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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Bibliographic Details
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
Language: English
Authors: Wina Smeenk (ORCID 0000-0001-9888-1712), Claudia Mayer, Eva James
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
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