Learning with commitment
EASLHE role to promote Service-Learning In European Higher Education
Newsletter #5 | DEC 2020
European Association of Service-Learning in Higher Education (EASLHE)
The official establishment of the Association took place in Antwerp, Belgium in September 2019 at the occasion of the 2nd European Conference of Service-Learning in Higher Education.
The aim of the Association is to promote service-learning in higher education in Europe and to foster scholarly activities related to it.
The purpose of the European Association of Service-Learning in Higher Education (EASLHE) is more essential than ever before. COVID-19 has brought up new and urgent needs, in which solidarity is central and that can be faced through Service-Learning projects. We are aware that multiple volunteering initiatives are underway in many higher education institutions. We believe that through Service-Learning we can contribute to confronting and overcoming this common threat.
As an association, we encourage our members to collaborate in these actions by generating Service-Learning projects that respond to these needs. As EASHLE members, we could also contribute by disseminating this message through national networks and in our own institutions.
Furthermore, to fulfil the expectations of our members we have carried out an online survey with 15 open questions allowing the collection of written reflections on the membership expectations and contributions of the EASLHE, which was distributed to all the EASLHE members. Out of the 42 current members of EASLHE, a number of 20 responses were obtained. Although the sample size is not a large one, it still represents a significant part of the EASLHE active members. Hence, we consider that the contributions mirrored in the responses are of great informational value, allowing EASLHE to focus on its goals and its activities that can best meet its members. Next, by performing a qualitative content analysis, we highlight the most relevant questions and the responses offered by the EASLHE members.
EASLHE EXPECTATIONS SURVEY
This survey aims to collect and explore the expectations regarding EASHLE membership, as well as future implications and plans of the association.
Needs analysis survey of the EASLHE members: Expectations regarding the membership and the role of the association
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History of the European Observatory of Service-Learning in Higher Education
1. What expectations did you have when you signed up for EASLHE?
2. What is the added value of EASLHE in comparison with other networks and collaborations?
3. Do you consider that EASLHE can contribute to facilitating the implementation of S-L in Higher Education?
4. Do you see EASLHE as a possible vehicle for training SL tutors and trainers? What kind of trainings would you suggest?
5. Do you consider that EASLHE should be a kind of aggregating body of national S-L associations?
6. Do you consider that EASLHE can be helpful for the formation of European thought and culture?
7. How can EASLHE relate to the European universities’ initiative?
8. Do you consider that EASLHE can be an asset for the framework of volunteering and other types of community engagement activities of students so that it can be transformed into ECTS, where possible?
9. Do you consider that EASLHE can contribute to changes in teaching and learning, in line with the European thought and culture?
10. How do you think EASLHE could facilitate quality Service-Learning in your institution?
11. What kind of contribution can EASLHE add to the development of the (collaborative) global community of Service-Learning in Higher Education?
12. In what research topics do you consider EASHLE should focus?
13. What activities would you like to be carried out by the European Observatory of Service-Learning in Higher Education (EOSLHE)?
14. What issues do you consider most important regarding European Higher Education policies for Service-Learning?
In conclusion, the qualitative analysis of the answers to the open questions of the survey offers valuable information on the expectations and the needs of the current members of the EASLHE in terms of future planning of networking, exchange of educational practices, training and research on Service-Learning.
