Janice McMillan

TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore service learning via the lens of activity theory and identify it as a form of boundary work in higher education, with educators identified as "boundary workers" and argue that in order to encourage and value service learning, we need to acknowledge the knowledge, values and skills required for playing the role of boundary worker in (boundary) practices such as this.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore an approach to developing and implementing service-learning and community-based research in a study-abroad program in Cape Town, South Africa, and outline an intentional, engaged pedagogy and program design emphasizing collaborative inquiry and partnership development.

Abstract: This article reports on a project focused on understanding the work of the Knowledge Co-op (KC) at the University of Cape Town in terms of community engagement and partnership building. The project tested tools for analyzing complex university–community interactions, or “boundary work.” Rather than analyzing the actual partnerships and research itself, activity theory was used as a framework for understanding the role of the KC broker, a key role in university–community partnership work. The activity theory lens assisted in identifying the complex work entailed in the broker role. In particular, the authors argue that in order to understand what happens at the university–community nexus, the unit of analysis needs to shift from individualized practices toward the transaction/boundary zone where these interactions take place.

TL;DR: In this article, a conceptualization of the "boundary zone" at the nexus of higher education and society, with a focus on service learning as practice, is presented, where the authors argue that unless we understand these practices better and in more nuanced ways, we are in no position to improve them and consequently our understandings of this form of educational practice remain unchanged.