Embedding Community Education and Development Courses in the Community: The Learning Partnership of Waterford Women's Centre and Waterford Institute of Technology
Mary Fenton (Waterford Institute of Technology), Maeve O'Grady (Waterford Institute of Technology), Helen Basanth (Waterford Institute of Technology)
Abstract
A group of women engaged in a developmental educational programme in Waterford Women’s Centre (WWC) sought educational progression in 2004 that would maintain a particular way of learning and teaching. The Women’s Centre had already been involved in the design of the Higher Certificate in Community Education and Development in 1996 and many involved in the Centre went on to study with Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) and gain an Honours Degree qualification. This time, the Centre requested to be licensed to deliver the course in a new partnership arrangement. This involved the Centre employing the Co-ordinator and lecturers.
This paper evaluates this innovative partnership between WIT and WWC in the delivery of the Higher Certificate in Community Education and Development (2004-2007 inclusive). It summarises the key findings of research undertaken to evaluate the programme from the perspective of the main stakeholders, namely participants, facilitators, WWC management and steering committee and WIT’s academic staff and offers insights into the following:
• Participants’ overall learning experience;
• The flexibility and user-friendliness of the course approach and delivery;
• The modules and subject matter covered in terms of their relevance to participants’ community work practice;
• Modes of assessment used;
• Facilitators’ overall learning experience;
• The experiences of the programme co-ordinator;
• Quality assurance issues;
• Outreach and pre-development requirements:
• Feedback from the participants and course facilitators regarding:
o The relationship between WWC and WIT
o Level of service from WIT’s School of Education and Professional Development and its Community Education Section
o Access to WIT student services e.g. library, IT access etc.
The authors make a number of recommendations to both WIT and WWC on how to improve and enhance the delivery, operations and management of the Higher Certificate in Community Education and Development. This will inform the future delivery of the programme and support future development of the WIT / WWC partnership and relationship.
