{"id":3714,"date":"2016-04-19T09:00:19","date_gmt":"2016-04-19T13:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/communityfirst\/?p=3714"},"modified":"2016-04-15T12:08:02","modified_gmt":"2016-04-15T16:08:02","slug":"partners-action-university-victoria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/communityfirst\/2016\/partners-action-university-victoria\/","title":{"rendered":"Partners in Action: University of Victoria’s Office of Community-Based Research"},"content":{"rendered":"
by Carly Foubert, CFICE Volunteer<\/em><\/p>\n The Office of Community-Based Research at the University of Victoria is a partner of CFICE\u2019s Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) hub. For the past three and a half years they have been working in conjunction with local community organizations, university students, and faculty on a project titled \u201cEmbracing community outcomes: Using student engagement as knowledge mobilization\u201d. Recently they have completed and submitted an article, titled Knowledge Mobilization through Student Community Engagement<\/em>, to the Canadian Alliance for Community Service-Learning (CACSL) for publication as part of CACSL\u2019s 2016 conference book.<\/p>\n The University of Victoria research team. \u00a9Kathy Sanford<\/p><\/div>\n The focus they have taken in this study is to determine how university students can be used as knowledge mobilizers, or liaisons, between the community organizations and university instructors and administers involved in community-campus partnerships. In short, the study seeks to understand how every party involved can benefit more from better knowledge mobilization during co-operative education placements and practicums.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the things is recognizing that the students have a very important role to play in knowledge. One of the findings [of the research] is that we need to pay much closer attention to communication across the sectors; particularly the university needs to be better aware of the needs of community organizations and responsive to those needs,\u201d said Kathy Sanford, a co-applicant for the project and a professor with the faculty of Education at the University of Victoria.<\/p>\n For the study, interviews were conducted with students and community members at different levels of community organizations. Practicum and co-op coordinators, and other people on campus who have been involved with community organizations and placements, were also included in data collection. The interviews were then coded, analyzed, and key themes identified.<\/p>\n A researcher gives a presentation at University of Victoria’s focus group event on February 3, 2016. \u00a9Kathy Sanford<\/p><\/div>\n With the article completed, Kathy said, \u201cWe\u2019re deciding now where we want to take it, not just in terms of research, because I\u2019m not sure where that is actually going, but for our own institution and our own benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n The researchers and university participants have found the meetings held with community organizations of considerable value. Kathy noted the enthusiasm that came from having these conversations and sharing in mobilizing knowledge between different organizations.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve talked about things like having a database that can connect community organizations with the needs of the students in our programs in different ways; that [way] we can make the university more accessible to people in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
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