Community Engaged Learning: Can it flourish in UK Higher Education?
Service Learning (SL) or Community Engaged Learning (CEL) pedagogy and practice has been emerging in UK Higher Education for over a decade. But what is it, and why should we care?
Sarah Rafferty, Community Engaged Learning Manager at the University of York and NCCPE Engage Fellow, shares insights from the December re-launch of the SL/CEL Network.
At its simplest, SL/ CEL bridges between theory and practice. It is where students collaborate with community partners on societal issues, sharing skills and knowledge to have a positive social impact, as part of the curriculum to gain academic credit. It can take many forms such as, social justice projects, community driven research, pro bono clinics and more.
This form of teaching and learning has the potential to be transformative, for both communities and students, with knowledge and learning shaped by collaboration and personal interactions.
With the increasing focus on the social purpose of Universities, now feels like the time to build momentum and explore what is needed to help SL/CEL flourish in the UK and in December The Service Learning/ Community Engaged Learning Network was relaunched to support this.
Relaunching the Network
The SL/CEL Network in the UK was established in 2019 to advance the integration of community partnerships into teaching. The Network aspires to enable university academics and professional services from around the UK to collaborate, share best practices, develop strategic initiatives and support research, which can enhance both pedagogical approaches and practical outcomes in SL/CEL.
The relaunch event was intended to help reignite conversations and reconnect professionals and community members working in this area. During the online webinar, around 50 colleagues came together to discuss the opportunities and challenges for engaged teaching and learning and consider what we would like from the network going forward.
Building the evidence base
During the webinar we explored the growing need to build up the UK evidence base for SL/CEL. Gemma Adams from the NCCPE directed us to many useful resources such as Enhancing the Student Civic Experience report, and Taking Stock of Engaged Learning, to help those practitioners seeking to make the case for this work in their institutions.
I discussed my NCCPE Engage Fellowship project, to develop an evaluation method to help us capture the impact of community-engaged learning on communities. It was great to see the enthusiasm for the project, and thanks to those who have since joined the HE Focus Groups looking at this in more detail. I hope to have something more to share about the tool in the next couple of months, when it is ready for the pilot data collection.
Following the presentations, the breakout sessions explored what stands out about SL/CEL and what we need to address if we want SL/CEL to flourish.
Discussions were lively, exploring issues of stability for and recognition of SL/CEL practitioners, challenges of definition of the pedagogy (termed as a ‘wild west of ideas’), the need for models of good practice, questions of scale, evaluation, student appetite and assessment to name a few! These rich discussions have given focus to the Network on the areas we would like to work with the sector to tackle:
- Community engagement models: Identifying and promoting effective models of community engagement in higher education, employing evidence-based approaches.
- Scholarship opportunities: Facilitating SL/CEL research and scholarship, particularly involving students in these academic pursuits.
- Pedagogical enhancement: Improving the understanding and implementation of SL/CEL pedagogies.
- Support for colleagues: Providing practical support and incentives for faculty and staff interested in SL/CEL initiatives.
Can SL/CEL flourish?
The relaunch of the Network was a wonderful reminder of the power of collaboration, and the important role higher education plays in local communities. Though there are challenges, I feel there is momentum. With ongoing discussions, new research, and fresh ideas being shared, I hope the future of community-engaged learning will be incredibly exciting. Let’s keep the conversation going and join us at the next SL/CEL Network event, looking at global examples of good practice, coming soon!
How can you get involved?
Join the SL/CEL Network on Jiscmail, you can start conversations, suggest an event and join in discussions on the latest thinking and approaches in SL and CEL.
Further information
This blog was written by Sarah Rafferty, Community Engaged Learning Manager, University of York. Contact Sarah at sarah.rafferty@york.ac.uk
The other Members of the SL/CEL Committee are:
- Marie Xypaki, Head of Learning and Teaching Enhancement, SOAS University of London.
- Hannah Cowell and Hannah Tweddle, Engaged Learning Advisers, University of Bristol
- Andy Coppins, Community Engagement and Volunteering Manager, Nottingham Trent University.
- Andrea Lyons-Lewis, Senior Lecturer and Service Learning Lead (Criminology), Nottingham Trent University.
- Patricia Zunszain, Professor of Multidisciplinary Mental Health Education, Academic Lead for Service-Learning, King's College London
- Donata Puntil, Lecturer in Psychotherapy, King’s College London
