scholarly journals “. . . What Is Going On in the Lives of These People?”: Encouraging Community Engagement in Development Economics Studies

SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824401982955
Author(s):  
Carike Claassen ◽  
Derick Blaauw
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
South African ◽  
Development Economics ◽  
Informal Economy ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
North West ◽  
The Social ◽  
University Town ◽  
The University

To respond to the numerous socioeconomic challenges facing South Africa, universities must equip students to actively participate in economic development initiatives. Students from Economics and all disciplines in the Social Sciences have a pertinent role to play in this regard. This article presents an initiative to implement service learning as part of the curriculum for Development Economics students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels at a South African public university. Undergraduate and postgraduate students acted as fieldworkers who carried out survey research in the local informal economy in the university town of Potchefstroom in South Africa’s North West Province. The experiences of students and lecturers in these two complimenting projects are compared and contrasted. The enthusiasm for the project was a clear theme emerging form the pilot projects. Future endeavors must employ even more resources to enable even more reflection in the learning experience. The possibility and benefits of converting the complete curriculum of Development Economics into a service learning approach also emerged from the research.

The utilisation of library spaces by postgraduate students at a university in an African country

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 289-309
Author(s):  
Siviwe Bangani ◽  
Mathew Moyo ◽  
Dina Mokgadi Mashiyane
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Return On Investment ◽  
Value Added ◽  
University Administrators ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
The University

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the use of library spaces by postgraduate students at the North-West University in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach A survey research methodology was used in which both online and print questionnaires were used to gather data. Findings The major findings of the study were that postgraduate students frequently visited the libraries to make use of the quite study spaces, which include the research commons and the study carrels. The study further found out that postgraduate students rarely visited the libraries for the purpose of consulting librarians regarding their studies. Challenges expressed by the students include insufficient workstations, poor internet and Wi-Fi connectivity and limited seating capacity. The benefit of the study is that it will help librarians and the university administrators to better understand the postgraduate students space needs, as well as the challenges being encountered. Research limitations/implications This biggest limitation of this study was a lack or low response rate by certain faculties, which mitigated against comparing the use of spaces by faculty. Practical implications The results of this study re-affirm the need for postgraduate spaces. University libraries that seek to build postgraduate spaces in the future need to ensure that an adequate number of computer workstations are supplied and Wi-Fi and bandwidth are improved. University libraries that already have postgraduate spaces should consider adding more workstations and improving bandwidth and Wi-Fi connectivity in those spaces. These results further point to a need for libraries in Africa and elsewhere to consider having more quiet study spaces for postgraduate students while reducing the number of group study spaces. Social implications The results of this study point to a need for libraries and university authorities to periodically review library spaces as a way to ensure their continued optimal usage. They also point to a need for more funds to further enhance the library spaces for postgraduate students’ use. Originality/value South African libraries are faced with challenges including the addition of 15 per cent value added tax to print and online resources. In this environment, libraries are expected by university authorities to demonstrate return on investment. This study, therefore, is located within the realm of determining return on investment for the funds spent by universities to build dedicated postgraduate library spaces. This study will further benefit librarians and the university administrators by helping them to better understand the postgraduate students space needs, as well as the challenges being encountered.

Richard Mackenney, Venice as the Polity of Mercy: Guilds, Confraternities, and the Social Order, c. 1250–c. 1650. Toronto Italian Studies. Toronto, Buffalo, and London: University of Toronto Press, 2019, xiii, 471.

Mediaevistik ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 551-552
Author(s):  
Thomas Willard
Keyword(s):  
Social Order ◽  
Merchant Of Venice ◽  
Legal Scholar ◽  
University Of Toronto ◽  
Italian Studies ◽  
The Merchant Of Venice ◽  
The Social ◽  
University Town ◽  
The University

Shakespeare is well known to have set two of his plays in and around Venice: The Merchant of Venice (1596) and The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice (1603). The first is often remembered for its famous speech about “the quality of mercy,” delivered by the female lead Portia in the disguise of a legal scholar from the university town of Padua. The speech helps to spare the life of her new husband’s friend and financial backer against the claims of the Jewish moneylender Shylock. The play has raised questions for Shakespearean scholars about the choice of Venice as an open city where merchants of all nations and faiths would meet on the Rialto while the city’s Senate, composed of leading merchants, worked hard to keep it open to all and especially profitable for its merchants. Those who would like to learn more about the city’s development as a center of trade can learn much from Richard Mackenney’s new book.

scholarly journals The Community Champions Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Sophie R. Mintz ◽  
Chantal A. Low ◽  
Ian J. McCurry ◽  
Terri H. Lipman
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Students ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Leadership Skills ◽  
University Of Pennsylvania ◽  
Community Members ◽  
School Of Nursing ◽  
The Social ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Hands On Learning ◽  
The University

The Community Champions program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing provides motivated nursing students with opportunities to partner with the greater Philadelphia community and engage in hands-on learning. With several thriving initiatives, students participate in service learning outside of the classroom, which ultimately strengthens their nursing and leadership skills. Students work to improve health and health education for people of all ages. These experiences help nursing students better understand the social determinants of health and how they impact community members. Dedicated faculty members assist in guiding the students, who work collaboratively to exchange ideas and methods. This program not only has an effect on the community, but also has a profound impact on the students that participate.

scholarly journals Forging a research community of practice to find out how South African children make their world mathematical

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Henning
Keyword(s):  
Community Of Practice ◽  
South African ◽  
Story Line ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Local Schools ◽  
Mathematics Competence ◽  
Shared Goal ◽  
Competence Test ◽  
The University ◽  
Different Sources

In a search for ways to capture foundation phase children’s competence in mathematics, a small research team was put together at a South African university four years ago. At first, working only in a single school where the objective was to model 80 learners’ growth in competence over four years, the team transformed into a very different entity. This article narrates the founding and development of a community of research practice, which eventually included undergraduate- and postgraduate students, researchers from institutions in Germany, Switzerland and South Africa, teachers at local schools close to the university, and an educational research and survey company. Supported by funding from four different sources, the project is fairly close to reaching the goal of delivering a standardised mathematics competence test for 4-8 year-olds, which is a first of its kind for the country where educational measurement seems to be at a crossroads. In the story line of this community of practice, it is evident that progress can be assessed best by the learning that has been taking place in a community with a notable diversity of people and interests, but with the shared goal of investigating children’s mathematical behaviour on a measure that can be trusted.

scholarly journals Town-Gown Relationships: Perceptions and Expectations about Bartın University Town-Gown Relationships

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-24
Author(s):  
Fatma Ünal
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Human Power ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Contributions ◽  
University Town ◽  
Perceptions And Expectations ◽  
The University ◽  
The City

Universities have missions to conduct scientific research, produce information and technology, fulfill the function of qualified human power needed by the societies at the universal level, as well as lead the transformation of the region and the city regarding social, cultural and economic perspective. The growth and development of universities and effective fulfillment of their functions are associated with the people’s perception about universities’ economic and social contributions to society along with getting approval and support from them. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions, evaluations and expectations of Bartın people towards Bartın University, which celebrated the 11th anniversary of the foundation in 2019. In the study, which used a mixed research method, 255 people were reached by using the criterion sampling method and the data were collected by demographic information form, scale and interview form. Findings revealed that Bartın people had little participation in the activities organized by the university and were not aware of these activities sufficiently. Findings also showed that socio-cultural activities organized by the university had enriched the social life, the development of the university had increased the possibilities of transportation both in the city and intercity and the increase in the number of the students positively affected the tradespeople. Additionally, it was concluded that the trainings and activities organized in the university contributed to the personal and professional development of the society. Moreover, the activities should be increased and cityoriented researches should be conducted. Participants, who stated the rapid development of the university as the most powerful aspect of the university, shared the suggestion that the academic staff should be increased in quantity and merit should be taken as the basis for the improvement.

Students' Perceptions of Older Adults: Effects of a Service-Learning Experience

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. S-59-S-72
Author(s):  
Heather Kanenberg ◽  
Susan Mapp ◽  
Rustin Dudley ◽  
Margaret McFarland
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Method Comparison ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
The Social ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Attitudes Toward Older Adults ◽  
Cultural Shifts

Previous literature has established an improvement in student attitudes toward older adults after a service- learning experience with this population. This study furthered the research by conducting a mixed- method comparison group study with a sample of 151 traditional- aged BSW students. Both groups increased in positive perceptions toward older adults on the Polizzi's (2003) refined Aging Semantic Differential Scale, and there was no significant difference between them. Qualitative results specific to those working with seniors suggest that students either improved or maintained positive attitudes toward this population. Therefore service learning may not need to be specific to this population to improve attitudes but does assist in reinforcing classroom material. Findings illustrate a need for further study of the overall impact of the social work curriculum as well as possible cultural shifts in attitudes toward older adults.

International Service-Learning

2016 ◽  
pp. 420-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joellen E. Coryell ◽  
Trae Stewart ◽  
Zane C. Wubbena ◽  
Tereza Cristina Valverde-Poenie ◽  
B. J. Spencer
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Future Research ◽  
International Service Learning ◽  
International Service ◽  
Working Together ◽  
Cultural Dialogue ◽  
The University

International Service-Learning (ISL) is a structured service-learning experience in another country where students learn from interaction, cross-cultural dialogue, and reflection. This humanistic pedagogy was utilized at the University of Canterbury after earthquakes rocked Christchurch, New Zealand (NZ) in 2010 and 2011. The present comparative-case study examined United States (US), European Union (EU), and Kiwi students' transformative learning through working together in a university-based ISL course designed around re-building Christchurch. Data were analyzed through the Kiely's (2005) Transformative Service-Learning Model. The findings of this study contribute new elements to the dimension of the model and argue that the concept of global citizenship may better explain a mixed cohort of international students' service-learning experiences in a post-disaster setting. Implications to the study's findings and recommendations for future research are briefly discussed.

Impact and Usage of Social Media Among the Post Graduate Students of Arts in Alagappa University, Karaikudi, India

2020 ◽  
pp. 99-110
Author(s):  
P. Pitchaipandi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Post Graduate ◽  
The Social ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

This chapter tries to analyse the impact and usage of social media among the postgraduate students of arts in Alagappa University, Karaikudi, under survey method for the study. The study identified the majority (69.79%) of the respondents under female category, and 72.92% of the respondents belong in the age group between 21 and 23 years. It is observed that 32.29% of the respondents use the social media, preferably YouTube. The plurality (48.96%) of the respondents use smartphone/mobiles compare to iPod, desktop, laptop, and others. 35.42% of the respondents' spent between 1 and 5 hours weekly using social media. Further, the study also observes the positive and negative aspects of using social media in postgraduate students of arts disciplines in the university.

Postgraduate Environmental Education Research: Meeting the Needs of the Community

1997 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 49-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Harris ◽  
Ian Robottom
Keyword(s):  
Education Research ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Powerful Learning ◽  
Postgraduate Studies ◽  
Research Meeting ◽  
The University

AbstractThis article reports on experiences gained in two postgraduate programs in environmental education—one at the University of Canberra and one at Deakin University. The paper draws from the work of several postgraduate students who are exploring environmental issues in their communities as part of their postgraduate studies. The paper addresses some issues associated with community-based environmental education, including:• research as participation in the critical appraisal of environmental situations• the need for the research to be responsive to the needs and interests of the community• the role of the researcher as change agent.The article concludes that community-based environmental education research is a powerful learning experience for postgraduate students who are at the forefront of the research process and communicating directly with the community.

scholarly journals Global U: Exploring Curricular Development and Outcomes in Three University of Utah Experiential Learning Abroad Programs

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-45
Author(s):  
Lisa H. Gren ◽  
L. Scott Benson ◽  
Caren J. Frost
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Authentic Learning ◽  
The United States ◽  
Global Learning ◽  
Short Term ◽  
University Of Utah ◽  
The University

The University of Utah is a publicly funded, R1 university located in the United States, with a mission statement that includes recognition of its global role, asserting that “. . . we engage local and global communities to promote education, health, and quality of life.” As part of that engagement, the University of Utah has offered learning abroad opportunities since 1967. Approximately 1 in 10 students participates in a global learning experience, and 80% of programs are short term (defined as 10 weeks or less). The pedagogical theories that guide these short-term programs are experiential learning, authentic learning, and intentional targeted intervention. We describe three short-term learning abroad programs in public health and social work—for students at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate level—connecting the reported benefits to the pedagogical model and theories used to develop the specific curriculum for these short-term programs. Faculty use a variety of reflective tools to help students learn to function in their new setting (experiential learning); explore and meaningfully construct concepts and relationships as they address real-world problems (authentic learning); and facilitate intercultural growth (intentional targeted learning). The University of Utah has adapted a three-stage model for learning abroad that incorporates principles from these theories to drive program activities: Plan (predeparture), Learn (program participation), and Integrate (postprogram). Immediate benefits to students of participating in a global-learning experience include intercultural learning, personal, and career development. Benefits to faculty include scholarly products in the domains of education and service learning, community-engaged participation, and research.

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