The Empathy Compass for Addressing Societal Challenges in Education. A Tool for Higher Education to Stimulate, Facilitate and Assess Empathic Awareness in Multistakeholder Collaborations
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| Title: | The Empathy Compass for Addressing Societal Challenges in Education. A Tool for Higher Education to Stimulate, Facilitate and Assess Empathic Awareness in Multistakeholder Collaborations |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Wina Smeenk (ORCID |
| Source: | Higher Education Research and Development. 2025 44(8):2082-2100. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 19 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Higher Education, Empathy, Stakeholders, Foreign Countries, Research Methodology, Research Tools, Citizenship Responsibility, Instructional Design, Partnerships in Education, Drug Use, College Students, Material Development |
| Geographic Terms: | Netherlands |
| DOI: | 10.1080/07294360.2025.2510670 |
| ISSN: | 0729-4360 1469-8366 |
| Abstract: | In the face of contemporary challenges, ranging from safety concerns to social and environmental issues, it becomes increasingly evident that conventional approaches often fall short. Higher education, as a catalyst for social progress and talent development, holds a unique position to foster mutual learning across sectors, disciplines, life-spheres and communities. By nurturing critical thinking and creativity, education can empower students to drive and take societal and environmental responsibility. Empathic co-design emerges as a crucial approach for navigating complexity and establishing change. Exposure to diverse perspectives encourages individuals, particularly students, to expand their empathy by challenging their preconceptions, fostering understanding, and promoting a deeper sense of interconnectedness with others. Recognizing the significance of empathy in educational co-design contexts and beyond, this paper introduces the Empathy Compass. Through two case studies on the societal impact of Ecstasy production and use, we demonstrate the Compass's utility in tracking students' empathic awareness. The practice-oriented, three-dimensional tool highlights specific mindsets, activities and methodologies within each quadrant, its intersections and the 'we-space'. The Empathy Compass emerges as a valuable tool for higher education, supporting the stimulation, facilitation and assessment of empathic awareness in multi-stakeholder collaborations. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1503787 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | In the face of contemporary challenges, ranging from safety concerns to social and environmental issues, it becomes increasingly evident that conventional approaches often fall short. Higher education, as a catalyst for social progress and talent development, holds a unique position to foster mutual learning across sectors, disciplines, life-spheres and communities. By nurturing critical thinking and creativity, education can empower students to drive and take societal and environmental responsibility. Empathic co-design emerges as a crucial approach for navigating complexity and establishing change. Exposure to diverse perspectives encourages individuals, particularly students, to expand their empathy by challenging their preconceptions, fostering understanding, and promoting a deeper sense of interconnectedness with others. Recognizing the significance of empathy in educational co-design contexts and beyond, this paper introduces the Empathy Compass. Through two case studies on the societal impact of Ecstasy production and use, we demonstrate the Compass's utility in tracking students' empathic awareness. The practice-oriented, three-dimensional tool highlights specific mindsets, activities and methodologies within each quadrant, its intersections and the 'we-space'. The Empathy Compass emerges as a valuable tool for higher education, supporting the stimulation, facilitation and assessment of empathic awareness in multi-stakeholder collaborations. |
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| ISSN: | 0729-4360 1469-8366 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/07294360.2025.2510670 |
