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This qualitative case study explored the information literacy acquisition of 23 students enrolled in a learning community consisting of an advanced English as a Second Language (ESL) writing class and a one-unit class introducing students to research at a suburban community college library in California. As there are no other known learning communities that link an ESL course to a library course, this site afforded a unique opportunity to understand the ways in which ESL students learn to conduct library research. Students encountered difficulties finding, evaluating, and using information for their ESL assignments. Strategies that the students, their ESL instructor, and their instructional librarian crafted in response were enabled by the learning community structure. These strategies included integration of the two courses’ curricula, contextualized learning activities, and dialogue. ESL students in this study simultaneously discovered new language forms, new texts, new ideas, and new research practices, in large part because of the relationships that developed over time among the students, instructor, and instructional librarian. Given the increasing number of ESL students in higher education and the growing concern about their academic success, this study attempts to fill a gap in the research literature on ESL students’ information literacy acquisition.

This chapter describes a particular course that was undertaken as part of a partnership between three community institutions: a classroom of college undergraduate learners, residents of a local homeless outreach center, and the members of a neighboring social justice oriented Christian community. The project was an interdisciplinary endeavor, facilitated by the authors who represent the humanities, specifically Religious Studies and Education. The students in the course represented a cross-section of the institution where the authors teach: various majors, both declared and undeclared; students from different enrollment years; various ages; and mixed race and ethnicity. The first part of this chapter addresses a theoretical framework related to community-based learning and service-learning related to the role of such partnerships in higher education with specific focus on a particular course. The second part addresses the significance of the social change model and purposeful student self-reflection within such partnerships as a way to enhance student learning. The final part of the chapter includes an evaluation of the community collaboration with respect to process and student learning.

This chapter uses the idea of informed learning, an interpretation of information literacy that focuses on people’s information experiences rather than their skills or attributes, to analyse the character of using information to learn in diverse communities and settings, including digital, faith, indigenous and ethnic communities. While researchers of information behaviour or information seeking and use have investigated people’s information worlds in diverse contexts, this work is still at its earliest stages in the information literacy domain. To date, information literacy research has largely occurred in what might be considered mainstream educational and workplace contexts, with some emerging work in community settings. These have been mostly in academic libraries, schools and government workplaces. What does information literacy look like beyond these environments? How might we understand the experience of effective information use in a range of community settings, from the perspective of empirical research and other sources? The chapter concludes by commenting on the significance of diversifying the range of information experience contexts, for information literacy research and professional practice.

In 2013–2014 academic year, the authors led a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). The goal of the FLC was to increase participants’ knowledge of and experience with SoTL. The facilitators resided and worked in United States; the co-facilitator and the participants worked at Universidad Del Norte in Colombia South America. The facilitators in the United States spoke English; the participants spoke Spanish. While the technology was sometimes problematic, the translation difficult, and the distance inhibiting, overall the learning community was very successful in meeting its goals. We conclude with the lessons learned from this cross-cultural FLC experience.

Humanity faces many crises – climate change, food insecurity, persistent poverty – what Brown, Harris, and Russell (2010) call wicked problems. These problems implicate us all, with possible solutions transcending disciplinary, organizational, and national boundaries. Therefore educators need to nurture graduates able to engage as future practitioners – and citizens – in seeking solutions which recognize “the personal, the local and the strategic, as well as specialized contributions to knowledge” (Brown et al., 2010, p. 4).

A model of service-learning which draws on the principles of social pedagogy, cultural-based learning and co-production provides the foundations for a more reflexive pedagogy, supporting the “development of student attention, emotional balance, empathetic connection, compassion and altruistic behavior” (Zajonc, 2013, p. 83). This approach advocates that community organizations play a pivotal role in co-designing knowledge. Drawing on an applied research module at University of Wolverhampton this chapter will argue that by engaging community groups as co-producers of knowledge, learning can be extended beyond students to the wider community (Murphy & Joseph, 2019). Not only will this enhance the potential of service learning to benefit the community and the students, but it has the potential to produce graduates more sensitive to the needs of communities themselves.

Service-learning implementation in higher education classes provides positive value to the undergraduate students as well as to the community organization being served. Opportunities for personal and professional growth allow students to develop their cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal skills (Barnes, 2016; Myers, 2020). In addition, the curriculum and content connections to real-world situations encourage a deeper understanding of concepts and an application of meaningful critical thinking and problem-solving scenarios. Including the reflection component as part of the service-learning project enriches the experience and authenticates learning connecting theory to practice. The organization benefits with creative and innovative ideas from the volunteers as resources are shared and the student cultivates relationships in a culturally responsive manner (Schneider, 2018; Schvaneveldt & Spencer, 2016). Guidelines for the effective implementation of the service-learning project ensure a successful experience for all parties involved (Lee, Park, & Chun, 2018). The mutual beneficial relationship is healthy for all who are involved. Service-learning is an opportunity to further develop the student in areas of personal growth and teacher efficacy as well as helping the organizations and schools they serve (Barnes, 2016; Moore et al., 2016). In conclusion, service-learning advances many components of an engaging course and fosters experiential learning for the undergraduate student.

The combination of mobile devices and innovative tools offers new possibilities for the development of a community of practice for design makers. Mobile learning has become an essential method that design makers should adopt. The main content of this study is to explore the characteristics of learning behaviors and learning needs of creative design makers' group in forming a community of practice in the era of mobile learning.

This study conducted questionnaire research on the potentially associated or directly associated population of design makers. The process of the study also combined observational and interview studies to compensate for the lack of questionnaire research.

Based on the support of mobile learning technology, design makers share and co-create to achieve individual development and evolution of learning organizations, and produce creative value. Design-maker communities of practice form common communities in the framework of informal organizations to support continuous individual learning. Convergent interests or concerns in making things, real-world contexts based on makerspaces and hands-on practice based on real projects are the basis for forming design-maker communities of practice. A variety of open-source hardware, software and platforms that can support mobile learning are important for the development of design-maker communities of practice. The design-maker community of practice needs group factors, activity development, physical and technical resources, spatial support and institutional norms to enhance learning behaviors and satisfy learning needs.

The discovery and construction of these associated factors can help creative design practitioners form a lasting and virtuous organizational development. This study facilitates the formation of a social network for learning and knowledge sharing among design-maker communities of practice. It enhances the innovation ability and enthusiasm of design makers according to the population characteristics and learning needs of design makers. This study also facilitates the generation of a positive adaptive maker culture and maker spirit within design maker organizations.

This exploratory study attempts to capture some of the principal benefits/factors attributable to service learning/community service projects, from a student perspective.

A sample of 67 males and 83 females (16 graduate, 71 seniors, and 63 juniors) participated in the study.

Students believe that their college experience is preparing them for the job market, that critical thinking has been enhanced, and that their college academic experience has emphasized community service upon graduation.

The results increase one's knowledge of the benefits of service learning since so much emphasis is currently being placed on improving the critical thinking and problem‐solving ability of undergraduate business students.

Practitioners would be interested in understanding the impact that service learning can have on the problem‐solving ability of potential employees. If additional research could advance the proposition that students with service learning experience are generally superior in terms of their problem‐solving skills to students with no similar experience, then evidence of a service learning component on a student résumé suddenly adds value to the employer.

Many Canadians presume their universal health care system provides equitable opportunity and access to health, yet this is not necessarily the case, especially for marginalized populations. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize how marginalized, yet resilient, communities are able to build capacity and contribute to their own learning about health.

Environmental scan, state of the field review and community consultations on a national scale.

For adults living in rural and remote areas that fall below health norms, health knowledge and care is often not enough to build capacity and support resilient communities. More learning needs to be done by all members of community and government.

Consultations with selected members of marginalized populations and their service providers reveal a cross‐community, cross‐sector and cross‐government focus on addressing the social determinants of health is needed to increase individual capacity.

Consultations with community members and their service providers reveal rich information about the state of health and learning in selected areas across Canada. Using literature on health and learning as a framework, this paper discusses challenges and promising practices in terms of participants' abilities to sustain their own and their communities' health and learning.