Service Learning Educational Innovation And Social Transformation

This book offers a much-needed appraisal of two key social change movements within higher education: civic engagement and social innovation. The authors critically explore the historical and contemporary contexts as well as democratic foundations (or absence thereof) of both approaches, concluding with a discussion of possible future directions that may make the approaches more effective in fulfilling the broader democratic mission of U.S. higher education. This is an essential resource for those in higher education who wish to promote and advance social change, as it provides an opportunity to critically examine where we are with our civic engagement and social innovation approaches and what we might do to best realize their promise through changes in our educational processes, pedagogical strategies, evaluation metrics, and outcomes.

This open access book offers unique and novel views on the social innovation landscape, tools, practices, pedagogies, and research in the context of higher education. International, multi-disciplinary academics and industry leaders present new developments, research evidence, and practice expertise on social innovation in higher education institutions (HEIs), across academic and professional disciplines. The book includes a selected set of peer-reviewed chapters presenting different perspectives against which relevant actors can identify and analyse social innovation in HEIs. The volume demonstrates how HEIs can respond to societal challenges, support positive social change, and contribute to the development of international public policy discourse. It answers the question ‘how does the present higher education system, in different countries, promote social innovation and create social change and impact’. In answering this question, the book identifies factors driving success as well as obstacles. Furthermore, it examines how higher education innovation assists societal challenges and investigates the benefits of effective social innovation engagement by HEIs. The interdisciplinary approach of the volume makes it a must-read for scholars, students, policy-makers, and practitioners of economics, education, business and management, political science, and sociology interested in a better understanding of social innovation.

Twelve essays present current thinking on the subject of community service learning programs for youth. The essays integrate research with descriptions of innovative programs and recommendations for program design, advocating an approach that engages youth not only in helping others but in critical reflection. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This fifth book in the Advances in Service-Learning Research series continues to expand the discussion of service-learning research and practice. The chapters were selected through a refereed, blind-review process from papers presented at the 4th Annual International K-H Service-Learning Research Conference held October 2004 in Greenville, South Carolina. The chapters focus on topics that address a variety of issues in higher education and teacher education and are organized into four sections.

Service-Learning and Social Justice provides everything administrators and teachers need to build service-learning programs that prepare students as engaged citizens committed to equity and justice. Cipolle describes practical strategies for classroom teachers along with the theoretical framework so readers can deftly move beyond the book to a meaningful program for their schools. Writing in a conversational style, the author explains service-learning's unlimited potential in terms of student empowerment and academic achievement and as tool in developing a student's a lifetime commitment to service and social justice. This book's contribution to new knowledge and practice is three-fold as it promotes (a) understanding of how individuals become committed to social justice, (b) identification of how one's orientation to service-learning and social justice changes as one develops a more critical consciousness, and (c) practical strategies that teachers can use to support and guide students as they become more critically aware. Practitioners will improve their service-learning programs and have a framework for preparing students for their experiences, as well as ideas for reflection activities. Educators will gain a better understanding of the psychology and sociology of developing a commitment to service for social justice.

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.

Published in 1994, this book examines the processes through which independent school community service programs, as educational innovations, become more or less institutionalized in nine independent schools. The author considers school sponsored opportunities for students to serve in community-based organizations such as hospitals, day-care centres and nursing homes, and the aspects that influence the effectiveness of such programs. As a result of the study our understanding of the processes and factors that appear to be associated with program institutionalization are deepened. The rationales underlying independent school community programs are also examined. Finally the book raises questions for further research in independent schools regarding the nature of change, the program development process, and the role of affective education.

It is clear that service-learning has the potential to yieldtremendous benefits to students, communities, and institutions ofhigher education. Increased student learning has been welldocumented. As communities gain new energy to meet their needs andgreater capacity to capitalize on their assets, service-learningenables higher education to fulfill its civic responsibility. Whenservice-learning lives up to its potential to lead colleges anduniversities to transform themselves into fully engaged citizens oftheir communities and the world, its ability to bring aboutpositive social change is limitless. To be successful, service-learning must be grounded in a widerange of solid, reciprocal, democratic partnerships. BuildingPartnerships for Service-Learning assembles leading voices inthe field to bring their expertise to bear on this crucial topic.Faculty, administrators, student leaders, and community andcorporate leaders will find this volume filled with vitalinformation, exemplary models, and practical tools needed to makeservice-learning succeed. Comprehensive in scope, Building Partnerships forService-Learning includes: Fundamentals and frameworks for developing sustainablepartnerships Assessment as a partnership-building process The complex dynamics of collaboration between academic affairsand student affairs Partnering with students to enhance service-learning How to create campuswide infrastructure forservice-learning Profiles and case studies of outstanding partnerships withneighborhoods, community agencies, and K-12 schools Partnerships for collaborative action research Exploring the challenges and benefits of corporate andinternational partnerships The dynamic relationship of service-learning and the civicrenewal of higher education Building Partnerships for Service-Learning is theessential guide to taking service-learning and partnerships to thenext level.