CHOU, RUNG-JIUN
Department of Landscape Architecture
For many years, I have been teaching service-learning courses such as “Introduction to Cultural and Creative Design” and “Cultural and Creative Industry Research” in the Master’s Program of Cultural and Creative Design. I have led Master’s students from different departments and disciplines to assist with local revitalization, the promotion of cultural preservation, and the integration and utilization of local cultural resources for creative development. These resources are leveraged to create local industry opportunities, conveying to the students the importance of combining “profession”, “service”, and “learning”.
“Introduction to Cultural and Creative Design” and “Cultural and Creative Industry Research” are courses that combine architectural, landscape, interior design, commercial setup expertise with service learning. Local residents and students alike participate in the process of local cultural innovation and integration. This kind of service-learning course breaks free from the traditional look of classroom teaching, enabling field learning and hands-on experiences to integrate existing professional knowledge and resources, thereby achieving the goal of “learning by doing” and “doing while learning”.
Creativity is not merely about representations on drafts or models. Implementing service-learning courses not only lets local culture shine brightly but also breaks students’ preconceptions about creative design teaching. This benefits them greatly in their future works and presentations, aiding in their maturation process. The service processes and teaching outcomes inspire personal growth and spur me on to refine my teaching methods!
LIEN, CHEN-YU
Department of Landscape Architecture
The Department of Landscape Architecture at Chung Yuan Christian University upholds ‘Participatory Design’ as its core value. That is, by leveraging our own professional knowledge and skills, we invite spatial users and stakeholders to participate in environmental design, thereby implementing professional technical service.
In line with this tradition and philosophy, we have been leading students to locations such as Tianjin, Longtan District in Taoyuan, and Puyan Township in Changhua for at least one week of on-site service as part of our courses in recent years. By arranging local residents to participate in workshops using ‘Design Thinking’, students can identify the real needs of the local people and the problems with the environment. They then utilize their landscape design expertise to propose solutions for residents, and work hand-in-hand with community partners to transform the local environment.
As for the results of the related service-learning, in the academic year 107, the ‘Tile Kiln Special Forces’ team formed by our students won the first prize in the Community Service category of the Whole Person Care Award, while the ‘Tiansheng Small Team’ received an honorable mention in the same category. In the academic year 106, the ‘Longtan Literature Landscape Design Service Team’ also won the first prize in the Community Service category.
KANG, YA-SHU
Department of Special Education
Embarking on this service-learning course with a sense of excitement and exhilaration, I’m thankful to the heavens for not letting me down. During the process, I truly witnessed the transformation in my students; they became more mature and responsible.
I appreciate the inspiration that these young children brought to our students. Modern college students, despite their intelligence, often lack life role models and are uncertain about the kind of person they want to become. Their lives are not lacking in material things, but what they are missing is a clear life direction. Interacting with the children in the service area, college students began to recognize their own blessings and fortune. The firsthand experience of dealing with the challenges of life provided a wake-up call to our university students, giving them a powerful message, “I can help”.
In the service field, where lives meet lives, people exhibit their inabilities for us, unintentionally triggering the students’ imagination about the possibilities of a fulfilled life. This also sparks the emotional resonance in their hearts when serving others, reminding them that the youthful passion has never truly faded away within them…
I saw increasingly focused gazes, heard sincere sharing, and witnessed even more growth. Of course, the one who has probably grown the most might be myself.
I sincerely appreciate this magical journey in my life.
