Equity and Access as Keys for Opening Open Learning

2016 ◽  
pp. 263-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke van der Laan ◽  
Liz Neary
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Career Development ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Open Education ◽  
Critical Perspective ◽  
Education Demand ◽  
Equity And Access ◽  
Access And Equity ◽  
Key Drivers

This chapter adopts a critical perspective of how open education (OE), based on the principles of equity and access, aligns with the mega-drivers of contemporary higher education. These include key drivers of OE such as lifelong learning, self-directed career development and credentialing. The process of synthesising learning, work and transition within what is described as the ‘conceptual age' of work, is daunting to the majority of members of the workforce globally. A combination of regulation, academic dogma underpinning traditional university models and rigid assumptions as to the nature of knowledge frustrate the promotion of OE. This case study explores a work-based learning (WBL) university program designed to broaden access and equity to universities within the context of mega-drivers shaping higher education demand. The model complements rather than competes with traditional university offerings and represents a pragmatic response to the barriers to participation and OE principles.

Expanding Equity and Access in State-Authorized Charter Schools

2021 ◽  
pp. 42-61
Author(s):  
Ryan Marks ◽  
Clare Vickland
Keyword(s):  
Charter Schools ◽  
Charter School ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Diverse Populations ◽  
Equity And Access ◽  
Access And Equity ◽  
Partnership Approach ◽  
Equity And Inclusion ◽  
Improve Access

Charter schools are founded on principles of autonomy, accountability, and parent and family choice. Charter school authorizers occupy a unique space at the nexus of these ideas, which allows them to take an active role to drive change to improve access and equity in schools. This chapter describes how one charter school authorizer planned for and implemented a successful diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative. The case study specifically outlines the approach of the Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI) in implementing equity audits to leverage data to build relationships and supports. Though the concept of analyzing equity data is not novel, the partnership approach employed by CSI to support, rather than evaluate, schools is uncommon. This approach has led to improvements in student outcomes and an increase in equity across the portfolio and can be applied by practitioners across many contexts, including district schools, nonprofits, and corporations seeking to improve both access and equity for diverse populations.

scholarly journals Applying Action Research in Design Curricula to Fulfill University Social Responsibility—A Case Study of the Pnguu Community of the Tsou Tribe

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 7132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsiu Ching Laura Hsieh
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Design Education ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
New Model

Due to the mainstream emphasis on university social responsibility (USR) in global and Taiwanese higher education, there is a growing need for universities to apply design to solve community problems. This study aims to explore the practical effectiveness of integrating USR into a design curriculum, thereby constructing a new model for USR fulfillment. Action research was applied in this study. The positive outcomes of integrating USR into the planning and implementation of a course titled ‘Culture and Design Communication’ were found to align with UNESCO’s lifelong learning goals. The resulting model of USR fulfillment through design education will benefit the future sustainable development of university design education.

Contextual and linguistic challenges for French business schools to achieve international accreditation: experts as boundary-spanners

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Vigier ◽  
Michael Bryant
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Boundary Spanning ◽  
Administrative Staff ◽  
Critical Perspective ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Education Philosophy ◽  
Linguistic Challenges ◽  
Shed Light

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the contextual and linguistic challenges that French business schools face when preparing for international accreditation and to shed light on the different ways in which experts facilitate these accreditation processes, particularly with respect to how they capitalize on their contextual and linguistic boundary-spanning competences. Design/methodology/approach The authors interviewed 12 key players at four business schools in France engaged in international accreditations and in three specific categories: senior management, tenured faculty and administrative staff. The interview-based case study design used semi-structured questions and an insider researcher approach to study an underexplored sector of analysis. Findings The findings suggest that French business schools have been particularly impacted by the colonizing effects of English as the mandatory language of the international accreditation bodies espousing a basically Anglophone higher education philosophy. Consequently, schools engage external experts for their contextual and linguistic boundary-spanning expertise to facilitate accreditation processes. Originality/value The authors contribute to language-sensitive research through a critical perspective on marginalization within French business schools due to the use of English as the mandatory lingua franca of international accreditation processes and due to the underlying higher-education philosophy from the Anglophone academic sphere within these processes. As a result, French business schools resort to external experts to mediate their knowledge and competency gaps.

scholarly journals DISASTER RESILIENT BUILT ENVIRONMENT: ROLE OF LIFELONG LEARNING AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohan Siriwardena ◽  
Chamindi Malalgoda ◽  
Menaha Thayaparan ◽  
Dilanthi Amaratunga ◽  
Kaushal Keraminiyage
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
Management Education ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Managerial Innovation ◽  
Peculiar Nature

Disasters cause considerable damage around the world every year. The built environment is significantly affected by disasters. Whilst the built environment is expected to withstand such occurrences, the construction industry is expected to play a pivotal role in reconstruction of damaged property and infrastructure. Such responses call for technological and managerial innovation. Therefore it is important that construction professionals receive continuous skill development to respond to disaster situations in order to build a disaster resilient built environment. Due to the complexities involved in and due to peculiar nature of disaster situations, lifelong learning is considered as an appropriate way of ensuring continuous education to the various stakeholders of disaster management. The paper reports preliminary findings from a European Commission funded research project aimed at modernising the higher education institutes to support lifelong learning in the built environment. The paper reports the key findings from the literature review and case study on disaster management, emphasising the role of lifelong learning in disaster management education. Empirical data collected as part of the workshop suggest that providing disaster management education as a degree programme is ineffective due to the complexity and multi-disciplinary nature of the subject. Further, the lack of involvement with the industry and the lack of research and development activities on disaster management by built environment professionals act as hindrance to effective disaster management education. In addressing the shortcomings on the existing approaches of disaster management education, this paper concludes that lifelong learning as the most appropriate approach to educate built environment professional in the context of disaster management.

scholarly journals “They Are Not Mixing With Others”: Finnish Lecturers’ Perspectives on International Students’ (Mis-)Encounters in Higher Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 209653112097665
Author(s):  
Carlos Mendoza ◽  
Fred Dervin ◽  
Mei Yuan ◽  
Heidi Layne
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
Global Education ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Critical Perspective ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Missed Opportunities ◽  
Local Students

Purpose: Meeting “others,” especially so-called “local” students, is usually seen as a sign of success for intercultural learning and integration in research on study abroad and internationalization of higher education. Previous studies have focused on how international students themselves describe their (mis-)encounters. In this article, the authors consider lecturers’ voices about this phenomenon. Lecturers have an influence on the students’ experiences since they spend a lot of time together in and outside class. Design/Approach/Methods: Using a thematic analysis and social network analysis of interview data with lecturers, and a critical perspective toward the dichotomy of “local” versus “international” students, a university in Finland, a popular destination thanks to its positive image in global education, serves as a case study. Findings: The article identifies privileges, limits, and (missed) opportunities of encounters, as shared by the lecturers in focus group discussions. Furthermore, the lecturers created hierarchies in the way they describedthe encounters between different kinds of students. Some signs of pluralizing both local and international students were also found in some lecturers’ discourses. Originality/Value: The article ends with recommendations for institutions regarding the lecturers’ problematic role of gatekeepers in student encounters and the limiting categories used in institutions of higher education to refer to students.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document