(a version of this blog first appeared through my day-job in Oct 2013)
I just had the opportunity of presenting at the inaugural ‘World Congress on Access to Post-Secondary Education’ in Montreal. It was my first attempt at a synthesis of four projects that the Pearson Think Tank is involved in; on rising tuition fees, school-based careers guidance, university admissions and open education data. In different ways all of these projects explore the ‘wicked problem’ (complex, evolving and interdependent) of fair access to higher education.
The work highlights three of the common barriers that restrict fair access to higher education;
1) Information asymmetry
2) Unequal distribution of resources
3) Variable and sometimes unequal access
As well as three potential solutions that have been developed over the course of the projects:
1) Deliver truly personalised information and support
2) Develop sustainable local learning ecosystems
3) Make appropriate use of open data
This is an emerging strand of thinking so please do share your feedback.
LouisMMCoiffait 