UK initiatives to promote inclusion in higher education for students with disabilities

ABSTRACT

The inclusion in higher education of students with disabilities and learning difficulties has become a matter of concern within the past eight years. Recent Higher Education Funding Council initiatives to promote greater inclusion have had some success in improving access to higher education (HE) and raising awareness across the sector of the need to ensure full participation by students with disabilities in the learning environment once they enter the university. Hopes that the new UK disability rights legislation would help promote equality of access to HE were disappointed when it became apparent that the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 excluded education from its main provisions. The only requirement affecting post‐compulsory education is that institutions publish a statement on their provision for students with disabilities and learning difficulties. These disability statements confer no legal rights and it appeared that they would have little impact on access to HE for disabled people. This paper reports the findings of a survey of the anticipated effects upon the higher education sector in England of the requirement to produce disability statements. There may be some positive effects not only upon the nature and form of information available, but also on the provision offered in the sector.     

Restrictive and expansive policy learning – challenges and strategies for knowledge exchange in upper secondary education across the four countries of the UK

Abstract

This article examines the challenges and possibilities for UK policy learning in relation to upper secondary education (USE) across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (NI) within current national and global policy contexts. Drawing on a range of international literature, the article explores the concepts of ‘restrictive’ and ‘expansive’ policy learning and develops a framework of dimensions for examining what is taking place across the UK at a time of change for all four national USE systems. From an examination of recent national policy literatures and interviews with key policy actors within the ‘UK laboratory’, we found that the conditions for expansive policy learning had markedly deteriorated due to ‘accelerating divergence’ between the three smaller countries and a dominant England that has been pursuing an ‘extreme Anglo Saxon education model’. The article also notes that some aspects of policy learning continue to take place ‘beneath the radar’ between UK and wide civil society organisations. This activity is more prevalent across the three smaller countries although each, to differing degrees, is still constrained by its position in relation to the UK as a whole.     

Global citizens or global workers? Comparing university programmes for global citizenship education in Japan and the UK

Abstract

The implementation of global citizenship programmes at universities has been taking place against a backdrop of growing internationalisation and marketisation in higher education, leading some to conclude that universities are cultivating global workers rather than global citizens. This small-scale exploratory study aimed to investigate these claims through the comparison of global citizenship education (GCE) programmes in two contrasting contexts – the UK and Japan. Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative content analysis, our findings suggest that the universities in both the UK and Japanese contexts demonstrate examples of adaptation and localisation of GCE to fit with institutional commitments, and both universities have significant elements of employability agendas infused into their programmes. We argue that while different in many respects, the two programmes both demonstrate an adaptation of GCE to fit within broader internationalisation strategies aimed at maximising global competitiveness and an alignment with the neoliberal trends shaping the global higher education sector.     

International comparisons of themes in higher education research

ABSTRACT

The themes in higher education research in different countries vary to some extent. This research takes 15 SSCI journals of higher education as examples. A scientometric method was used to classify the themes in higher education research, and a vector space model was employed to calculate the similarities in different countries active in the research hot spots in the cognate area. The results show that the top five ranked keywords of higher education research are assessment, university, sustainability, feedback, and diversity. Higher education research was classified into 20 areas, and different countries were focused on different areas. The number of publications was mainly led by the USA, the UK, and Australia. The most similar countries in the higher education research field were Australia and the UK. European countries had a higher similarity in higher education research with each other, but the similarity between Asian countries was very low. The similarity between different countries exhibited different characteristics, which has important significance for the development of higher education research.     

Private higher education in Africa: The case of Monash South Africa

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to review the contribution of private institutions to higher education in Africa and use Monash South Africa as a case study. A literature search was conducted to gain perspective on the current situation with respect to private higher education institutions in Africa and how they are perceived in relation to public higher education institutions.

In comparison with public higher education institutions, private higher education institutions in Africa were successful in four areas: ? Widening access to higher education in the continent

? Improving the quality of education

? Improving student experience

? Increasing the recognition and marketability of their degrees

However, private higher education institutions in Africa have failed in two areas: ? Reducing the costs of higher education in Africa

? Assisting with retention of skilled human capital in African countries.

In fact, private higher education institutions in Africa, have exacerbated the two situations above.

Monash South Africa was the first foreign university to be established in South Africa and one of over 100 private universities in the continent. As a campus of Monash University in Africa, it has seen a steady growth with over 3,500 students in the past 10 years of its existence. Like other private institutions, the campus was successful in the four areas above and also fails in the area of costs and assisting in retention of skilled staff in Africa. The campus has been successful in blending its private provider status with a public purpose mandate by offering degrees in social science, business and economics, information technology and health sciences.     

An analysis of higher education staff attitudes in a dynamic environment

Abstract

Since 1980 the staff student ratio in the UK has halved. This has been contributed to, amongst other factors, by the massification policy of the UK government. The requirement to publish, the view of students as consumers, an increase in managerialism, and reduction in real pay levels as well as the threat of compulsory redundancies have also been changes which have affected the attitudes of staff. As a result of these factors, the experience of both academics and students has deteriorated, and this is likely to continue. This paper uses survey data from three higher education institutions, which indicates a reduction in the satisfaction of staff over a number of years. Interviews with key informants and a literature review also support the view that levels of stress are increasing amongst academic staff within UK Higher Education institutions.     

UK university part-time higher education: a corpus-assisted discourse analysis of undergraduate prospectuses

ABSTRACT

In the UK, higher education (HE) policy discourse over the past 60 years has advocated flexible part-time HE for social mobility, personal development, economic advantage and leisure. However, part-time undergraduate HE in the UK is in steep decline. Against this backdrop, we were interested in how universities promote, or fail to promote, part-time study options today. We built a corpus of 90 UK undergraduate prospectuses for 2018 entry (5,673,799 words). Using a corpus-assisted discourse analysis approach, we found significant mismatch between policy discourse and marketing discourse regarding part-time study. In particular, we found that UK university marketing discourse positions full-time study as the dominant mode of study and writes of part-time study as ‘second-best’. This discourse mismatch is particularly marked when it comes to the elite Russell Group of universities. Viewing the absence of strong promotional discourse relating to part-time study alongside other factors such as increased tuition fees and the rise of global online education platforms adds a new perspective to the decline of flexible part-time undergraduate HE at campus-based universities in the UK.     

Conceptualising the sociology of education: an analysis of contested intellectual trajectories

Abstract

This paper presents an account of the development of the sociology of education in the UK, by means of an analysis of papers published in the field’s flagship journal, the British Journal of Sociology of Education and its US equivalent, Sociology of Education. In particular, we examine the representation of two contrasting traditions in addressing social inequalities: ‘political arithmetic’; and the more recent ‘cultural turn’. We find that in the UK, the cultural turn dominates; whilst in the US, it is political arithmetic which does so. In accounting for these contrasting national profiles, we argue that they are underpinned by divergent social infrastructure and organisation. We also discuss some of the implications of the dominance of the cultural turn in the UK, specifically in terms of the relationship between the fields of academic research and policy and the development of a cumulative evidence base to address social inequalities in education.     

Going Dutch! A perspective on the Dutch system of special education

Abstract

The comparative study of education systems and processes is a greatly undervalued science. This report argues that there is much to be learned from the study of the Dutch system of special education in informing proposed developments in its UK counterpart. Despite inevitable cultural and evolutionary differences between the systems, careful study can potentially prevent the failings in one being replicated in the other. This is nowhere more relevant than in relation to the integration versus segregation debate. Though it is argued that Dutch constitutional law has severely handicapped developments in Dutch special education, particular practices such as the systematic approach to planning, the extensive use of negotiated contracts, the development of integrated support systems and the close association between research and provision seem to be most worthy of serious consideration within the context of a rapidly changing system of UK special education.     

Benchmarking academic standards in the UK

Abstract

The Dealing Report in the UK supported the use of benchmarking in higher education, taking as its stimulus the use of benchmarking in industrial and commercial contexts. The UK Government's concern regarding academic standards has raised the question of whether benchmarking could be applied to them.

This article reports on a pilot study of the benchmarking of academic standards in the UK, and demonstrates ‐ with reference to empirical data ‐ that benchmarking in this context needs to be approached differently from benchmarking in industrial/commercial milieux, since it requires a combination of finely‐drawn comparisons and professional judgements if valid conclusions are to be drawn. It is argued that the complexity which underpins academic standards is inimical to the production of statements about standards that will be applicable across the span of a diverse national system of higher education. The argument presented can be applied, mutatis mutandis, to systems of higher education beyond the UK.     

从学校本位学习到工作本位学习——近年来英国大学本科教学模式的创新

近年来,英国高等教育经历了一系列重大的改革,大学工作本位学习的改革尝试就是其中之一。其主要目的在于确保所有大学毕业生为职业生涯做好充分准备。本文围绕英国大学工作本位学习中的动因和发展、定义与特征、主要类型、成效与问题等四个方面对英国高等教育工作本位学习的基本情况作了简要的介绍和分析。     

The Construction and Challenges of Australia's Post‐binary System of Higher Education

Abstract

In 1988 Australia commenced the transition to a post‐binary system of higher education as the UK is currently doing. In both countries the generally acknowledged obsolescence of the dual system had provoked the structural change. In Australia, the new direction was also motivated by official concerns that the universities be made more accessible to government priorities, particularly economic priorities, at a time of national economic decline. Unlike the UK, the Australian post‐binary era has been founded on a government programme of widespread amalgamations based upon the universities.

This article explores the process of constructing the unitary system, the difficulties experienced in conceptualising the new order and its impact upon the other provider of tertiary education. The Australian approach has ignored a canon in higher education, that varied structures and types of institutions preserve diversity. Further, in contrast to Britain's gradualist path into a unitary system, Australia moved quickly to form large undifferentiated universities to serve the needs of a mass system of higher education.     

Quality in Higher Education: A Conceptualisation and Some Observations on the Implementation of a Sectoral Quality System

Abstract

The background to this paper is the extensive changes in UK higher education since 1987, which have brought ‘quality’ sharply into prominence. Although the issue of quality has been given considerable attention in industry/ commerce, quality in higher education is underdeveloped as a concept. This paper offers an elaboration which may help those with an interest in the management of quality systems and the evaluation of educational programmes, and concludes by discussing the development of a quality system for the unified higher education sector in the United Kingdom.     

On the margins or at the center? Distance education in higher education

Abstract

This reflection focuses on the position of distance education in today’s global higher education. Firstly, it identifies three types of convergence of distance and campus-based education – dual mode, add-on/blended, and full convergence – arguing that the last type has yet to be fully realized due to the complexities involved. It then critiques the interplay between the two, concluding that despite being influenced by campus-based instructional delivery in its early days, distance education is now influencing campus-based education. Implications of convergence are also discussed. Arguably, distance education universities should be proud of the increasing presence of distance education in campus-based universities and have confidence in maintaining their advantages. As for campus-based universities, a systems approach is needed if they intend to take advantage of this ‘unorthodox’ mode of education. Finally, it is suggested that both campus-based education and distance education are at the center of higher education because they are now equally conventional.     

Equality Strategy: Why we need to consider labour market issues

Abstract

The left, right and centre have all agreed that education is a good thing, and that there is a technical correspondence between higher education and better jobs. This paper, in contrast, argues that this assumed role of education as the primary focus for social mobility has been exaggerated.

Too much hope has been invested in supply‐side measures in general, while the primary target of social engineering strategy needs to be directly in the labour market. Work carried out by the Open University, Contract Training Unit, in the field of recruitment seems to confirm this.

Additionally, it would appear that such factors as geographical location, age, sex, race, disability and the membership of informal employment networks, are the main factors influencing shortlisting and appointment.

This essay makes reference to a number of observers who have argued the need for an increased awareness of demand‐side issues in equality work. It also explores a Careers study paper from Bradford which appears to strengthen this case. Finally, the paper calls for a new co‐ordinated supply‐demand side approach to change, and makes reference to one possible strategy called Contract Compliance.     

The activities and impact of personalisation in a UK business school

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to consider the activities and impact of personalisation in a UK higher education setting. It considered how personalisation has affected outputs in terms of progression, achievement, internship, enterprise project and international placement uptake within the Nottingham Business School at Nottingham Trent University. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with members of the personalisation team and those delivering personalisation. The quantitative data pertains to outputs in terms of success rates, particularly with regard to when the personalisation project began, in 2015/16. The findings suggest that the personalisation process involved engagement, interaction and reflection to meet the needs and requirements of the learner; it also provided them with options. This contributes to improving success rates, particularly when the Personalisation project began.     

Education and nationalism in Scotland: governing a ‘learning nation’

Abstract

Nationalism is a key resource for the political work of governing Scotland, and education offers the Scottish National Party (SNP) government a policy space in which political nationalism (self determination) along with social and cultural forms of civic nationalism can be formed and propagated, through referencing ‘inwards’ to established myths and traditions that stress the ‘public’ nature of schooling/education/universities and their role in construction of ‘community’; and referencing ‘outwards’, especially to selected Nordic comparators, but also to major transnational actors such as OECD, to education’s role in economic recovery and progress. The SNP government has been very active in the education policy field, and a significant element of its activity lies in promoting a discourse of collective learning in which a ‘learning government’ is enabled to lead a ‘learning nation’ towards the goal of independence. This paper draws on recent research to explore recent and current developments in SNP government education policy, drawing on discourse analysis to highlight the political work that such policy developments seek to do, against the backdrop of continuing constitutional tensions across the UK.     

论我国高等函授教育的可持续发展

高等函授教育有其显的特点，而函授教育质量是其成长的生长素，可持续发展是高等函授教育的根本目标。本对高等函授教育的基本特点、高等函授教育质量进行了描述，并对推动我国高等函授教育可持续发展提出了若干想法和建议。     

Twenty Years of General Education in China: Progress,Problems, and Solutions

Abstract

General education is a subject with rich contents and that is highly contested in the field of higher education studies. It has been highly praised for its core concepts such as broad educational targets, liberating educational objectives, and balanced educational content. Looking back at the course of general education in China over the past 20 years we can find “top-down” cultural quality education (文化素质教育) and “bottom-up” general education (通识教育) have formed two stages with clear “characteristics,” with the first decade being mainly cultural quality education, and the most recent decade having had general education gradually enter the mainstream and reveal native qualityistics. This change has led the practice of general education to turn from being government led to university autonomy, and also reflects the increasing depth of Chinese exploration into general education. China’s practice of general education still faces problems with integrating major-based professional education and general education, and must adopt suitable solutions.     

Information Technology in United Kingdom Initial Teacher Education, 1982–92

ABSTRACT

During the past decade the introduction of microcomputers has been a major innovation in the United Kingdom (UK). This new technology has enormous potential to improve teaching and learning and it continues to offer an exciting challenge to educationalists. This paper reviews the development of information technology (IT) in initial teacher education. The change in IT courses over time reflects the development of a more critical view on the effect of IT on teaching and learning and the cross curricular aspect of IT in the UK National Curriculum. Many issues still remain and can result in a lack of IT competence in newly trained teachers. In 1990 IT became the only skill to be specifically listed within the guidelines for teacher training accreditation by the UK government Current issues and strategies to improve IT components of initial teacher education courses are discussed.