| dc.description.abstract | Community-based learning and teaching in higher education, and other versions of it such as service learning, are now part of many syllabi worldwide. In the UK, there is a growing community of practitioners interested in student learning in partnership with local communities. Through diversifying the curriculum, it can expose students to different groups of people, often those they might otherwise not connect with. Students develop a greater sense of confidence, sensitivity to issues of diversity and an increased capacity to manage issues of diversity positively. It also enables learner engagement and success through the potential to develop inclusive pedagogy. Within the context of increasing interdisciplinary interest by those developing curricula beyond the traditional home of engaged research and teaching (for example in urban studies and sociology), we undertook an institution wide study to discover the potential barriers and opportunities to community-engaged learning and teaching approaches. Our research included a series of twenty university stakeholder interviews which involved academic teachers, engagement professionals and those supporting teaching and learning. We used a ‘students-as partners’ approach, where students interested in community-based learning took the leading role in the qualitative study. In this presentation, we share specific insights into the themes of inclusivity in our findings and provide recommendations for attendees seeking to develop their own approaches towards facilitating community-based learning and teaching. | en_US |
