Mondragon University was created in 1997 by the association of three educational cooperatives, with an extensive career and experience in the world of education. Nowadays it has 4 Faculties in the areas of Engineering, Business Studies, Humanities and Education Sciences and Culinary Science. With more than 5.700 students and over 8.000 professionals trained every year, the university offers 19 undergraduate degrees, over 20 master degrees and many other courses and training for professionals and companies.
We are a cooperative university, which belongs to the MONDRAGON Corporation, with a clear human vocation and a commitment to our environment, our society and our time.
Our teaching model involves a system of relationships which, with the educational system as the central theme, aims to involve the companies and institutions, in order to guarantee social accessibility, the combination of work and study, the development of research and the provision of Continuing Education.
We are a practical university immersed in entrepreneurial reality. A university aimed at people to whom concepts such as solidarity, cooperation, social justice, equality and sharing are important. People who are searching for unique experiences, who yearn for transformation, with a distinct personality, who are restless, entrepreneurial and innovative and wish to design and take control of their own future.
A university with a reliable and high-quality educational proposal, equipped with state-of-the-art technological facilities potentially capable of anticipating future changes. A university that combines training, research and transfer with the vocation to guide all its activities in order to improve the competitive position of companies and organisations.
A university moored in cooperative values and ideals, founded on an innovative and distinct educational model. Committed to the future of individuals from a long-term, dynamic, creative, world-embracing perspective with an international focus and local anchoring.
As it is stated in our mission, at Mondragon Unibertsitatea we have a commitment towards social transformation, not only through what we do but also through how we do it, and we believe the aims of this Project can contribute to the fulfilment of that commitment. As a cooperative institution, we were born as a project of social initiative, where values such as inclusion, shared and participatory management and the response to a diverse and constantly changing society constitute our reason for being. We have always worked to ensure that students participate in the development of the University´s objectives, participating in the main decision taking boards. However, it is true that now, more than ever, students of Professional Higher Education Institutions are becoming more and more diverse and it is necessary to work on strategies that will help us all promote the inclusion and engagement of non-traditional students in the institution’s development.
Mondragon University´s co-operative status provides a unique feature in organisational terms. As such, it has a series of management bodies, with strategic decision-making powers, made up of both members of the cooperative itself and delegates from the student body and businesses and institutions. This has made it possible for the group of people who constitute the university (staff, students and companies-institutions) to be co-participants and co-responsible for it, facilitating their full participation and engagement in the university’s strategic decisions and development.
In addition, the Mondragon University was created with the clear objective of influencing the social transformation of its local context, promoting ways of doing things that would generate the participation of different local agents in social development and that would increase participation and civic commitment as the axis of social and economic transformation of the environment.
Therefore, we have a wide experience in students´ participation and engagement processes, which we believe might be an interesting contribution to the aims of this project.
Furthermore, Mondragon University´s research activity and extended knowledge includes areas related to transformational leadership, participatory processes, multicultural issues, skill development, etc, that will also contribute to the success of this project. Expertise in these issues will help to develop the different tasks set out in the project: defining competency framework around the concept of civic participation, giving inputs into the online toolkit on service learning and the student engagement course, and piloting the promotion of the ambassador model among students, between others.
Agurtzane Martinez, Research professor and coordinator of Master in learning facilitation & innovation
She received her PhD in Pedagogy from the University of the Basque Country (Spain) and her research focuses on inclusive education, innovative processes in education and professional development of teachers. She has participated in different competitive projects on learning facilitation and innovation with a special emphasis on participatory processes.
Ane Urizar, Lecturer and researcher in the Faculty of Humanities & Educational Sciences
Received her Ph.D degree in intercultural education from Mondragon University and worked as a lecturer and researcher at Mondragon University since 2000. Nowadays she is mainly involved in the field of multicultural and multilingual education, and she has participated in several projects related to that particular topic.
Monica Gago, Researcher of the Faculty of Business
She received her PhD in Economics in 2001 and her research area focuses on the analysis of the factors that influence the participation in decision making in co-operatives and other organisations. She has been involved in several projects on transformational leadership and worker participation with co-operatives and public institutions.
To ensure that service-learning projects have a positive and lasting impact on all stakeholders: the community, the higher education institution, and the student, they should be evaluated regularly and thoughtfully. Ongoing evaluation helps identify what’s working well, what can be improved, and how the experience is contributing to shared goals. To support this process, we’ve provided a selection of tools and frameworks to help you plan and conduct evaluations. Please note that even though some resources refer to e-Service-Learning, they are also applicable in the face-to-face context
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: Introduction and guidelines for the evaluation of Service-Learning community impact
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: A Service-Learning impact measurement tool
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: A Service-Learning projects quality assessment tool
Service-learning projects should be designed to respond to the real needs of the community. To ensure their relevance and impact, higher education institutions must actively collaborate with community partners, such as NGOs, local organisations and institutions that are directly engaged with the community’s most pressing challenges. Building and sustaining these partnerships requires mutual trust, clear communication, and shared goals. To support you in establishing collaborations with community partners, co-designing projects, and implementing them effectively, here is a a useful resource (please note that even though it refers to e-Service-Learning, it is also applicable in the face-to-face context).
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: Manual for community partners involved or planning to be involved in the e-Service-Learning. However, this manual is also applicable in a traditional face-to-face setting.
More resources can be found in our Resource Library.
Capacity building is the first step to supporting the effective implementation of service-learning across the higher education institution. When teaching staff are equipped with the right knowledge, tools, and pedagogical strategies, they are better prepared to design relevant service-learning experiences and guide students through the process. Here is a helpful handbook (please note that even though it refers to e-Service-Learning, it is also applicable in the face-to-face context).
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: A train-the-traniner set of guidelines for introducing e-Service-Learning. However, these guidelines are also applicable in a traditional face-to-face setting.
More resources can be found in our Resource Library.
Institutionalising service-learning is essential for its successful and sustainable implementation, moving beyond isolated efforts driven solely by individual enthusiasm. When support is provided at the institutional level, it becomes much easier to embed service-learning systematically into the curricula. However, this process must also take into account some contextual factors, such as the characteristics of the national higher education system and existing institutional policies and frameworks. To help you navigate these complexities, here are guidelines that can support institutional adoption and long-term implementation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: Guidelines for institutionalisation of service-learning based on research
More resources can be found in our Resource Library.
Assessment is a key element of service-learning, particularly because, according to the EASLHE definition, the learning achieved through this methodology must be formally recognised through ECTS credits. However, this stage can be particularly sensitive, as traditional assessment methods often do not fully capture students’ learning in a service-learning context. To support you in developing fair assessment strategies, here is a set of tools and examples to help you plan and implement appropriate assessment methods.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: Guidelines for trainers and universities for adopting the methodology and tools
More resources can be found in our Resource Library.
Reflection is a crucial component of the service-learning process, as it enables students to connect their community service experiences with the learning outcomes of the course. Reflection can take many forms: written, oral, creative, or digital, depending on the goals of the service-learning project, the way it has been integrated into the curriculum and your students’ needs. To support the design of meaningful reflection activities, here is a useful template that can help structure this important part of the Service-Learning experience.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: A Service-Learning project reflection template
More tools and templates can be found in our Resource Library.
Once everything is planned and the service-learning elements are integrated into your curriculum, students should be thoroughly informed about each step of the process and the expectations they are expected to meet. After addressing any questions or concerns, it’s time for the community partners to take an active role in the implementation. At this stage, clear and consistent communication is essential, along with careful documentation of the students’ activities, progress, and contributions. To find inspiration check out the projects and practices showcased by the European Association for Service Learning in Higher Education (EASLHE):
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCES: An overview of EASLHE’s (European Association for Service Learning in Higher Education) projects, with a map-based visualisation tool.
More resources, such as such as journalling tool is available to help students regularly reflect on their experiences and learning while the community service is in progress can be found in our Resource Library.
If you want to implement the service-learning methodology in your teaching practice, it’s important to consider your institutional context, the learning outcomes outlined in your curriculum, your students’ aspirations, and the needs of your community. To support you in this process, here is a useful resource that will help you understand the basic principles of service-learning, identify key stakeholders, and design meaningful, impactful experiences for both students and the community.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: A guide for embedding Service-Learning elements into the curriculum and recommendations for higher education institutions
More resources, such as such as guidelines, handbooks, and templates can be found in our Resource Library
