Conference Program
Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).
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B.14. Service Learning As A Strategy For Institutional Reflexivity And Student Empowerment Location: Scienze Politiche (CU002): Aula XI "Aldo Moro" Convenor(s): Maria Dentale (University for Foreigners of Perugia, Italy); Stefania Tusini (University for Foreigners of Perugia, Italy); Matteo Gerli (University for Foreigners of Perugia, Italy) | |
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Co-designing Service Learning Ecosystems: Institutional Reflexivity and Student Empowerment through University–Community Collaboration 1: The University of Bucharest, Romania; 2: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; 3: Paris-Lodron Universität Salzburg; 4: Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”; 5: Foundation of the University of Bucharest Virtute et Sapientia This paper presents the design and early empirical insights of Service Learning 2.0: ColLab, an Erasmus+ strategic partnership between European 6 universities and 3 civil society organizations, aimed at institutionalizing service learning (SL) through a digital and collaborative ecosystem connecting universities, students, and civil society organizations (CSOs). Positioning service learning as both a pedagogical strategy and a mechanism for institutional reflexivity, the project adopts a participatory, multi-stakeholder approach to the co-creation of SL practices. A series of collaborative workshops engage (1) academics in defining learning objectives, assessment frameworks, and integration within the Moodle LMS; (2) CSOs in designing mentorship structures and support mechanisms for student engagement; and (3) students in shaping user experience, gamification elements, and personalized learning pathways. Complementarily, focus group interviews with students from disadvantaged backgrounds explore barriers to participation, inclusion needs, and enabling conditions for equitable access to experiential learning. Additional focus groups with CSOs investigate strategies for engaging vulnerable youth in community-based initiatives. These activities generate qualitative data (workshop artefacts, reflective notes, and focus group transcripts) that capture how institutional actors negotiate roles, expectations, and responsibilities when embedding service learning systemically. Preliminary analysis highlights three key dynamics: (a) service learning as a catalyst for rethinking curriculum–community boundaries (Saltmarsh et al., 2009; Butin, 2010, Saltmarsh & Hartley, 2011) (b) co-design processes that redistribute agency toward students and community partners (Cook-Sather et al., 2014; Petri, 2015; Bovill, 2020), and (c) the importance of structured mentorship and digital accessibility for inclusive participation (Waldner et al. 2012; Burgstahler, 2015). By examining SL as a co-constructed institutional practice rather than an isolated course innovation, the paper contributes empirical evidence on how universities can foster student empowerment while simultaneously transforming organizational cultures and partnerships. The findings offer practical and methodological implications for higher education institutions seeking to scale service learning sustainably and inclusively. | |