Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A Decade of Learning
| Dates: | 24/6/2010 - 25/6/2010 |
| Institution: | The Open University |
| Contact: | John Rose-Adams |
| Contact details: | CWP-Conference@open.ac.uk |
The Centre for Widening Participation (CWP) at the Open University, in celebration of its tenth anniversary, is pleased to announce the launch of a biennial series of conferences dedicated to furthering knowledge and understanding of widening participation in higher education.
The year 2010 has stood as a target date for an increase in participation to 50% of young people between the ages of 18-30. Over the last ten years there have been a number of shifts in policy and practice which, allied to social and economic changes, have altered the landscape and, in turn shifted focus for Widening Participation practitioners and theorists. Whilst there have been considerable achievements, there is still some way to go in reducing the socio-economic gap and ensuring equality of opportunity for all who have the potential to benefit from higher education. There are also many concerns around the experience of a more diverse student body, with debates about standards in and the purpose of higher education at the fore.
Call for Papers
The first in this new conference series is to be held in Milton Keynes on 24th and 25th June 2010. This is an ideal time to take stock of progress, identify the gaps in our knowledge and understanding and look to what can be achieved in the next ten years. Papers/posters are therefore invited which address the themes below and contribute to advances in knowledge and understanding.
- 1. Evidence gaps. The National Audit Office report of 2008 identified a number of areas in which shortages of data made evaluation of progress difficult. The focus on National Statistics Socio -economic Classification (NS-SEC) data has raised significant concerns about the suitability of direct and indirect measures in this context, as did the use of post-codes. Retention and progression of target groups is difficult to measure and raises questions about whether support should be generic or individualised. There are also challenges in assessing the extent to which outreach activity is successful in closing the social class gap.
- 2. Learning design for Widening Participation. Concerns about standards have led to some resistance within the sector towards the introduction of greater flexibility in delivery modes, new curriculum content, innovative assessment of courses and increased levels of student support. Widening participation through the use of new technologies is also subject to challenge. Is this resistance warranted? What do we mean by standards in higher education and who decides what they are and whether they are breached? Is there still a digital divide creating barriers to participation and if so, what is it like? Are innovations in learning design driven by need or financial imperatives? What is ‘higher’ about higher education and is it naturally exclusive?
- 3. Knowing the learner. Learners are individuals and come in all shapes and sizes. In addition to age, gender, ethnicity, religion and sexuality they may vary in geography, career stage, perception of HE and its purpose and in their prior experience. Can and should one size fit all? Governments support HE in order to produce a skilled workforce and increase economic competitiveness. Can we provide learning for its own sake and still meet the government’s agenda?
Deadline for proposals - 30 November 2009.