Thanks for dropping by my blog as part of the 2023 UCL Education Conference! I am Anne Laybourne and I run the Community Research Initiative, a project with UCL’s Volunteering Service in the Students’ Union UCL. I have pasted the abstract below, and present using a narrated slide deck. This slide deck is embedded below, hosted on You Tube. The title of the presentation is: Let’s go outside. Introducing a community-based research network to increase experiential learning opportunities for master’s students.
Happy listening! If you are using a screen reader, there are two QR codes within the presentation. The first QR code relates to a link to make an appointment with me and the link is here. The second QR code towards the end of the presentation relates to the webform hosted on the Students’ Union UCL webpages. The link is here.
Abstract
Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) is a teaching and learning strategy that focuses on partnership-working between university students and local communities for positive social change and enhanced student learning and experience. At UCL, there are various examples of CEL: Evaluation Exchange, the Community Research Initiative, as well as individual programmes with it embedded: MASc Creative Health, MA Public History. Students can apply skills and learning from their academic studies to a real-world problem. The new UCL Institutional Strategy commits to CEL going forward. It is imperative for meaningful and useful CEL – and therefore quality student experience – that Community Partners are supported to engage, given the power dynamics at play. This case study will present a new community-based network and physical office for small and grassroots organisations which will advocate for, support, and provide development opportunities to ensure they are equipped for the CEL opportunities.