The early origins of CE at UWC, its’ antecedents and current status Prof. Priscilla Daniels

“...the academy must become a more vigorous partner in the search for answers to our most pressing social, civic, economic and moral problems, and must [...] commitment to what I call the scholarship of engagement.” Ernest Boyer Boyer, E.L. 1996. The scholarship of engagement. Journal of Public Service and Outreach 1(1):11.

Antecedents In the early 1970’s the work of Paulo Freire became popular among UWC students and especially his idea of conscientization. Freire’s use of the word, conscientization referred to arriving at critical consciousness through dialogue and engagement with the contradictions of life and then arriving at an answer.

Freire asserts that community engagement and dialogue required love [passion] and humility [equality, trust and respect] and interactive horizontal relationship. Freire asks the question : “How can I dialogue, if I start from the premise that naming the world is the task of an elite? – Language How can I dialogue if I am closed to – and even offended by – the contribution of others?”- Equality, trust and respect

Theories influencing the scholarship of engagement at UWC and types of engagement Scholarship of Theory & Practice (Teaching – Boyer) Scholarship of integration Scholarship of Application Scholarship of research (discovery) Kolb experiential learning approach. 4 stage model = learning through reflection on doing = focus on the learning process 1. Concrete Experience 2. Reflective Observation 3. Abstract Conceptualisation 4. Active Experimentation Lev Vygotsky: Cultural – Historical Theory of Cognitive development is focused on the role of culture in the development of higher mental functions, such as speech and reasoning in children. His theory is sometimes referred to as having a socio cultural perspective, which means the theory emphasizes the importance of society and culture for promoting cognitive development.   Lave & Wenger Situated learning theory - learning space extends beyond the teacher and the classroom.   Socialisation into a wider community of practice that involves membership, identity formation, transition from novice to expert through mentorship and experience of Mezirow: Transformative learning theory focuses on what Mezirow himself described as “a critical dimension of learning in adulthood that enables us to recognize and reassess the structure of assumptions and expectations which frame our thinking, feeling and acting.”  activities of the practice Paulo Freire: Philosophy of education & Pedagogy of Freedom : Education becomes a "communion" between participants in a dialogue characterized by a reflexive, reciprocal, and socially relevant exchange, rather than the unilateral action of one individual agent for the benefit of the other.  There is no such thing as teaching without research and research without teaching. ~ Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of Freedom I teach because I search, because I question, and because I submit myself to questioning. ~ Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of Freedom   AGORA (GIBBONS)

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MODEL OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT at UWC

Scholarship of Application 1 Each triangle represents the following i.e.: 1. Teaching and learning, 2. Networking, 3. Capacity building, 4. Mentoring / coaching, 5. Community engagement, 6. Reflective practice, 7. Research & 8. Information sharing. 8 2 7 3 Make linkage of this model to the partnership 6 4 5

The value of the scholarly engagement. Engagement with civil society to innovate for development according to Douglas (2013) has the following value for South African universities: Engagement elicits knowledge and highlights needs to ensure that innovations have a meaningful impact in their target context and are ultimately adopted. Harnessing often unused sources of contextualised community knowledge which, when brought to the surface and processed, may contribute to the developmental goals of higher education and further research productivity and innovation. World class research necessitates conquering the local and theorising these experiences to the ‘global’.

Inhibitors of engaged partnership Untrustworthy in that insufficient time is taken to develop relationships and prioritization of the university needs at the cost of the community. Lack of coordination of CE activities resulted in duplication of certain services and a lack of other services. Intellectual property rights, disputes and funding proposal inputs and eventual benefits were contested areas. Services and resources of the HEI were fragmented due to power struggles over ownership of projects which did not put communities first. (Netshandama, 2010).

Indicators for quality partnerships Research at the University of Venda revealed four indicators for quality partnership: Balance the partnership objectives of both parties Ensure an unexploitative partnership Share power and control in the partnership Maintain and monitor the partnership. (Netshandama, 2010).

Co-production of knowledge “There is a need to recover indigenous knowledge from the grassroots, to hear the voice from below, to learn from them and to represent their experiences in the process of knowledge construction” Netshandama (2010b:349).

Conclusion “A new way of thinking has become the necessary condition for responsible living and acting. If we maintain obsolete values and beliefs, a fragmented consciousness and self-centered spirit, we will continue to hold onto outdated goals and behaviors.” – Dalai Lama

Question and Answer Thank You