WORKSHOP 2

Community Based Learning - Reflections

on Practice Lorraine McIlrath, NUI Galway

Claire McDonnell, DIT

Aims of this Session

To bring an understanding of Community-Based Learning (CBL) to participants from the perspective of practitioners

To develop a sense of how Campus Engage is strategically developing CBL.

Why Are There Lots of Different Terms and Do They All Mean the Same Thing ?!!?

More Effective to Examine the Characteristics of Community-Based Learning

• Academic credit can be earned;• Knowledge and skills that are relevant to the academic discipline are

applied; • Active engagement with the community takes place in response to a

need identified by them; • Community organisations are valued as partners from whom students

can learn; • Academic theory is viewed in a real world context; • Issues vital to social, civic, cultural, economic and political society may

be explored; • Experiential learning techniques and opportunities are promoted;• Reflection strategies underpin the learning and assessment process.(Campus Engage How Guide on CBL; Boland, J. (2013). Curriculum development for sustainable civic engagement in Emerging Issues in Higher Education III (eds C. O’Farrell & A. Farrell). EDIN, p. 210-224.)

• Through a partnership with asylum seekers, philosophy students investigate and research the ethical dimension of Direct Provision Housing within Ireland and publish reports aimed at the public to highlight human rights issues.

• Law students offer pro bono legal information to community and voluntary groups or undertake community identified legal research projects.

• Students of art and design work with communities to produce collaborative work that makes use of their culture and environment and, for example, may highlight issues of conflict, marginalisation or social capital.

Some Examples of Community-Based Learning Projects

Is Community-Based Learning the Same as Volunteering / the Same as a Placement?

Community-based Learning – Reflections on Practice

Our Panel Today:• Michéal Clear, Community Partner (the Aisling Project)• Des Mulligan, Community Partner • Dympna Casey, Nursing Studies, NUI Galway• Catherine Gorman, School of Hospitality Management &Tourism, DIT• Eamonn Fitzgerald, Social Entrepreneurs Ireland (Graduate Civil

Engineering NUI Galway)• Megan McEnery and Niamh Ryan, students (Medicinal Chemistry &

Pharmaceutical Sciences)

Activities of Campus Engage to Strategically Develop Community-Based Learning

Working Group Projects 2013-14

1. Development and Dissemination of ‘How –to Guides’ on Community-based Learning & Community-based Research. 2. Onsite and online mentoring and consultation service for Community-based Learning & Community-based Research3. A Report on Incentivising Community-based Research & Community-based Learning for Systemic Change in HEIs4. Analysis of the Economic and Social Value of Civic Engagement in Higher Education for Campus Engage.

These guides have been written for a range of audiences (higher education staff, community partners, students) and deal with broader topics as well as specific aspects of community-engaged learning (policy drivers, ethics etc.)

AvailabilityIn your symposium packs and in PDF on the Campus Engage website; http://www.campusengage.ie/content/campus-engage-resources

‘How-to Guides’ on Community-based Learning & Community-based Research

Launch of Campus Engage CBL & CBR Mentoring Programme for Academic Staff

Aims • to build capacity and increase the number of Community-based

Learning (CBL) and Community-based Research (CBR) practitioners and champions on campuses

• to facilitate the development of skills to implement and embed CBL and CBR in HEIs

• to communicate the benefits of CBL and CBR to educators and learners Implementation• Regional one day Kick Start Sessions in September 2014 to support you

in developing a CBL / CBR project proposal • Subsequent mentor support and a summer forum to share learningTo join the mailing list for updates, sign up at the registration desk or at the afternoon workshops

Thank you for participating today – and special thanks to our panel for giving up their

time to share their knowledge and experience.