Hochschule Karlsruhe Hochschule Karlsruhe - University of Applied Sciences
Hochschule Karlsruhe Hochschule Karlsruhe - University of Applied Sciences

Service learning

What is service learning?

Service learning is a didactic concept that aims to have students apply their specialized knowledge to social problems. In doing so, not only society benefits from the voluntary activity (service), but also the students themselves. They not only carry out the projects in practice, but also reflect on their actions in terms of professional and social aspects (learning). The graphic below shows how service-learning combines academic content with hands-on work and community service.

Service learning takes place in completed projects and in cooperation with charitable or other non-profit organizations. Mostly they are located in the social or cultural field as well as in nature conservation or sports. Service learning is always in a professional context and thus differs from pure volunteering. In contrast to internships, students work without financial compensation.

Studies have shown that participation in service learning projects promotes social skills such as a sense of responsibility and the ability to work in a team, as well as personal development in many respects. An American study also shows that participation in service learning programs can lead to better exam results and thus promote academic success. This can be explained primarily by the fact that working in a service learning project gives students the feeling that their specialist knowledge is needed by society and thus leads to greater motivation and enjoyment in their everyday studies.

Contact

Head of Service Learning
Anna Krez, M.A.

Tel.: +49 (0)721 925-1463
anna.krezspam prevention@h-ka.de

Geb. N, Raum 010
Moltkestraße 30
76133 Karlsruhe

Projects

Children's play town Karlopolis

HKA electrical engineering students build and operate regenerative energy systems with children

For the second time in a row, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (EIT) is participating in the two-week vacation program of the Karlsruhe City Youth Committee. As a further development to the previous years, the project is carried out for the first time in cooperation with the Institute for Early Education of the Karlsruhe University of Education (PH). In interdisciplinary learning tandems, EIT and PH students work on the following projects:

  • Wind turbine
  • Solar truck – mobile solar plant and control center of the energy company
  • Electricity-generating bicycles
  • Fuel cell in the "inventor's workshop" of the company

Karlopolis website 

Drama meets Electrical Engineering

In collaboration with the Badische Landesbühne Bruchsal, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (EIT)  is designing a stage set for Sergej Gößner's play "What on Earth?!", which deals with the topic of sustainability and the climate crisis. For this, EIT students and staff build a stage set from permanently mounted bicycles that generate enough electricity to power the energy-saving LED stage lights. During the production, actors as well as audience members are encouraged to generate the electricity needed for the performance themselves. If too little energy is generated, the auditorium automatically becomes darker. A live display shows whether the audience is producing enough energy for the performance.

www.hs-karlsruhe.de/presse/drama-meets-elektrotechnik/
www.dieblb.de/spielplan/index.php?rubric=Aktuelles