Teaching experience in social outreach projects: the case of a subject in the Communication for Development bachelor degree at UNAN-Managua

Abstract

This paper presents a description of the teaching experience in social outreach projects, from the analysis of the subject Participatory Communication Strategies of the Communication for Development bachelor degree at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, Managua (UNAN-Managua). The purpose is to explain some participatory pedagogical tools channeled in the articulation of the processes of Training, Research and University Extension. Regarding the methodology applied, a descriptive qualitative analysis has been carried out to determine the role of professors, students and community in the context of social linkage projects that are developed in dialogue between the academy and the community. For this purpose, a dynamic and systematic process of documents was carried out based on key concepts; at the same time, an interview was applied to six students who participated as actors in the participatory pedagogical process. As main results, it has been demonstrated that the articulation of key university processes strengthens the capacities of students involved in social outreach projects. These processes, while contributing to the transformation of communities, prepare university students with social awareness, committed to the realities of their environment, to promote social and behavioral change at the individual and collective level, which allows them to generate strategic proposals. It is concluded that the articulated social outreach projects strengthen the vision of the University of the present century and forge students with social commitment with the capacity to promote the sustainable human development of the communities.