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Enriching Service Learning by its Diversity: Combining University Service Learning and Corporate Social Responsibility to Help the NGOs Adapt Technology to Their Needs

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Abstract

Community-based service learning helps students link subject matter to everyday life and developing sense of responsibility to their community. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. Both promote civic engagement but the two hardly come across each other. We explore the process that enriched service learning with its diversity by combining CSR practices of a multinational software company. It begins by exploring different forms of action research with a focus on action engagement to improve students’ involvement in marginalized communities. The article provides field-based reflections of the sustained engagement and suggests ways in which service learning experiences may create rooms for innovation and growth in the non-profit sector, local communities, businesses, and students themselves.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support from the Department of Industrial Technology of the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Taiwan (100-EC-17-A-19- S1-163) and National Science Council (NSC 101-2218-E-033 -006 and NSC 101-2221-E-033 -061).

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Correspondence to Yao-Jen Chang.

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Chang, YJ., Chen, YR., Wang, F.TY. et al. Enriching Service Learning by its Diversity: Combining University Service Learning and Corporate Social Responsibility to Help the NGOs Adapt Technology to Their Needs. Syst Pract Action Res 27, 185–193 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11213-013-9278-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11213-013-9278-8

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