Transdisciplinary learning and teaching as answers to urban sustainability challenges

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Biberhofer ◽  
Christian Rammel
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Urban Sustainability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Science Society ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
Sustainability Challenges ◽  
The City ◽  
Learning Projects

Purpose This paper aims to explain the relevance of science-society interfaces and their potential for higher education institutions to engage stakeholders in supporting sustainable change in cities, via the transdisciplinary learning and teaching approach of the Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development Vienna. Design/methodology/approach This case study stresses new forms of transdisciplinary learning and teaching as essential drivers of a sustainable urban development. The inter- and transdisciplinary teaching course “Sustainability Challenge”, which has been offered since 2010 as a collaborative project by the four largest universities of Vienna, highlights the value of experienced-based learning approaches and the method of service learning. Special attention is devoted to the opportunities and challenges of the setting provided by the applied science-society interface and the particular method of service learning with its concrete benefits for the city of Vienna. Findings In analyzing the conceptual framework of the teaching course as well as conducted service learning projects, the authors prove potential benefits of transdisciplinary learning and teaching for real answers to urban sustainability challenges. Portraits of the most successful service learning projects are presented, with partners such as the City of Vienna, an organization and one enterprise. Lessons learned from the case study and key elements of the institutionalized umbrella function of science-society interfaces that provide prerequisites for applying transdisciplinary learning and teaching are shown. Originality/value Finally, main requirements, challenges and necessary institutional settings for transdisciplinary learning and teaching are summarized.

scholarly journals Reflect, Analyze, Act, Repeat: Creating Critical Consciousness through Critical Service-Learning at a Professional Development School

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 148 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Andrews ◽  
Susan Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Critical Consciousness ◽  
Professional Development School ◽  
Engaged Scholarship ◽  
Traditional Service ◽  
Community Engaged Scholarship ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
Learning Projects

Universities engage students in traditional service-learning projects that often yield “good feelings”, even a savior mentality, but typically leave the root causes of social justice issues unexamined and untouched. In contrast to traditional service-learning, critical service-learning bridges this gap with an explicit focus on justice and equity, situating scholars’ work with the community rather than for it. A public university in the southeast offered a doctoral course that focused on critical service-learning in the context of a professional development school partnership. Designed as an ethnographic multi-case study, each graduate student in the on-site course represents a case. Data collection included interviews, observations, written reflections, and artefacts. The analysis revealed that developing critical service-learning projects with educators—rather than for them—supported participants’ critical consciousness. Findings and discussion highlight that facilitating community-engaged scholarship through critical service-learning impacts graduate students and middle-grades educators’ research interests, work, and future directions.

The practice of professional skills and civic engagement through service learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 422-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuhui Sophy Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Interpersonal Communication ◽  
Traditional Learning ◽  
Community Service Learning ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Course Material ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
Learning Projects

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the community service learning initiative among Taiwanese communication students by examining the link between the value of work-based learning and learning outcomes from the applied classroom projects. Design/methodology/approach This study involves the applied classroom projects. Data are captured in both quantitative (i.e. survey) and qualitative methods (i.e. reflective papers). The survey is designed to measure general attitudes and perceptions of service learning students. The reflective papers focus on the participants’ expectations of the service learning outcome. Findings The findings suggest that work-based and service learning projects are beneficial for the students, faculty, university and community partners. As an extension of experiential learning, students acquire a deeper understanding of the course material, gain practical expertise in the real world, develop interpersonal communication skills and engage in civic responsibility. Practical implications This study supports the notion that service learning engagements help students develop problem-solving skills. It is suggested that since the content of traditional learning in the discipline of communication has changed extensively over the past decades (i.e. from traditional media to new digital media), service learning can be a complimentary tool to not only broaden students’ learning, but to also expand their professional horizons and opportunities. Originality/value The current study expands existing theory and advances our understanding of service learning in the discipline of communication in a Taiwanese context. With practical roots embedded in Western educational initiatives linking service learning to higher education, this paper reveals that service learning does work across cultures as well.

An Early Glimpse: Service Learning from an Adolescent Perspective

2000 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 115-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice W. Terry
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Community Action ◽  
Case Study Design ◽  
Creative Problem ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
Gifted Adolescents ◽  
Learning Projects ◽  
Adolescent Perspective

This article examines service learning from the perspective of gifted adolescents who have participated in what I have termed Community Action service learning projects. Using a case study design, I investigated adolescents' perspectives concerning their involvement in service learning projects grounded in creative problem solving. A service learning typology based on the degrees of student involvement is described. The importance of service learning to the participants in this study is highlighted in the following themes that emerged from the data: methodology, attitudes, personal and social development, commitment, and empowerment. Implications for educators are discussed.

The service learning projects: stakeholder benefits and potential class topics

2016 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 422-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raina M. Rutti ◽  
Joanne LaBonte ◽  
Marilyn Michelle Helms ◽  
Aref Agahei Hervani ◽  
Sy Sarkarat
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Nominal Group Technique ◽  
Nominal Group ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Real World Learning ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
College Classes ◽  
Learning Projects

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to summarize the benefits of including a service learning project in college classes and focusses on benefits to all stakeholders, including students, community, and faculty. Design/methodology/approach – Using a snowball approach in academic databases as well as a nominal group technique to poll faculty, key topics for service learning across college disciplines are presented. Findings – Findings include a wide range of service learning projects across disciplines. Research limitations/implications – Areas for future research are identified to expand the service learning topic list as well as guide studies on the long-term benefit of service learning for each identified stakeholder. Practical implications – For new faculty or faculty new to service learning, the list of paper ideas is a good first step to identify projects. While not comprehensive, the list serves to stimulate topic ideas and fills a void in the service learning literature. Social implications – Service learning exists to provide real-world learning for students, but the projects provide benefits for community groups, agencies, and organizations. Societal benefits from the student effort are numerous and there are little or no costs to the agencies who participate. Originality/value – The abundance of service learning literature has studied learning across disciplines and has quantitatively and qualitatively presented benefits, but no studies have worked to compile project ideas across major college disciplines. This research addresses this issue and provides the key first step to implement the service learning pedagogy: the topic idea.

scholarly journals Effective Community Listening: A Case Study on Photovoice in Rural Nicaragua

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Aslam ◽  
Matthew Pearson-Beck ◽  
Rachel Boots ◽  
Holly Mayton ◽  
Sara Link ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Community Partnerships ◽  
Community Empowerment ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Partner Organization ◽  
Effective Community ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
Learning Projects

Before beginning a service learning project, students and researchers must listen to the communities with whom they intend to work. By engaging in practical community listening activities, researchers can better understand local contexts and effectively solicit a community’s development needs. Photovoice is a very simple method that can be applied in service learning projects to help researchers understand the realities associated with their partner community. For service learning projects in unfamiliar settings, researchers should work closely with an experienced partner organization that understands a given community’s customs and culture. Applying Photovoice to development projects will facilitate problem identification, promote community empowerment, and assist in developing mutually-beneficial community partnerships. Photovoice creates a platform within a community for candid discussion about relevant issues, challenges, and needs for community-based development. In addition to improving the sustainability of service learning community partnerships, these activities enhance the resiliency of the projects that develop through community empowerment. This article outlines the significance of community listening in service learning projects, and it provides a case study of the Photovoice method that student researchers used when engaging with a rural Nicaraguan community.

scholarly journals Una experiencia de aprendizaje-servicio solidario con escuelas de islas.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa Filipczak
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Institutional Commitment ◽  
Learning Trajectory ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Environmental Care ◽  
Integral Education ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
The City ◽  
Learning Projects

Promoting an integral education that places the student at the centre of learning and aims to offer a learning trajectory in which students are the protagonists requires a strong institutional commitment. Accompanying children and young people in the construction of a life proj ect implies offering them educational experiences that incorporate values, experiences and reflection. This article describes one of the solidary service learning projects developed by the CEF (Franciscan Educational Centre) "San Francisco Solano", in the city of Rosario, Argentina, in collaboration with the non profit group "Friends of the River". The project aims to gather together students and teachers from CEF and from the schools in the islands, looking to use this exchange to promote respect for diver sity, work for justice and environmental care.

Service-learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-144
Author(s):  
D. Brian McNatt
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Interpersonal Communication ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Future Research ◽  
University Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Project ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
Learning Projects

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test whether engaging in course service-learning projects can impact interpersonal oral communication confidence and skill development beyond that of traditional course research projects. Design/methodology/approach Three sections of a university management course were randomly assigned to have a service-learning team project, while the other three retained the traditional research team project. All projects were student-generated. Survey data were collected at the beginning of the semester and at the end four months later. Findings Results indicated that service-learning produces greater oral communication self-efficacy. For female students, service-learning projects also increased their interpersonal communication self-efficacy and interpersonal communication competence (but not for males). Research limitations/implications The sample was limited to students in a management course, service-learning projects were only completed by groups and the study did not examine outcomes beyond four months. Future research could examine outcomes from projects by individuals, and examine what service-learning components create differing results between men and women. Practical implications Oral communication confidence can be bolstered through service-learning. Benefits may depend upon participant characteristics (like gender). Inasmuch as different service-learning projects positively impacted oral communication, students can be given flexibility in the kinds of projects they undertake. Originality/value This study answered the widespread calls for empirical data to support the claims of service-learning as a beneficial pedagogical tool. The experimental and measurement design overcame the limitations of some previous research. In addition, the study examined the crucial skill area of interpersonal oral communication.

scholarly journals Integrating Service Learning Projects into Civil Engineering Courses

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoqi (Jackie) Zhang ◽  
Nathan Gartner ◽  
Oguz Gunes ◽  
John M. Ting
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Traffic Signal Control ◽  
Program Outcomes ◽  
Heritage Foundation ◽  
Course Structure ◽  
Course Objectives ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
The City ◽  
Learning Projects

Three service-learning projects of various content, workload, and community partnering were identified and implemented in two core and one elective undergraduate courses in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2005. This paper presents how these service learning projects were seamlessly integrated into existing courses without removing pertinent course materials and without a significant increase in time commitment. Details on the course contents, course structure, projects implemented, and how each project was used to address certain course objectives were presented as well. The selected projects were as follows: (1) Davidson Street Parking Lot Redesign for the City of Lowell; (2) Intersection Analysis – Traffic Signal Control for the City of Lowell; and (3) Preliminary Building Structural Evaluation for the Architectural Heritage Foundation in Lowell, MA. Over 80 undergraduate students ranging from freshmen to seniors participated in these community-based projects. Course objectives and ABET program outcomes were evaluated by a course-specific survey questionnaire. Students’ experience on the S-L project was assessed by a newly developed survey instrument. The survey demonstrated that service learning had several positive impacts on the students.

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS' EXPERIENCES OF COVID-19 AS AN ENABLER FOR THEIR SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECTS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela James ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Sciences ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Teachers Experiences ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
Pre Service Teacher ◽  
Learning Projects

The newspaper headlines in July 2020, reflected the context of COVID-19 and the challenges in the education sector in South Africa. Pre-service teachers completing a Biological Sciences for Educations Research and Service-Learning module conducted their Service-Learning in their home contexts, which under normal times, they would do so in the neighbouring university contexts. The research question: Why did the Biological Sciences pre-service teachers' experience COVID-19 as an enabler for their Service-Learning projects. An interpretive, qualitative case study was adopted to explore the pre-service teacher’s experiences of their projects undertaken. The data gathering methods included document analysis (pre-service teacher’s reflective diaries); observation of module reflective sessions and seminar presentations and visual methodology (pre-service teachers made videos). The data analysis using descriptive content analysis. The research rigour of credibility and dependability were worked with, and the research ethics were considered. The results indicated that during the learning about the project, the pre-service teachers had emotional experiences of fear, excitement and even confusion. During the planning for the project, they had concerns about Covid-19 restrictions and access to placement sites, what to do, who to work with and the nature of the projects planned. The action of the Service-Learning indicated the collaboration and teamwork, imagination and creativity, including the contextually relevant problem-solving actions that were undertaken. Pre-service teachers were in their own communities where they excelled and built relationships and valued their community members. Service-Learning should be completed in the pre-service teacher’s home contexts for greater relevance, value and connectedness with their community. Keywords: biological sciences, case study, COVID-19 pandemic, pre-service-teacher education, service-learning

Mobile Makerspace Carts

2017 ◽  
pp. 31-46
Author(s):  
Shaunna Smith
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Portable Devices ◽  
Maker Movement ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
Educational Environments ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
Learning Projects ◽  
Free Open Source ◽  
The Maker Movement

This chapter provides background into the maker movement, potential strategies for integrating the maker movement into educational environments, and a case study of a mobile makerspace model that leverages carts with small portable devices and free/open-source apps/software to enable equitable makerspace experiences to learning spaces in diverse areas and contexts. Acknowledging the vast options for creating makerspace experiences, this chapter suggests that space itself can be transcended by focusing on immediately practical ways to provide access (i.e. small thematic mobile makerspace carts that can be easily transported), provide activities and tools that address the unique interests of the participants (i.e. asking participant stakeholders what their goals and aspirations are), and establish a learning culture that empowers maker mindsets (i.e. structuring activities with constraints that enable, engaging university students in service-learning projects).

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