Papers by Vanessa R . Sperduti
Workplace: A Journal for Academic Labor, 2022
INTRODUCTION In this article, we argue that the labour required to ethically facilitate curricula... more INTRODUCTION In this article, we argue that the labour required to ethically facilitate curricular community engaged learning (CEL) has become increasingly demanding for faculty, staff, students, and community partners as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. CEL is a form of experiential learning (EL) that sees students and partners from non-profit, nongovernmental, and community-based organizations collaboratively develop projects for mutually beneficial outcomes. In contrast to problematic forms of EL that have students working without appropriate financial remuneration for a private sector entity, divorced from academic curricula and with little scholarly involvement, we contend that CEL can have a positive impact on students' academic, personal, and professional lives because of its emphasis on equity, its community orientation, and its commitment to reflexivity. To achieve such beneficial outcomes, however, CEL must be facilitated in an ethical manner, which is tremendously labour-intensive. Drawing, in part, on our own experiences, we examine how the workload of coordinating and participating in CEL has intensified for all participants as a result of COVID-19. Mapping the Terrain Broadly speaking, EL "is an approach that educators use to intentionally connect learners with practical experiences that include authentic and focused reflection" (Western University, 2019, "What is Experiential Learning?" section, para. 1). EL includes, but is not limited to, short-and long-term internships, coops , exchanges, practicums, simulations, field experiences, and CEL. Pre-COVID-19, EL was growing in both size and scope throughout institutions of higher education, which themselves have become increasingly managerial, corporatized, and metricsoriented (Canadian Association of University Teachers [
Journal of Supranational Policies of Education, 2022
Palabras clave: Banco Mundial, implementación de políticas, política educativa, actores no estata... more Palabras clave: Banco Mundial, implementación de políticas, política educativa, actores no estatales, educación.
Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2021/2 - Non-state actors in education: Who chooses? Who loses?, 2021
Non-state actors’ role extends beyond provision of schooling to interventions at various educatio... more Non-state actors’ role extends beyond provision of schooling to interventions at various education levels and influence spheres. Alongside its review of progress towards SDG 4, including emerging evidence on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact, the 2021/2 Global Education Monitoring Report urges governments to see all institutions, students and teachers as part of a single system. Standards, information, incentives and accountability should help governments protect, respect and fulfil the right to education of all, without turning their eyes away from privilege or exploitation. Publicly funded education does not have to be publicly provided but disparity in education processes, student outcomes and teacher working conditions must be addressed. Efficiency and innovation, rather than being commercial secrets, should be diffused and practised by all. To that end, transparency and integrity in the public education policy process need to be maintained to block vested interests.
The report’s rallying call – Who chooses? Who loses? – Invites policymakers to question relationships with non-state actors in terms of fundamental choices: between equity and freedom of choice; between encouraging initiative and setting standards; between groups of varying means and needs; between immediate commitments under SDG 4 and those to be progressively realized (e.g. post-secondary education); and between education and other social sectors.
Comparative Education Review, 2020
RIDAS, Revista Iberoamericana de Aprendizaje Servicio, 2020
COVID-19 has pervaded all aspects of higher education. Instructors are scrambling to ensure stude... more COVID-19 has pervaded all aspects of higher education. Instructors are scrambling to ensure students meet predetermined learning outcomes through online communication and teaching. Students are trying to learn, collaborate, and communicate in new ways with fellow classmates and instructors. As `traditional´ service-learning activities shift to accommodate physical distancing measures and remote learning, and students wrestle with the seismic shifts in their socio-political, economic, and cultural lives, critical reflection is now more important than ever. In this article, we draw on their collective experiences to discuss the importance of establishing an open, honest, and trustworthy environment for students to thoughtfully and productively engage in domestic curricular service-learning endeavours. Specifically, we examine the challenges of facilitating service-learning reflection activities for a fourth-year undergraduate media studies course at Western University (Western), a large, research-intensive publicly funded institution in Canada. The article concludes by offering some key recommendations for how instructors can effectively engage students in critical reflection via online platforms.
Comparative and International Higher Education, 2017
Scholarly and Research Communication , 2019
Books by Vanessa R . Sperduti
Lexington Studies in Health Communication), 2021
Mental Health among Higher Education Faculty, Administrators, and Graduate Studentsaddresses how ... more Mental Health among Higher Education Faculty, Administrators, and Graduate Studentsaddresses how many academics who experience mental distress or mental illness are afraid to speak out because of cultural stigma and fears of career repercussions. Many academics’ reluctance to publicly disclose their struggles complicates attempts to understand their experiences through research or popular media, or to develop targeted mental health resources and institutional policies. This volume builds on the existing studies in this greatly under-researched area of mental health among faculty, administrators, and graduate students in higher education. The chapters’ research findings will help institutions communicate about mental health in culturally-competent and person-centered ways; create work environments conducive to mental well-being; and support their academic employees who have mental health challenges. This book argues that discussions of health and wellness, equity, workload expectations and productivity, and campus diversity must also cover chronic illness and disability, which include mental health and mental illness.
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Papers by Vanessa R . Sperduti
The report’s rallying call – Who chooses? Who loses? – Invites policymakers to question relationships with non-state actors in terms of fundamental choices: between equity and freedom of choice; between encouraging initiative and setting standards; between groups of varying means and needs; between immediate commitments under SDG 4 and those to be progressively realized (e.g. post-secondary education); and between education and other social sectors.
Books by Vanessa R . Sperduti
The report’s rallying call – Who chooses? Who loses? – Invites policymakers to question relationships with non-state actors in terms of fundamental choices: between equity and freedom of choice; between encouraging initiative and setting standards; between groups of varying means and needs; between immediate commitments under SDG 4 and those to be progressively realized (e.g. post-secondary education); and between education and other social sectors.