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Developing Curricular and Appropriate Learning Strategies for Community Development and Peace Studies
Author(s) -
Chantrill Paul,
Spence Rebecca
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
peace and change
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1468-0130
pISSN - 0149-0508
DOI - 10.1111/1468-0130.00220
Subject(s) - peacemaking , field (mathematics) , process (computing) , sociology , professional development , public relations , pedagogy , engineering ethics , medical education , psychology , political science , engineering , computer science , medicine , social science , mathematics , pure mathematics , operating system
This article reflects on the motives, process, and outcomes of efforts to develop a dynamic course structure in which to teach current community development practice and peacemaking. We recognize the need for more applied learning to better support a student profile that is increasingly made up of community development practitioners and peace workers. The learning environment we seek to provide at the University of New England, a regional university in New South Wales, Australia, offers students the opportunity to: (1) consolidate and monitor their own practice in the field; (2) evaluate their own workplace environment and learning experiences in the field with reference to other students’ comparative experience; and (3) interact with teaching staff who act as providers of resources, networking contacts, and people with whom to engage in critical reflection. The paper concludes that a dynamic, flexible, and cooperative approach to learning is highly appropriate to contemporary adult and professional workplace education.