Conference Agenda

This paper presents and analyses an in‑service teacher education programme designed to introduce Service-Learning (SL) as a pedagogical approach in schools in order to foster students’ democratic competences, active citizenship and social participation. Building on previous research highlighting both the potential of SL in developing critical thinking, empathy and civic agency, and the lack of systematic in‑service training for teachers, the programme “Service Learning: together by a MOOC” responds to the need to support teachers in designing and implementing SL projects in their own educational contexts.

The training is grounded in the BLEC Model, developed by CREMIT, which combines Blended learning, E‑tivities and Coaching as its core didactical components. A blended solution enables the integration of in‑presence and online activities, allowing flexible participation while sustaining collaborative work and reflective practice. E‑tivities are used as small, structured online tasks that punctuate the learning path and engage teachers in the progressive design of SL projects. Coaching, as the key element of the model, supports participants in connecting theoretical frameworks on SL, democratic competences and citizenship education with their concrete classroom practices and local community partnerships.

The programme is organised into five thematic modules that follow the main phases of the SL cycle: analysis of the local context and its needs, design of SL projects, implementation and management of activities with students and community partners, documentation, and evaluation of learning and service outcomes. Across the modules, particular attention is paid to: designing SL to promote both disciplinary and transversal competences linked to democratic culture; revitalising communities of teaching practice within and across schools; enhancing the visibility of projects as examples of good practice. The programme also explores how digital tools can support participation, inclusion and collaboration within SL pathways and help document and communicate democratic learning processes.

Drawing on data from the programme’s monitoring system (initial questionnaire N = 147, final questionnaire N = 64, and analysis of project documentation across two cohorts), the paper discusses the strengths and challenges of this didactical model for effective democracy education through SL, as well as perceived changes in teachers’ capacity to design, implement and assess SL activities. Finally, it illustrates how the project has evolved into a self-paced MOOC, currently involving 136 participants, aimed at consolidating a Community of Practice that can sustain the diffusion of SL and its contribution to more democratic school cultures.

Project-based learning at universities of applied sciences has traditionally been shaped by tasks set by industry or defined by lecturers. However, against a backdrop of technological and societal transformations, the requirements for the engineering profession are evolving. In addition to technical expertise, greater emphasis is placed on social responsibility, ethical reflection, and a stronger orientation toward societal needs. To meet these requirements, an approach that combines technical learning with civic engagement through service learning is gaining in importance.

At Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, an innovative format is being developed within the ‘Zukunftsagentur Nachhaltigkeit’ (ZuNa) that generates project ideas through direct dialogue with citizens. In public spaces, conversations on sustainability topics are conducted, during which societal concerns are collected and translated into student projects. Central to this approach is the personal exchange between students and community partners, enabling students to understand individual life situations and to contextualize technical challenges within real-world social settings.

The democracy-enhancing potential of this approach is illustrated by a project initiated through a conversation with a woman with a progressive neurodegenerative disease who uses a wheelchair. As she is unable to hold her head upright, she expressed the need for an automated, adjustable headrest to improve her social participation. In close collaboration, a student and the client developed a concept for an individually adjustable solution.

The ongoing dialogue became a key learning space, fostering empathy, perspective-taking, and critical reflection on the societal implications of technical decisions. This approach is grounded in Dewey’s pragmatist learning theory.

During the project, legal challenges emerged, particularly regarding liability and the testing of prototypes. Addressing these challenges required expanding the scope beyond the local context and led to a collaboration within the European university alliance INGENIUM. This highlights the importance of European cooperation in current societal contexts, as it enables the exchange of expertise and perspectives across national boundaries and strengthens a shared understanding of democratic values and responsibility.

This underscores the importance of European cooperation in the current social context, as it facilitates the exchange of expertise across national borders and strengthens a shared understanding of democratic values. Students develop not only technical expertise but also key democratic skills, including engaging with diversity, negotiating perspectives, and experiencing self-efficacy. This example shows that combining project-based service learning with European cooperation can effectively promote democracy education in technical higher education.

This project implements a learning experience, "What's Behind the Plug?", that addresses the diverse abilities, learning spaces, and styles of students. Designed for young people with special educational needs, it is carried out with members of the Aviva Foundation.

This work is the result of integrating the Service-Learning methodology into the Didactics course of the Physics and Chemistry specialization within the Master's Degree in Secondary Education, Baccalaureate, Vocational Training, and Language Teaching at the University of Salamanca. We consider it essential for the training of future teachers to understand and internalize the Service-Learning methodology in a practical way [1]. In this case, the experience was designed and implemented as part of the Master's Thesis.

Attention to diversity and inclusion are fundamental aspects of current education, with effective learning as the goal for all students. The methodological pillars of this learning experience are Service-Learning, gamification, and problem-based learning, with the aim of making physics accessible to people with disabilities. The goal is for students to actively participate in their own education. This approach develops the "learning to learn" competency. During the sessions, students observe experiments and participate in games related to various physical phenomena to understand the essence of energy transformations, as well as the generation and transmission of electricity [2], prioritizing hands-on learning. They are also encouraged to build an electrical circuit, fostering collaborative work and problem-solving skills.

The program was designed to spark interest in science and teach students about the use of renewable energy sources as an alternative. This has been demonstrated in the evaluation conducted based on the diverse profiles of the participants.

We have observed that students' perceptions and understanding of information can vary due to factors like their curricular competence, intellectual and linguistic aptitude, and cognitive processes. Hence, it is crucial for teachers to provide multiple access options for effective knowledge acquisition and to consider scholar' abilities and differences for strategic evaluation

Through this project, we have gained deeper insights into the needs and perspectives of individuals with disabilities. Embracing diverse ways of thinking, valuing each person's unique strengths and challenges. This work reinforces the importance of inclusion across all aspects of society, extending beyond physical accessibility. It emphasizes the necessity of ensuring equal opportunities and valuing diversity for all individuals.