5th OU – Widening Participation Conference – 26/27 April 2018 Is widening participation to higher education enough? Hilton Hotel, Kents Hill Park, Milton Keynes, MK7 6HL – CONFERENCE PROGRAMME Day 1 Thursday 26th 2018 9.00 – 9.45 Registration 10.00 – 10.15 Welcome by Liz Marr, Director of Teaching, Learning and Teaching Innovation, the Open University 10.15 – 10.45 Conference opening by Professor Hazel Rymer Pro Vice-Chancellor, Learning and Teaching Innovation, the Open University 10.45 – 11.30 Keynote address Speaker to be confirmed 11.30 - 11.45 Break 11.50 – 12.50 Breakout sessions Digital inclusion Ethical dilemmas of targeting widening participation students – policy and practice Employability and the skills gap Improving Student Outcomes in Online Learning: the development of National Guidelines in Australia Cathy Stone University of Newcastle, Australia Ethical considerations when targeting disadvantaged students for outreach activities Katherine Sela University of Surrey, UK Building Capabilities for Higher Education Prior to Entry: a case study in advancing participation Karen MacFarlane Glasgow Caledonian University, UK An innovative digital platform used at an Open and Distance learning institution enables students to engage digitally, online with an academic community Karen Foley The Open University, UK How subject specific and academic language may create barriers to success for WP students: Challenging the practice of academic staff through engagement with WP. Tara Webster-Deakin University of Nottingham, UK How does a STEM Access module prepare adult learners to succeed in undergraduate Science? Anactoria Clarke, John Butcher, Carlton Wood, Elaine McPherson The Open University, UK 1.00 – 1.50 Lunch 2.00 – 2.30 Keynote address
Breakfast 8.00 – 9.00 9.00 – 9.10 Welcome to Day 2 Delegates Liz Marr, Director of Teaching, Learning and Teaching Innovation, The Open University 9.10 – 9.50 Keynote address Susan Stewart, Depute Director, Open University in Scotland 9.50– 10.30 Jacqueline Stevenson and Joan O’Mahoney, Sheffield Hallam University and Higher Education Academy Discussion Group: ‘Targeting students from under-represented ethnic backgrounds – challenges to, and from, the sector’ 10.30 – 10.45 Break 10.50 – 12.30 Breakout sessions Digital inclusion Ethical dilemmas of targeting widening participation students – policy and practice Progression - the social mobility conundrum and access to postgraduate studies Recording online tutorials: a consideration of the issues Joanna Robson & Donna Smith The Open University, UK Scaling up inclusive education within STEM: Sharing experiences across HE Trevor Collins, Sam Child, Kate Lister The Open University, UK I made the leap': Accessing postgraduate study with art and design Sam Broadhead Leeds Art University, UK Building Cost-Effective and Sustainable Solutions for Information, Advice and Guidance Celeste Cheung & Lauren Bellaera The Brilliant Club, UK Exploring the self: the impact of widening participation policies on adult learners' self-concept Wendy Fowle The Open University, UK A Study of Disability Identity and Disclosure for Students with Invisible Disabilities Latacha Hamilton St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, USA Student perceptions of the language of disability, deficit and empowerment Kate Lister The Open University, UK Time Better Spent? Disabled student perceptions on the impacts of administrative processes Tim Coughlan & Kate Lister The Open University, UK Transition as transformation: developing student identities and academic literacies through a university pathways program in Australia Jennifer Stokes University of South Australia 12.30 – 1.20 Lunch 1.30 – 2.15 Keynote Millward, Director of Fair Access and Participation, Office for Students 2.20 – 3.20 Breakout sessions
Digital inclusion Ethical dilemmas of targeting widening participation students – policy and practice Progression - the social mobility conundrum and access to postgraduate studies OPEN UNIVERSITY STUDY IN PRISON: How do We Bridge The Technological Divide? Ruth McFarlane The Open University, UK Linguistic and visual metaphors around widening participation: galvanising activity or tired clichés? John Butcher & Martha Caddell The Open University, UK / Edinburgh Napier University, UK Contrasting undergraduates’ experiences of higher education, plans for life after graduation and perceptions of postgraduate study. Joshua Stubbs University of Oxford, UK Widening disabled learners’ participation to HE through the use of Francisco Iniesto The Open University, UK Questioning the ethics of targeting widening participation students Wendy Fowle The Open University, UK Sandwich placements: Negating the effect on graduate prospects Michael Kerrigan et al Nottingham Trent University, UK 3.30 – 4.15 Round table discussion led by Session Chairs 4.15 – 4.30 Closing plenary Dr John Butcher, Associate Director (Curriculum and Access), Learning and Teaching Innovation, The Open University