For interactive
communication technology majors, the required course Visual Perception and Web
Systems takes the concept of serving learning to a high-tech level. Students
enrolled in the course donate their design and technology skills to create
updateable websites for local nonprofit organizations.
The course fosters real-world website design experience
while teaching students theory and knowledge applicable both inside and outside
the classroom. The process includes learning which software to use and why,
researching and developing content and creating a live, functional website.
Students work in teams to create the websites, with each
team member assuming a specific role. The teams take full control of their projects,
arranging meetings with their organizations and employing a business model to
clearly define performance expectations.
Successful projects demonstrate an awareness of each
organization’s specific needs and provide organizations with useful tools to
advance their causes. The work places students in a unique situation, giving
them opportunities to learn the intricacies of the human condition. Students commonly
continue to assist their organizations with technical support and design long
after the course has ended.
The course evolved after the Northeast Mercy Conference on
Service Learning in 2004, when it became clear that students needed to
understand the difference between community service and service learning.
Linking the course to volunteer service and learning through reflection and
understanding brings it more in line with the Salve Regina mission and Core
Curriculum.
Students have worked with the following local organizations:
- Advocare
Trust
- Children’s
Hour Reading Program
- Council
for International Visitors
- Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center
- Literacy
Volunteers of Newport County
- Lucy’s
Hearth
- Newport
Children’s Theatre
- Off
the Curb
- Positively
Newport Schools
- VFW
Post 4487
- Volunteers in Newport
Education