The 2018 Utrecht Network AGM workshop, organized for participants from Utrecht Network member institutions, will be on “Service Learning and Community Engagement in Higher Education Institutions”.
It will take place on 11 -12 April 2018 at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia.
The AGM workshop will focus on the methodology of service learning and how to institutionalise service learning methodology.
Service-Learning is an educational approach that combines learning goals with community engagement/service.
Students can achieve their learning goals by performing a “community service”: an experience that is not to be confused with humanitarian work, volunteerism or internship, since the “service project” forms part of the study course and allow the student to earn credits.
This approach is still relatively new in Europe, while it is already largely adopted in some non-European contexts (mainly US, Canada and Latin America), and it has proven to be extremely effective and rewarding for teachers and learners and to contribute to promote positive societal change.
The workshop will focus on:
This workshop is co-led by two European universities of the Network and takes advantage of the valuable contribution of an expert from the United States who will be a Fulbright scholar at Bologna University from January to June 2018.
So this workshop will be co-led by:
11th April 2018
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[one_fourth] 9.00 – 10.00 [/one_fourth]
[three_fourth] Introduction to the workshop concept
Ice-breaking activity, welcome coffee and sharing participants’ experiences [/three_fourth]
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[one_fourth] 10.00 – 12.30 [/one_fourth]
[three_fourth] PART I. Introduction to service learning methodology: experiential learning and critical reflection
– Specificity of the educational approach of Service-Learning compared to other forms of experiential education (internship, volunteering, etc)
– Examples/best practices of S-L
– Discussion and wrap-up [/three_fourth]
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[one_fourth] 12.30 – 14.00 [/one_fourth]
[three_fourth] Lunch [/three_fourth]
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[one_fourth] 14.00 – 18.00 [/one_fourth]
[three_fourth] PART II. Service-Learning course design
– identifying specific learning outcomes
– identifying relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes
– issues of assessment of student learning
– Activity: designing a S-L project [/three_fourth]
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[one_fourth] 19:30[/one_fourth]
[three_fourth] Social Dinner [/three_fourth]
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12th April 2018
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[one_fourth] 9:00-12:30 [/one_fourth]
[three_fourth] Institutionalisation of Service- Learning
– Guidelines and scenarios for the institutionalization of Service-Learning
– Activity: designing a S-L institutionalisation plan for your university [/three_fourth]
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[one_fourth] 12:45 [/one_fourth]
[three_fourth] Social lunch and goodbye [/three_fourth]
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The workshop is addressed to both academics and administrators, ideally a person who would be in the position to act as potential “multipliers” within his/her institution.
The maximum number of participants in the workshop is about 30 people.
In case applicants are more than the maximum number, a selection will be carried out among applicants, and at least 1 place for each UN member institution will be guaranteed.
Institutional representatives of the UN are invited to promote this initiative within their institutions.
The main learning objectives of the workshop are the following:
The workshop will consist of a combination of lectures, activity (group works) and lively discussions. The working language will be English.