Page - 113 - in Radical Solutions and Open Science - An Open Approach to Boost Higher Education

7 ProsumerisminHigherEducation… 119 7.6 Conclusions This Chapter has looked at the ‘prosumer’ trend in higher education in the EU, considering,ontheonehand, theallegedbenefitsassociatedwithsupportinggreater controlbystudentsoverthedesignoftheircourses; itscontent;assessmentofcourse outcomesandcontribution to the ‘studentexperience’.This is set against acounter- argument that prosumerism is turning higher education institutions into so-called ‘McBusinesses’, inwhich studentdata areused to increase surveillanceof students andmonetise the student experience, whilst the knowledge produced by students, acting in co-productionmodeasunpaidworkers, is harvested to increase theprofit marginofeducational enterprises. Itwassuggestedthatagoodtestofprosumerismis theextent towhichitsupports socialinclusion—intermsofbetterintegrationofmarginalisedandvulnerablegroups intotheeducational institutionandintermsofsupportingthemtoplayamoreactive role as co-producers of knowledge. An appropriate test case, it was suggested, is the position of students with disabilities. Researchwas then presented to provide an overview of the extent towhich policy and practice in higher education in the EU generally and in five selected countries is enabling students with disabilities to learn at their own pace, build, manage and control their own learning spaces, bring together different sources and contexts for learning and bridge educational institutional environmentswith theworld outside. The research shows that turning legislationandpolicy intopracticehasprovedproblematic,andsupport fordisabled studentsvariessignificantlyacross theEU.Whilst someanecdotalevidenceofgood practices, forexample, involvingassistive technologiesandpedagogicpractices that supportbetterchoiceandcontrolofdisabledstudentsover their learningexperience, there is no strategic, holistic and integrated system inplace either at trans-national or national level that supports better integration of disabled students and supports disabledstudents toplayamoreactive roleasco-producersofknowledge. The evidencebaseon thepositive effects of prosumerism inhigher education is thereforenotenhancedbytheresearch.Thejuryisstilloutonwhetherprosumerism hasabeneficialeffecton learningoutcomesorwhether it representsan increasingly pervasive threat to traditional, ‘liberal’valuesofacademe. References Alvesson, M. (2013). The triumph of emptiness: Consumption, higher Education and work organisation.Oxford:OUP. Atwell,G. (2007).Personal learningenvironments—ThefutureofeLearning?.Elearningpapers. Bagnall,R. (2001).Locating lifelong learningandeducation in contemporary currents of thought andculture. InD.Aspin, J.Chapman,M.Hatton&Y.Ball,S ‘Performativitiesandfabrications. Barkley,E. (2010).Studentengagement techniques:Ahandbook forcollege faculty.SanFrancisco: Jossey-Bass. Barnett,R. (1994).The limitsof competence.Buckingham:OpenUniversityPress/SRHE.