However, for adult students who also work at the same time as studying and who may also have children, asynchronous implementations can often be much easier. These students can also require some extra assistance at times that would be solved through blended learning and offering a few scheduled online contact opportunities (Jisc, 2023). Undoubtedly, the future of higher learning is digital even though traditional teaching and learning methods are still needed. Various approaches or methods of digital teaching and learning afford students wider flexibility with their studies. However, it is important to remember that all the competences needed in work life are not necessarily fully and effectively extractable with digital approaches and methods alone even if they are often described as more student-centred (Jisc, 2020; Rao, 2019). 30 Service learning can be described as a "form of experiential learning" that includes the completion of "real-world objectives for community" benefit (Bandy, 2011). In the SUCSESS project, this approach was specifically adopted to create the opportunity for students to develop work-integrated learning objectives such as professional skills development and relevant professional experience in line with the needs of the students’ chosen career path. Additionally, service learning can offer opportunities for students to be exposed to issues such as social justice and civic responsibility. In the case study reported later in this handbook, the service learning was designed to include aspects of community service aligned with a specific subject's curriculum to encourage "deeper understanding and link personal and social development with academic and cognitive development" (Bandy, 2011). As part of the SUCSESS project, the three South African universities explored their institutions' community engagement practices and policies. This investigation presented various opportunities for integrating service learning into specific module courses as a pedagogical tool for hands-on practical learning. After participation from South African students, it was found that these opportunities are particularly useful in the South African context where work placements are often challenging to find due to time constraints and a lack of industry capacity. Given the focus of the SUCSESS project, the use of service learning was utilised as a learning tool for students to learn about a specific professional problem and then to identify ways to solve the problem, thus simulating real life work experiences with a focus on the professional area of their studies. 3.7. Service Learning/ Active Citizens with the Community Based Projects
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