University courses in ethics are designed to help a student
develop their moral character. But while classroom work
provides students with knowledge, it is often not sufficient
for deeper character development. The students also need
some sort of practical engagement with people in their
surrounding communities. This interaction creates both
individual reflection and social awareness. Service-learning
is a program which encourages the participants to learn
and develop their moral characters through working in the
community. During this interaction, both participants and
community members learn by sharing and exchanging their
experiences. But the question remains how effective this
program is in creating awareness of communities outside of
the orbit of the typical university experience? This paper,
uses a case study of an audio-book program developed at
Assumption University of Thailand called: ‘AU Voice for
the Blind.’ It will demonstrate on both a theoretical and
practical level how the student participant’s values are
shaped by such learning experiences.
