Overcoming challenges in delivering community engaged learning for planning students in third-level education

Abstract

Community Engaged Learning (CEL) provides real world experiences where students can grapple with the complexities of the world while developing their planning skills and competencies, before pursuing their professional careers. For the teacher, CEL is time consuming, involves liaison with many stakeholders, and requires preparation and planning. Students can be daunted by the prospect of interacting with stakeholders and engaging in a professional manner with community groups. No longer an intellectual exercise in the comfort of the classroom; the student must embody the attributes of a planner in a real world setting. Despite the challenges, CEL can be a significant but rewarding undertaking for students, teachers and communities, which can result in impactful rewards for all.

Keywords: Planning Pedagogy, Community Engaged Learning, Civic Engagement, Collaboration