European Observatory of Service-Learning in Higher Education - EOSLHE

Learning is a process of transformation and improvement as human beings

Mapping of the Service-Learning Experiences in Higher Education across Europe

SHARE YOUR SL EXPERIENCE

107 Experiences

Service-Learning Experiences Shared IN

19 Countries

SHARE YOUR SL EXPERIENCE AS RESPONSE TO COVID-19

35 Experiences

Service-Learning Experiences in RESPONSE to COVID-19 Shared IN

14 Countries

Service-Learning Repository

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Experiences-Basic data

Good Practices

Other experiences-Extended data

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EU Funded Projects

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EOSLHE Reports

Service-learning institutionalisation processes in European higher education

Guidelines for the Institutionalization of service-learning in European HE

These guidelines were built upon substantial evidence in different European higher education institutions gathered by the European Observatory of Service-Learning in Higher Education (EOSLHE).

The guidelines can be used to guide service-learning providers throughout the performance processes of institutionalizing service-learning in European higher education, but also may provide a general overview on how to proceed in situations where there are no specific policies that guide the steps to follow.

1. INSTITUTIONAL INVOLVEMENT

To foster service-learning institutionalization, European higher education institutions should:

Write institutional mission statements focused on citizenship and social responsibility.
Define clearly short and long-term service-learning institutionalization goals.
Include the pedagogical approach of service-learning in strategic documents at different levels of university organization.
Ensure that service-learning is embedded across departments and throughout different levels of an institution’s pronouncements, policies, and practices.
Facilitate opportunities for the university community to self-organize, promote and develop service-learning in conditions of equity and participation
Set administrative policies to promote positive institutional side-effects at the university, the local community and society.

2. FUNDS ALLOCATION & FINANCIAL STRATEGIES

To foster service-learning institutionalization, European higher education institutions should:

Allocate regular, primarily internal, financial strategies to design, implement, manage and evaluate service-learning programs, which could be supplemented and expanded by external funding if needed.
Foster equality by ensuring that low-income individual students can access service-learning projects.
Adopt administrative procedures to foster transparency and fairness in the management of the service-learning budget.
Raise funds from external organizations
Consider the costs of continuing training for all agents involved, the mapping of service-learning and dissemination processes through in-person and online strategies.
Establish a system for measuring the social return on investment.

3. COORDINATION UNIT/SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

To foster service-learning institutionalization, European higher education institutions should:

Establish an office or a coordinating unit across the institution and within schools/faculties/academic centres, with specific staff responsible for service-learning affairs related to the students, teachers and community entities, and for other administrative issues.
Set up an advisory board of multiple stakeholders to ensure collaborative strategic planning, goal-setting and mutual benefit for all stakeholders.
Incorporate the voice of the students and external partners in the design of strategies related to service-learning at its different planning levels.
Encourage and facilitate the assessment and research of student learning outcomes, community partner’s outcomes, and the self-assessment of teachers.
Promote and support training opportunities, pedagogical aids, resources and connections to the community, as well as access to other international entities related to service-learning.
Recognize the management and coordination actions of those involved in the different committees, commissions and processes.

4. REWARDS AND RECOGNITION OF STUDENTS & TEACHERS

To foster service-learning institutionalization, European higher education institutions should:

Provide faculty and students with different forms of incentives for participating in service-learning projects.
Recognize students’ service-learning work with credits, and with a certificate or other form of recognition (besides credits).
Incorporate recognition into the faculty evaluation, tenure, and promotion processes.
Facilitate permanent training fostering faculty knowledge and confidence in service-learning activities.
Increase permanent faculty opportunities for joining national and international service-learning groups or outreach projects.
Design incentives for the different stakeholders to participate in service-learning projects.

5. TEACHING PLANNING

To foster service-learning institutionalization, European higher education institutions should:

Allocate regular, primarily internal, financial strategies to design, implement, manage and evaluate service-learning programs, which could be supplemented and expanded by external funding if needed.
Foster equality by ensuring that low-income individual students can access service-learning projects.
Adopt administrative procedures to foster transparency and fairness in the management of the service-learning budget.
Develop organization bounding and financial and funding strategies with a wider context.
Consider the costs of continuing training for all agents involved, the mapping of service – learning and dissemination processes through in person and on-line strategies.
Establish mechanisms to support and develop the measurement of the social return on investment.

6. TEACHING PRINCIPLES

To foster service-learning institutionalization, European higher education institutions should:

Promote and facilitate service-learning as a central teaching method.
Enable curricula to promote an active role for students in the identification of community needs for their service;
Include emotional and cognitive competencies, co-curricular learnings, and transversal competencies;
Promote interdisciplinary service-learning projects;
Develop online and international service-learning projects;
Impregnate service-learning with the ethical principles and values of social justice and education, including the gender perspective and social inclusion.

7. SERVICE-LEARNING RESEARCH

To foster service-learning institutionalization, European higher education institutions should:

Develop and conduct a collaborative or participatory research agenda built on a partnership with the community which should stay focused on all stakeholders.
Provide training on service-learning research and making research resources accessible.
Develop mechanisms for promoting and rewarding engaged research.
Disseminate service-learning projects and research targeting groups of interest/stakeholders.

8. INSTITUTIONAL ADVERTISING AND SUPPORT

To foster service-learning institutionalization, European higher education institutions should:

Manage a service-learning web section and an online platform to facilitate the cooperative work between community needs and expertise from all stakeholders, as well as to enable the submission of candidatures/proposals of students and/or teachers.
Create or develop in conditions of continuous update a database or a catalogue with past/running/future projects or courses.
Advertise service-learning courses throughout the institution.
Support the visibility of students’ participation in service-learning projects of all students regardless of their age, class, culture and race.
Promote the dissemination of Service-Learning throughout the university community, as well as to representative entities, policy makers and administration sectors in Higher education
Promote the participation of social partners, third sector entities and others, in public events related to service-learning

9. STUDENT SOCIAL JUSTICE LEARNINGS

To foster service-learning institutionalization, European higher education institutions should:

Promote students’ input in the design, implementation and/or evaluation of service-learning projects.
Provide students with practical social exercises of participating in policy making processes.
Engage students in activities involving taking responsibilities, community service, dialogue with peers and reflection.
Connect to movements in favour of social justice and democratic social change.
Incorporate consistent critical reflection sustaining longitudinal relationships and addressing structural inequalities.

10. PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY

To foster service-learning institutionalization, European higher education institutions should:

Develop sustainable and reciprocal partnerships between higher education institutions and civil society organisations through the implementation of service-learning programmes.
Mobilize appropriate community agency representatives serving as advocates and ambassadors for institutionalizing service-learning.
Observe the principles of coexistence and respect diversity in those involved in service-learning
Work with the community in the design, implementation and evaluation of service-learning projects
Ensure the inclusion of the diversity of perspectives.
Establish strategies for the celebration of the learning, the service and the partnership that make service-learning projects possible.
Relate service-learning projects with the Sustainable Development Goals.

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Download GUIDELINES here

Guidelines for the Institutionalization of service-learning in European higher education

Click on the image to download full guidelines in English Language

Click on the image to download full guidelines in Italian Language

Supporting the work of EOSLHE

Our work counts with the collaboration of formal, non-formal and informal Service-learning- national networks, as well as international organizations

EASLHE Definition of Service-Learning in Higher Education

Service-learning in higher education is an experiential educational method in which students engage in community service, reflect critically on this experience, and learn from it personally, socially and academically. The activities address human, social and environmental needs from the perspective of social justice and sustainable development, and aim at enriching learning in higher education, fostering civic responsibility and strengthening communities. Service-learning is always recognized with ECTS

European Association of Service-Learning in Higher Education.

service-learning

Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.

Benjamin Franklin

A good service-learning practice is an experience that meets the main characteristics of this methodology:

community-service

Integrates meaningful service and meets real needs

academic-discipline

The service is linked to the academic curriculum

learning-process-reflection

Reflection is part of the learning process

community-organization

Community organizations are valued as partners

student-strong-voice

Students have a strong voice

service-learning-methodology

Who we are
University Service-Learning Association

We are a Spanish association created in 2017 with the purpose of strengthening the collaboration and exchange of experiences of Service-Learning, disseminate educational and social projects based on this methodology, promote research and support the processes of institutionalization of the Service-Learning in the Spanish universities.

Overview of University Service-Learning Association

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