most universities from allowing online students to engage in community service. Online service-learning responds to this limitation by initiating the transfer of in-person community service to the online environment. E-service learning addresses the growing demand for flexible online courses and programs. 
Anchored in research and supported by eight years of successful implantation, this book presents an award-winning e-service-learning model which allows students to enhance their employability with real work experience. Faculty can go beyond theory while building their service requirements, and may use e-service-learning to offer real world applications and hands-on experience. Clients benefit from pro bono services, and universities are able to fulfill their strategic goals, serve the community-at-large, and grow their online programs by offering students a unique online course experience. This book advocates a model and instructions for faculty to successfully integrate a remote service-learning and consulting component in an online course making this an illuminating text for higher education researchers and leaders alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781787694125
Publisher:	Emerald Publishing Limited
Publication date:	07/01/2019
Series:	Emerald Points
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.08(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.55(d)

About the Author

Marie-Line Germain is a research, teaching, and service award-winning Associate Professor of Human Resources and Leadership at Western Carolina University, USA. She is the author of Narcissism at Work: Personality Disorders of Corporate Leaders. She has published over three dozen research articles in journals, and presented over 50 research papers internationally. Germain has received several national awards and competitive grants, including a Fulbright from the U.S. Department of State. She has been a visiting scholar-professor in China, Finland, Ghana, Japan, and South Korea. She is also a consultant for Fortune 500 and European companies.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Distance Education 
Chapter 2. Service-Learning and e-Service-Learning 
Chapter 3. Service-Learning and Consulting 
Chapter 4. The Consulting Team 
Chapter 5. The 3-step e-Consulting Model 
Chapter 6. Case Study 
Chapter 7. Benefits of e-Service-Learning and e-Consulting 
Chapter 8. Recommendations for a Successful e-Service-Learning Integration

Editorial Reviews

The online service-learning/consulting initiative presented in this book pairs business results with learning outcomes using an innovative model designed to maximize the benefit for all parties involved. It's a game changer for organizations and educational institutions alike.

Rachel Sossoman

The online consulting program gave me the confidence and practical skills to navigate a corporate environment, identify and research complex problems and deliver above the clients’ expectations

Alex Hall

Service-learning pedagogy and online learning methodology have been classified as ‘a way of the future’ when it comes to learning. Both have become so deeply rooted into our teaching and learning lexicon and praxis that they are in fact the way of the present. E-service-learning meets students where they already are and encourages and facilitates their journey to where they need to be —engaged in and learning with the community. If done well, like Dr. Germain describes, positive, relevant, and real world learning can occur and both students and partners can benefit in positive ways. Additionally, the scalability of learning well while doing good has not yet been realized in our on and offline learning environments. I believe that the consulting model offered in this book can push us further.

Lane Graves Perry III

This volume outlines a model and instructions for faculty to integrate a remote service-learning and consulting component into online courses, to help students gain real work experience while strengthening their confidence and communication and virtual teamwork skills, as well as serve the community. It discusses the best practices, limitations, and benefits of service-learning/consulting in online education and addresses theoretical aspects related to distance education, service-learning and e-service-learning, and consulting; the integration of e-service-learning in online courses, including the role of teams and a three-step model for integration; a case study of an e-consulting initiative in an online program at a US university; and recommendations for a successful program.

Annotation ©2019

This volume outlines a model and instructions for faculty to integrate a remote service-learning and consulting component into online courses, to help students gain real work experience while strengthening their confidence and communication and virtual teamwork skills, as well as serve the community. It discusses the best practices, limitations, and benefits of service-learning/consulting in online education and addresses theoretical aspects related to distance education, service-learning and e-service-learning, and consulting; the integration of e-service-learning in online courses, including the role of teams and a three-step model for integration; a case study of an e-consulting initiative in an online program at a US university; and recommendations for a successful program.

Annotation ©2019