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7 ProsumerisminHigherEducation⊠119
7.6 Conclusions
This Chapter has looked at the âprosumerâ trend in higher education in the EU,
considering,ontheonehand, theallegedbenefitsassociatedwithsupportinggreater
controlbystudentsoverthedesignoftheircourses; itscontent;assessmentofcourse
outcomesandcontribution to the âstudentexperienceâ.This is set against acounter-
argument that prosumerism is turning higher education institutions into so-called
âMcBusinessesâ, 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
socialinclusionâintermsofbetterintegrationofmarginalisedandvulnerablegroups
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, âliberalâvaluesofacademe.
References
Alvesson, M. (2013). The triumph of emptiness: Consumption, higher Education and work
organisation.Oxford:OUP.
Atwell,G. (2007).Personal learningenvironmentsâThefutureofeLearning?.Elearningpapers.
Bagnall,R. (2001).Locating lifelong learningandeducation in contemporary currents of thought
andculture. InD.Aspin, J.Chapman,M.Hatton&Y.Ball,S âPerformativitiesandfabrications.
Barkley,E. (2010).Studentengagement techniques:Ahandbook forcollege faculty.SanFrancisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Barnett,R. (1994).The limitsof competence.Buckingham:OpenUniversityPress/SRHE.
Radical Solutions and Open Science
An Open Approach to Boost Higher Education
- Titel
- Radical Solutions and Open Science
- Untertitel
- An Open Approach to Boost Higher Education
- Herausgeber
- Daniel Burgos
- Verlag
- Springer Open
- Datum
- 2020
- Sprache
- englisch
- Lizenz
- CC BY 4.0
- ISBN
- 978-981-15-4276-3
- Abmessungen
- 16.0 x 24.1 cm
- Seiten
- 200
- Kategorie
- Informatik