ICT as a catalyst to enhance equity in European higher education: which way forward? - EQUNET presentation by Fabio Nascimbeni

1. ICT as a catalyst to enhance equity in European higher education: which way forward? Fabio Nascimbeni MENON Network

4. The Europe of facebook & twitter

7. Progress is happening but slowly 2125 1970-1980 2000-2010

9. ICT (1.0, 2.0, etc) & equity ICT can make teaching and learning more flexible and individualized . Equity is not only a problem of access to HE, but also a concern to make sure that all students are facilitated in their learning and personal development process in line with their individual characteristics. ICT can support the modernization of assessment procedures . Traditional assessment methods can represent a barrier to fruitful completion of HE study by some students, especially by the ones who work during university. ICT can contribute to overcome physical barriers . This is true both for students that for disability reasons cannot access university courses (some cases are reported in the website of the Agency for Special Needs Education) and for students that cannot participate in international mobility exchanges for whatever reason.

10. ICT (1.0, 2.0, etc) & equity ICT can help breaking down cultural barriers . EQUNET found that one of the reasons for the lower participation of citizens with low-social background is the perception that these citizens – parents in particular – have of university study, as a “non-productive” and expensive life path. ICT can make guidance and counseling more effective . This can be done by complementing existing physical guidance activities such as information days and HE fairs with ICT-based information provision; not only this information can be customized, but they can accompany students along their secondary school career. ICT can facilitate the recognition and accreditation of prior learning . The use of ICT tools such as e-portfolios - as well as an effort to make these tools interoperable with the systems of European universities – can facilitate meaningful entry into HE from non-conventional paths and can therefore increase LLL rates in Europe .

11. Optimistic & Pessimistic views “ We are slowly iterating towards open learning” (G. Attwell) Innovations are emerging (OER, OEP, peer-assessment, ICT-enhanced mobility...), even if mostly at pilot level. ICT has not been able to increase system access, especially in light of the increased demand for higher education. ICT does improve the access of the ones who have access already. Therefore, it reiterates education exclusion practices.

13. Thank You for Your Attention Fabio Nascimbeni- [email_address] Presentation available from: http://www.equnet.info