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Fostering Digital Well-Being Through (e-)Service-Learning: Engaging Students in Responsible and Inclusive Digital Practices
by
Irene Culcasi
Irene Culcasi
Irene Culcasi is a Researcher in General Didactics and Special Pedagogy at LUMSA University in Rome. [...]
Irene Culcasi is a Researcher in General Didactics and Special Pedagogy at LUMSA University in Rome. She coordinates the Research and Projects Area of the Postgraduate School "Educare all’Incontro e alla Solidarietà" (EIS-LUMSA), which has been promoting service-learning at local, national, and international levels since 2014. She is a founding member of the European Association of Service-Learning in Higher Education (EASLHE, 2019), where she has served as elected Secretary since 2023. Since 2025, she has been a board member of the Italian University Association for Service-Learning (UNiSL) and a member of the Editorial Board of the Revista Iberoamericana de Aprendizaje-Servicio (RIDAS). She holds a Ph.D. in Contemporary Humanism (Education curriculum) from LUMSA University, awarded as a joint degree in partnership with the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. She has written numerous articles and book chapters on Service-Learning and e-Service-Learning.
,
Rosario Cerrillo
Rosario Cerrillo
Rosario Cerrillo is an Associate Professor at the Department of Pedagogy, the Director of the Degree [...]
Rosario Cerrillo is an Associate Professor at the Department of Pedagogy, the Director of the Master’s Degree in Secondary Education Teachers Training at the Autonomous University of Madrid, and the Training Coordinator of UNESCO Chair in Education for Social Justice of UAM. She has obtained a BS in Pedagogy (1995), a BS in Primary Education-Teacher (1990), and a PhD in Education by the Complutense University of Madrid (1999). She was the Vice Dean of Postgraduate and Doctorate Programs at the School of Teacher Training and Education at UAM (2014-2018), the Academic Coordinator of the Master´s Degree in Educational Counseling (2009-2014), and the Academic Coordinator of the Bachelor´s Degree in Psychopedagogy (2002-2012). Dr Cerrillo has oriented her research interests toward Education for Social Justice, particularly in the fields of Service-Learning and Educational Leadership. She is an active member of the Research Group on Educational Change for Social Justice, the Research Network on Leadership and Educational Improvement, and the Institute of Human Rights, Democracy and Culture of Peace and Non-Violence. She has worked on Service-Learning with higher education students for 16 years, and she is a member of both the Spanish Association of Service-Learning in Higher Education, and the European Association of Service-Learning in Higher Education. She has written numerous articles and book chapters on Civic Engagement and Service-Learning.
Maria Cinque
Maria Cinque
Maria Cinque is a full professor of Pedagogy of Inclusion and Group Methodologies at LUMSA in Rome. [...]
Maria Cinque is a full professor of Pedagogy of Inclusion and Group Methodologies at LUMSA University in Rome. She is the Coordinator of the course for educators, Director of training courses for specialization in educational support activities for students with disabilities, and Director of the Postgraduate School “Educare all'Incontro e alla Solidarietà” EIS. She also teaches at Campus Bio-Medico University in Rome. Her main research interests focus on design of innovative learning environments, (e-)service-learning and soft skills, faculty development, technologies for teaching, learning, coaching, and creativity. She is a member of the scientific committee of the Uniservitate world program from 2023 to date and a member of the Scientific Committee of the Global Compact on Education for the Congregation for Catholic Education.
1
Department of Human Sciences, LUMSA University of Rome, 00193 Roma, Italy
2
Departamento de Pedagogía, Autonomous University of Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(9), 1158; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15091158 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 1 July 2025
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Revised: 17 August 2025
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Accepted: 22 August 2025
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Published: 25 August 2025
Abstract
(1) Background: In today’s digital society, challenges like cyberbullying, harmful social media use, and unhealthy digital habits demand innovative and inclusive educational responses. This study investigates the potential of service-learning (SL) and electronic service-learning (e-SL) as experiential approaches to enhance digital well-being among youth. By actively engaging students, educators, and community stakeholders in co-designed projects, SL/e-SL promotes critical awareness, digital citizenship, and prosocial values while addressing digital risks. (2) Methods: This review offers a literature-based analysis of existing programs and good practices that apply experiential education to encourage responsible digital engagement. It explores SL and e-SL experiences across various educational settings. (3) Results: The findings show that SL and e-SL can be effective educational tools, creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in tackling digital issues and building inclusive spaces where students, faculty, and communities collaborate to foster digital literacy and well-being. The analysis also led to the development of quality standards for SL and e-SL practices that promote digital well-being. (4) Conclusions: This study highlights key implications for teaching, underscoring the value of integrative pedagogies that connect experiential learning to digital challenges, promoting a more inclusive and responsible digital culture.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Culcasi, I.; Cerrillo, R.; Cinque, M.
Fostering Digital Well-Being Through (e-)Service-Learning: Engaging Students in Responsible and Inclusive Digital Practices. Behav. Sci. 2025, 15, 1158.
https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15091158
AMA Style
Culcasi I, Cerrillo R, Cinque M.
Fostering Digital Well-Being Through (e-)Service-Learning: Engaging Students in Responsible and Inclusive Digital Practices. Behavioral Sciences. 2025; 15(9):1158.
https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15091158
Chicago/Turabian Style
Culcasi, Irene, Rosario Cerrillo, and Maria Cinque.
2025. "Fostering Digital Well-Being Through (e-)Service-Learning: Engaging Students in Responsible and Inclusive Digital Practices" Behavioral Sciences 15, no. 9: 1158.
https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15091158
APA Style
Culcasi, I., Cerrillo, R., & Cinque, M.
(2025). Fostering Digital Well-Being Through (e-)Service-Learning: Engaging Students in Responsible and Inclusive Digital Practices. Behavioral Sciences, 15(9), 1158.
https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15091158
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