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Students Learning with CommunitiesOld News
January 2010
We are delighted that DIT has recently become a member of the Talloires Network.
The Talloires Network is an international association of institutions committed to strengthening the civic roles and social responsibilities of higher education. The Dublin Institute of Technology is now one of its newest members. For more information on the Network, please click here.
November 23 & 24, 2009
Professor Bob Bringle of IUPUI (Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis), US, visited DIT on 23rd and 24th November to give a series of workshops and presentations on Students Learning With Communities topics, generously funded by Campus Engage and hosted by DIT’s Programme for Students Learning With Communities.
Bob Bringle is the Executive Director, IUPUI (Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis) Center for Service and Learning. He is also the Chancellor’s Professor of Psychology and Philanthropic Studies. Dr. Bringle’s work as Executive Director since 1994 has resulted in an expansion of the number of service learning courses. The IUPUI service learning program was ranked 8th best in the US among all colleges and universities in 2002 and has been listed among the best programs each subsequent year. IUPUI received a Presidential Award in 2006 as part of the first President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. His scholarly interests for service learning, community service, and civic engagement include student and faculty attitudes and motives, educational outcomes, institutionalization, and assessment and measurement issues. He has published With Service in Mind: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Psychology (edited with D. Duffy), Colleges and Universities as Citizens (edited with R. Games & E. Malloy), and The Measure of Service Learning: Research Scales to Assess Student Experiences (with M. Phillips and M. Hudson).
August 27-29, 2009
Living Knowledge 2009: Engaged Communities, Engaged Universities: Developing policy and practice in participatory research.
This conference was held in Belfast 27-29 August 2009. It provided an opportunity for policy makers, academics and civil society organisations to consider current practice and future opportunities in the field of research partnerships. Living Knowledge 2009 brought together some of the key thinkers and practitioners in the area of community based research, university/community partnerships and Science Shops. The conference provided opportunities for collaborations and worked to ensure that this area of work is prioritised on policy agendas both nationally and internationally. Catherine and Elena from DIT Students Learning with Communities gave a poster presentation at this conference called Mindmapping the Challenges.
July 2009
Launching Students Learning With Communities Practice Group
In July we launched our Students Learning With Communities Practice Group which meets four times over the academic year. We intend this group to be an opportunity for those of us interested and engaged in SLWC (staff, students and community partners) and to come together informally to discuss, reflect on and appraise all of our work, and to have an opportunity to share inspirations and ideas for individual and cross-disciplinary projects. We hold these meetings at lunchtime on alternating south-side and north-side DIT campuses to facilitate as many people as possible. Do keep an eye on our News section for future Practice Group dates.
June 25-27 2009
2nd International Centre for Service-Learning in Teacher Education Conference
This conference was held at NUI Galway from 25-27 June. Catherine and Elena from DIT Students Learning with Communities, and Martina Crehan from the DIT Learning, Teaching and Technology Centre, presented at a roundtable discussion on reflection.
June 4 & 5, 2009
This conference was held in Croke Park Conference Centre, Dublin in June. It provided participants from community and higher education with an opportunity to discuss the potential for change offered by civic engagement partnerships in areas such as service learning / community-based learning, research, civic education and volunteering. Catherine and Elena from Students Learning with Communities presented at a roundtable discussion on service-learning.
May 5, 2009
Students Learning With Communities Awards 2009
Congratulations to all students, community partners and lecturers who received awards for their participation in Students Learning With Communities projects during the 2008 - 2009 academic year!
The awards took place in the Courtyard Cafe in Aungier Street on Tuesday 5 May and the ceremony was officiated by Dr Frank Mc Mahon Director of Academic Affairs, Professor Thomas Cooke Director of Community Links and Dr Catherine Bates, Coordinator of Students Learning With Communities.
Click here to get a full list of the award recipients.
April 21, 2009
For the second year running DIT students joined forces with the Garda Road Safety Unit to develop new means of communicating road safety messages to young people. The CARS initiative (College Awareness of Road Safety) involved students from across DIT using their subject skills to explore different aspects of road safety and to design new and effective ways to communicate with young drivers, especially males in the 17-25 age bracket.
Hosted by DIT’s Students Learning With Communities office, the students’ work was exhibited and awarded at the CARS Showcase. Gay Byrne, Chairman of the Road Safety Authority, Chief Superintendent Gabriel McIntyre, as well as DIT President, Professor Brian Norton officiated at the ceremony and gave out prizes.
February 10, 2009
The exhibition - Aspects of Grangegorman - its Heritage and Culture - was a series of display boards on the heritage of the Grangegorman area. They were created by DIT students from Tourism Management and Event Management who studied Heritage, Culture and Tourism in 2008. The exhibition was officially launched by Dublin City Manager John Tierney and in attendance at the opening were this year's students who are about to begin on a similar project and several prominent community representatives.
The work was well received and provided the starting point for this year's students to appreciate the significance of the work they are about to embark on and the first formal opportunity to come into contact with the community they are about to work with. The exhibition ran until 27th February. Our thanks again to the Macro Centre for providing the exhibition space and promoting the students' work. Click here to find out more about this project and to see photos of the opening.
November 27, 2008
Seminar on Students Learning With Communities (community-based learning pedagogy).
Together with Martina Crehan from the Learning, Teaching and Technology Centre, we held a seminar on 'Introduction to Students Learning With Communities and Student Assessment on
Thursday November 27 2008 at the Learning and Teaching Centre, DIT Mount Street
November 6 & 7, 2008
Workshops on Students Learning With Communities – in engineering and across disciplines.
Professor Bill Oakes, of Purdue University in Indiana in the USA, facilitated a series of workshops and round-table discussions on community-based learning or service learning. Professor Oakes is the founder and director of EPICS, an award-winning programme in cross-disciplinary engineering education. These workshops were organized by DIT - Students Learning With Communities and Faculty of Engineering, and Campus Engage.
September 2008
Two new staff members have started with Students Learning with Communities. Catherine Bates and Elena Gamble both started in September 2008, with a wide range of community and education experience between them.
