Description

In times when universities are becoming more aware of their role when it comes to societal impact, new forms of learning with and for society are getting more popular at European universities and other Higher Education Institutions (HEI). Engaged Learning is one form of this learning and can be defined as an interaction between the teacher, student, and the community to connect the learning content and context to real-life societal situations and environments. At Ghent University, Engaged Learning is in some cases applied in the form of the Community Service Learning (CSL) methodology but also in other individual methodologies.

Funding is one aspect of Engaged Learning that is an important, yet widely varied, factor. From our research, Engaged Learning, when officially recognized, is done on a mostly ad hoc basis within universities, and varies even more when looked at from a country level perspective. Certainly, within the EU there is no systematic approach to Engaged Learning at the HEI level. Though these initiatives take a lot of personal dedication and commitment to oversee the completion, they cannot be sustained without funding and this is a serious issue many HEIs face. Strategic planning for how to plan successful and sustainable Engaged Learning initiatives with tight budgets is an important consideration that perhaps institutions could, or should, be more involved with. Also, external funding opportunities can be made more aware to lecturers and the HEI support administration.

As seen from our research, particularly when reflecting on the feedback taken directly from the students and community members involved, the Engaged Learning initiatives were always welcomed and appreciated because of their practical, and overall, beneficial contributions both on a personal level, particularly for the students, and the community. Overall, Engaged Learning policies and examples from our research have been quite diverse; however, this was always intended to be viewed as a strengthening factor; Engaged Learning thrives in its uniqueness and applicability to many different disciplines.

Perhaps one of the biggest lessons learned from our previous research on Engaged Learning is that without the dedication of the staff involved, there simply would be no initiatives of which to speak. The staff involved in Engaged Learning are paramount in the success of the initiatives, without whom they more than likely would not have begun. Of course, there are other essential pieces necessary, but the dedication of the staff involved is incredibly important. 

This considered, one of the issues evident in our prior research is the lack of incentives or rewards given to the staff involved with the initiatives from the University or otherwise. The benefits to both the students and community these initiatives are involved with have been demonstrated very clearly, but the benefits to the staff are less clear. Of course, to consider is the potential for publication and personal fulfilment of undertaking such a task, but this is on a personal level rather than an institutional one. 

This then begs the question, is this enough? Is the intense, and time-consumingfulfillment, dedication for personal fulfilment enough to keep an Engaged Learning initiative sustained; and further, what happens when those involved leave the institution? And what is the added value of engaging with partners outside the university?

With this justification in mind, teaching these skills early on in the academic career provides more opportunity for such practices to evolve in thrive in university settings. Further to consider is the idea that while some of the PhD students who take part in this doctoral school program may stay within the UGent/Gent community, others will move on to other areas which has the potential to further spread the impact of Engaged Learning across Belgium and beyond.