Full Description
Service learning brings together students, academics and the community whereby all become teaching resources, problem solvers and partners. In addition to enhancing academic and real-world learning, the overall purpose of service learning is to instil in students a sense of civic engagement and responsibility and work towards positive social change within society.
Embedding Service Learning in European Higher Education promotes service learning as a pedagogical approach that develops civic engagement within higher education. It both describes and assesses the most recent developments and contextual positioning of service learning in European higher education and considers if and how the pedagogy is responding to European Union policy and the strategy of higher education institutions and towards engagement with broader societal issues.
With case studies from 12 universities across Europe, this book draws on existing practice, shares knowledge and develops best practice to provide conceptual and practical tools for teaching, researching and practising service learning. This book:
exposes service learning as a key approach in terms of embedding a culture of political and civic literacy within higher education;
considers service learning in Europe, an area of growing research in service learning practice;
explores the issue of university social responsibility;
presents chapters from leaders in the service learning movement at a national and international level.
Practical and engaging, Embedding Service Learning in European Higher Education is a fascinating read for anyone working in service learning as well as those working at universities with an interest in social and civic engagement and institutional reform.
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; Introduction; Section I Foundations of Service Learning within Europe; CHAPTER ONE What Is Service Learning? Making Sense of The Pedagogy and Practice; CHAPTER TWO The Changing Face of Higher Education - Economic and Democratic Imperatives; CHAPTER THREE Youth Life Purpose - Evaluating Service Learning via Development of Lifelong 'Radar' for Community Contribution; Section II Europe Engage - Approaches to Service Learning; CHAPTER FOUR Europe Engage - Developing a Culture of Civic Engagement through Service Learning within Higher Education in Europe; CHAPTER FIVE Service Learning, Civic Competencies and Work-Life Skills; CHAPTER SIX Understanding the Evolution of Service Learning at European Universities - Insights From Actor-Network Theory; CHAPTER SEVEN Identified Service Learning Practices in European Higher Education; Section III European Higher Education Practice - Case Studies; CHAPTER EIGHT National University of Ireland, Galway - Developing Service Learning as an Ethos and Practice; CHAPTER NINE Service Learning in Teacher Training - A Case Study of the Autonomous University of Madrid; CHAPTER TEN Promoting Civic Engagement through Service Learning at the University of Bologna; CHAPTER ELEVEN Service-Learning in Post-Communist Countries - Lithuania and Croatia; CHAPTER TWELVE European Student Reflections and Perspectives on Service Learning; Section IV Future Considerations for Service Learning in Europe; CHAPTER THIRTEEN Institutionalisation of Service learning in European Higher Education; CHAPTER FOURTEEN Considerations for Service Learning in European Higher Education
