Service-Learning as a pedagogy to promote Inclusion, Diversity and Digital Empowerment
Since 1 January 2022, UCSIA has been the coordinator of the three-year Erasmus+ project SLIDE (2022-2024). The SLIDE project is a collaboration between ten European partners: six higher education institutions and four service-learning networks.
SLIDE aims to intertwine the Service-Learning (SL) pedagogy with Digital Empowerment (DE) to promote Inclusion (I) and diversity. The project brings together students and academics from a wide range of European higher education institutions to draw on existing practices, share knowledge and develop best practices in and with the community where all become problem solvers, and partners.
Transition to digital
The COVID crisis showed that students and teachers in higher education are (still) struggling with the transition to more digital education.
Often, these groups lack the knowledge and competences to deal with digital tools and environments in an efficient, confident and smooth way.
The SLIDE project aims to further develop the connection between service-learning and digital empowerment by providing tools and instruments to help teachers and students strengthen their digital competences, and by further developing service-learning as a pedagogy as a form of education to strengthen digital empowerment among all stakeholders, being students and teachers, as well as social partners and vulnerable target groups in society.
Objectives
Collectively understand and promote service-learning as a pedagogical approach that promotes inclusion, diversity, and digital empowerment
Equip students with digital capabilities and skills necessary for the use of technology in creative, critical, competent, and inclusive ways through service-learning activities.
Increase the capacity and willingness of higher education teachers to make a real shift towards digital education.
Facilitate the exchange and co-creation of knowledge on service-learning and digital empowerment in Europe.