Evaluation of Electronic Service-Learning (e-Service-Learning) Projects in Mainland China under COVID-19

Abstract

The use of electronic service-learning (e-Service-Learning or e-SL) is valuable under COVID-19 because we can provide the service without physical contact. Unfortunately, evaluation of e-SL is not widespread and there is no known study in different Chinese societies. Besides, there are many methodological limitations of the existing studies in the field. In this paper, we evaluated e-SL projects implemented in summer 2020 and 2021 in three sites in China. First, we examined service providers’ changes based on pretest and posttest scores (i.e., objective outcome evaluation) and their perceptions of the e-SL projects (i.e., subjective outcome evaluation based on the service providers). Second, graduate student assessors in Chinese mainland universities and teachers of primary school students (i.e., service recipients) rated the SL program quality, service providers’ performance and benefits to the service recipients after program completion (i.e., subjective outcome evaluation of SL projects based on other stakeholders). Third, trained graduate student assessors evaluated service quality during the implementation process (i.e., process evaluation). We found that university students (i.e., service providers) showed higher posttest scores in positive youth development attributes, leadership attributes and life satisfaction relative to pretest scores. Besides, service providers showed positive perceptions of their learning experience, own performance, benefits to the service recipients and themselves in the SL projects. Similarly, other stakeholders also had positive evaluation of the SL projects and related benefits. Finally, trained graduate student assessors had positive assessment of the quality of program implementation. The findings underscore the utility of e-SL involving both online teaching and learning as well as online service, particularly in a Chinese context.