Webinar on Service learning: methodology basis & implementation guidelines

On Friday 11 Dec 2020, the CIVIS open lab in Madrid will host a webinar on service-learning. The free online event is opened to all CIVIS partners and will focus on the methodology and key guidelines to design and implement service-learning activities within the Open Lab projects and educational programmes.

If in the second half of the 20th century, universities were characterized by more economic than civic approaches, in this first part of the 21st century it is necessary to give prominence to the third mission of the University: its social responsibility. Universities can and should train future professionals through experiential learning practices that develop social commitment, and which respond to community problems and to the sustainable development goals.

Service-learning is an experiential educational method in which students participate in activities that address human, social and environmental needs from the perspective of social justice, integrating community service with the curriculum to enrich learning in any university degree, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities through action and critical reflection

This teaching methodology allows for connecting students and universities with society to maintain and develop democracy and healthy levels of social capital within the European context. Service-learning is a key approach in terms of incorporating a culture of political and civic literacy among the student population within higher education. There is abundant scientific evidence that this practice results in significant benefits for the student, the faculty, the university itself, and the community.

This webinar, hosted by the CIVIS Open Lab in Madrid, is intended to introduce the conceptual basis of this learning methodology as well as key aspects for the design and implementation of Service-Learning activities for both university-stakeholders cooperation, to facilitate the development of projects within CIVIS Open Labs, as well as for CIVIS educational programs design.

We welcome everyone who is interested in attending this free event to register through this link by Thursday 10 December 2020.

A link with instructions to join the event will be sent to the registered participants.

Full programme

10.00-10.10: Welcome address and presentation

José Luis Pau, coordinator of the CIVIS Open Lab project and Head of the Innovation Unit at Universidad Autonóma de Madrid (UAM)

10.15-11.30 Introducing Service-Learning: Methodology Basis & Implementation Guidelines

Pilar Aramburuzabala, coordinator of the Service-Learning Program at UAM’s School of Teacher Training and Education and member of the Madrid Open Lab team.

11.30-12.00 Open Q&A session

Moderated by José Luis Pau

Speakers

Pilar Aramburuzabala

Pilar has been working for the past 20 years on service-learning with university students. She is the coordinator of the service-learning programme in the School of Teacher Training and Education at the Universidad Autonòma de Madrid. She is also President of the European Association of Service-Learning in Higher Education (EASLHE) and Director of the European Observatory of Service-Learning in Higher Education. She is an advisor to the Municipal Office of Service-Learning of the Madrid City Council.

José Luis Pau

Jose Luis is the CIVIS coordinator of the CIVIS Open Lab project and Head of the Innovation Unit at Universidad Autonóma de Madrid. Since 2017, Jose Luis supervises the implementation of local programmes including a broad range of knowledge transfer and entrepreneurial activities to support mutually beneficial collaborations between universities, businesses, and the public sector.