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Connecting Social Capital to Learning
- 1. By: Lois Peters and Saskia Stinson
- 2. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities “Reaffirming the universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and the need for persons with disabilities to be guaranteed their full enjoyment without Discrimination”
- 3. Creating a Paradigm Shift Social Capital- networks and relationships that create social cohesion (Bourdieu 1986) Inclusion Marginalization
- 4. Hypothesis Postsecondary programs and curriculum for people with cognitive disabilities that provide experiences for students, that establish social capital, will serve to create a sustainable shift for employment success and inclusion in the community.
- 5. Conceptual framework Global- UN Human Rights Provincial-BC Schools: Diversity Framework & CLBC QOL Construct/Community Employment Action Plan Postsecondary-TRU ESTR Program- classes, labs, practicums
- 6. Educational Theory Constructivist Theory: Levi Vygotsky (1962) Knowledge Construction is linked to how individuals interact with the world around them, both materially and socially. Learning is an active and socially mediated experience. (Ebgo, 2009, p.19-20)
- 7. Theory Human Capital (Smith, 1776, Hansen 1970) skills and knowledge Social Capital(Bourdieau, 1986, Putman, 2000) relationships
- 8. Social Capital Bourdieu (1986) defined social capital as resources, both tangible and symbolic, that create connectedness to society via social networks Other types of capital: human economic cultural symbolic Habitus How a person goes about living their daily life and interacts with other forms of capital Quality of Life (QOL) Construct Dr. R.L. Schalock overriding principal to enhance an individual’s well-being Field contextual environment where a person lives and goes about their daily life Postsecondary Education, Employment and Community
- 9. What we know Human Capital Inclusion Social Capital ESTR Program
- 10. Observations… Some of our students are more successful in gaining and sustaining employment Social relationships and life style are impacted in a positive way Why?
- 11. ASE Outcomes Survey (2007) Made me more confident in myself – opened me up tto what is out there – for employment. Helped me think I can get a job and keep it. Made new friends. Made me less shy.
- 12. What we are beginning to know Acknowledge intangibles: self-determination (Seaton, 2012) empowerment self-confidence (Eldred, Ward, & Dutton, 2004) belief in one’s self inclusion in community (Reynolds 1988) access and participation
- 13. What we are beginning to know We are also beginning to know that these intangibles are and expression of a person’s well being. And that they impact on a persons happiness with life as a whole
- 14. Where students experience social capital outcomes Formal Networks within the classroom Networks with instructors Long-term networks with other students (Balatti, et al 2007) Networks to TRU campus life Networks to workplace through labs and practicum
- 15. Professional Networks Establish and re-establish community connections Presenting at internal functions Teaching and Learning Colloquium Language Culture and Community Summer Research Institute Collaborative Projects with other departments Taking practicum students from other programs VIP Luncheon
- 16. New Life Mission Project Interdisciplinary project with HUMS Program Peer driven and faculty supported Networking with students in other program Strengthening relationships with community groups Outcomes
- 17. Technology and social media
- 18. Digital Stories Students connecting with seniors to learn about their life and work history Integration of technology using i-Pads and PPT Article written reflecting the experience of participants in the project
- 19. What we have yet to know How to measure the intangibles (Personal Wellbeing Index; Catching Confidence Tool) How to teach students to build networks: students, campus, employer, service providers and broader community How to use social media: FB /Twitter/TRU Website How to integrate technology: cell phones; audio visual; podcasts, iPad and SMART Board
- 20. Future Research Case Studies - An Intercultural Dialogue: Multiple Case Studies of Adults with Cognitive Disabilities in Mexico and Canada Interviews – Experiment with Personal Wellbeing Index and Catching Confidence Tool
- 21. Questions What kinds of professional networks do participants have that support and enhance your programs and services? How are participants here using social media and technology to establish networks (social capital)? What kinds of program and service changes could be used to enhance a student’s formal and informal networks?
Editor's Notes
- The Education and Skills Training Program (ESTR) at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is an employment preparation program for individuals with cognitive disabilities. The program facilitates the development of essential skills (HRSDC) in numeracy, literacy, the acquisition of communication and interpersonal relationship skills, the understanding and use of technology, and the development of employability skills and good work habits. Students also participate in lab placements within businesses where they build hands on work skills and work experience placements in the community to develop experience and connections to the world of work. Through their experiences in the ESTR program students develop relationships with their peers, the wider TRU Community, and with employers and their staff who participate in the program.
- As instructors and work experience coordinators we have observed that some of our students are more successful than others in our program in gaining and sustaining employment. We have also noted that even though some of our students do not gain paid employment after completing our program, their social relationships and lifestyle are impacted in a positive way by participating in the ESTR Program and by being a part of campus life at TRU. In addition to this observation, we also noted that the most successful students in gaining employment and making positive changes in their lives were not necessarily those students who had the highest literacy and numeracy scores nor did they always obtain the best grades in completing classroom work.
- However, we began to realize that we had no formal acknowledgement or formal tools of measurement within our program for the intangible gains that students experience while attending our program on this campus. However, through the ASE Outcomes Survey (Prov. BC 2007) we know that the students feel that these changes are happening. These intangibles include the development of self-determination, self-confidence, a sense of purpose, and a sense of belonging within the community.
- What We are Beginning to Know We are now beginning to observe and understand how important these intangibles are to the success of our program and our students. Self-determination: David Seaton (2012) explains that historically people with disabilities were “looked after” as they were considered incapable of looking after themselves. They were often institutionalized so that they would be “safe” and thus kept away from the mainstream of society. Self-determination grew out of the independent living and disabilities rights movements begun in the 1960’s. Self-determination then became a right. Four governing principles; freedom which is the ability to plan a life, authority which is the ability to control a certain sum of dollars and determine how it is to be spent, responsibility which is accepting a role in the community through either employment or volunteer work, and support which includes both formal and informal supports allowing the first of these three principles to happen. (Wehmeyer & Palmer 2000, 2003, 2006) Self-Confidence: Self Confidence, being one of those intangibles is defined by Jan Eldred (Eldred et al, 2004) as being “a belief in one’s own abilities to do something in a specific situation. This belief, includes feeling accepted and on equal terms with others in the situation.”(p?) Other authors Hammond (2004) and Schuller et al (2002) have linked self-confidence to both success in learning and gains in other areas of the learners’ lives. Eldred developed a qualitative grid by which learners in a variety of literacy classes could record changes in confidence experienced through learning and whether these changes were positive or negative. Although we have observed changes in the self-confidence of our students, we have not attempted to measure it nor have we determined what exists in our curriculum that promotes the growth of self-confidence in our students. Confidence has a feeling component: “feeling positive,” “feeling that you can cope,” “feeling somebody, feeling valued and achieving.” It also has a doing component: “meeting new people,” “it’s doing new things…gaining new skills…trying new things.” Talking: “speaking up for yourself,” “about talking to new and different people” Inclusion characteristics of an inclusive environment, a supportive environment, positive relationships, feelings of competence and opportunities to participate. Referring back to the “Salamanca Agreement” (UNESCO, 1994) inclusion and participation were recognized as being essential to human dignity and an essential human right. It has been defined as both an increase in access and participation (Mittler, 2000) and being about respect, equality and belonging. Al Condeluci ( 20??) refers to the old TV show “Cheers” as being an excellent example of inclusion where all of the main characters are part of a community, that accepts them for who they are with all of their foibles. One of the lines of the theme song is “I want to be where everyone knows my name; and they are always glad I came.” ( Portnoy & Angelo, 1982) One of the main objectives of the ESTR program is that our students are appropriately included at Thompson Rivers University and that they learn the skills to be valued and included in the world of work.
- Some of the most positive changes in the lives of students that we observe include the development of interpersonal relationships and support networks. Balatti, Black and Falk (2007) discuss the three areas where they observed students experiencing social capital outcomes. The first area is the formal networks within the classroom. In the ESTR program students develop strong relationships with each other and with the faculty in the safe environment of a classroom or lab. Activities that involve group work, peer mentoring, and team building encourage this and help students to begin to develop social capital. The second area is networks with teachers. The instructors at TRU provide information and connection with groups on and off campus to provide support that also increases the student’s network. The third area mentioned by Balatti, Black and Falk is the long-term networks that develop with the other students. We are seeing more and more of our alumni staying connected both with each other and with TRU and the faculty here. Alumni often return just to say hello and at other times they are invited to return and talk to our present students about their jobs and how their lives have changed. We are also observing additional social capital outcomes developing. The location of the ESTR program on the University campus has provided many opportunities for the students to develop relationships with other students outside of the program. Some students have joined clubs or regularly attend Coffee Nights, Movie nights etc. The best Buddies Program has recently been initiated on campus which pairs ID students with other students with the goal of developing friendships and shared activities. Another important area where the ESTR program works to develop social capital is through the Labs and Work Experience placements. Students begin to develop those important relationships with people in the employment sector that are there to provide continued mentorship and support to graduates. Parris and Granger (2008) discuss the relationship between social capital and the ability to find employment. They particularly point out that work placements build the “bank” of social capital for the individual with a disability.
- Outcomes: Opportunity to use and apply learned skills for all students Building stronger relationships with community organizations through sponsorship Building self-confidence in students Promoting a more inclusive community
- Technology and Social Media Working with technology has always been a part of the ESTR program as students have had computer classes in every semester and computer assignments are included in most of the courses. In the past few years, technology has played an ever increasing role in connecting our students to formal networks within the classroom, networks with instructors, and social networks with peers through computers and cell phones. These forms of social media include YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, e mail, and texting. For our students the advent of social media has produced both new challenges and new opportunities. For some individuals with severe disabilities access to social media sites can be life changing. Glenda Watson-Hyatt writes on her blog, “Social media gives voices to individuals marginalized and ignored by traditional media, enabling the world to hear these persons for the first time in history.” Mike Resnick (2002) introduced the concept of sociotechnical capital, or making use of social software tools to facilitate social contact between people. Wellman and Haase (2002) also make the connection between the use of social tools on the internet and the creation of social capital. Social media can be the antidote to isolation. In addition a study by Zhoa (2006) finds that users who make use of social applications on line have more social contacts than those who do not. Our observations with ESTR students are that technology and social media are very motivating and enable our students to maintain contact with each other and with us as faculty. On the other hand it also creates great social challenges for our students. They often respond impulsively to posts and get themselves into social disputes and conflicts. Instructors and Work Experience Coordinators have found that connecting through social media has been a great tool both for keeping in contact with students when they are out on work experience placements and also for keeping connected with host employers. We have recently set up a Facebook page and a Twitter account in order to encourage communication with students and alumni.
- Have to ask Leanne for pics from digital stories to add to slide
- Personal Wellbeing Index (Cummins, Lau, 3rd Edition 2005) How happy are you about: The things you have? – like money and the things you own How healthy you are Getting along with the people you know How safe you feel doing things away from home How happy are you about things that may happen to you later in your life For those students who have difficulties how to do we help them to build networks?