Special Issue of Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning in Volume 14: Discourses of Inclusion in Higher Education

Deadline for submissions: 1 July 2012

At a time when prevailing neo-liberal policy aims to position higher education as an economic venture and students as customers, discourses of inclusion are vital. Terms such as access, widening participation, equity, equality and diversity, and lifelong learning commonly feature in discourses of inclusion related to higher education. The shifting meanings and fluid uses of these terms serve as an indication of the increasing tensions between neo-liberal economic forces and the role of higher education in modern society. 

Researchers and theorists, policy-makers and practitioners all have a voice in the diverse range of discourses of inclusion and much is still to be learned and understood from a sharing of their perspectives and experiences. As higher education systems across the world adapt to accommodate the needs of modern neoliberal society this international conference brings together these voices to consider the nature of inclusion. 

The Editors of Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning invite contributors to submit papers under the following themes:  

Inclusive policy and practice 

Governments support higher education in order to produce a skilled workforce and increase economic competitiveness. Can we provide learning for its own sake and still meet policy agendas? In what ways are meanings and understandings associated with “higher education” and “inclusion” shifting and changing? To what extent are the forces causing change sensitive to local contexts and circumstances? Additionally, concerns about standards have led to some resistance within the sector towards the introduction of greater flexibility in delivery modes, new curriculum content, innovative assessment of courses, increased levels of student support and use of new technologies. Is this resistance warranted? What do we mean by standards in higher education and who decides what they are and whether they are achieved? 

Student experiences and circumstances 

The massification of higher education, changing economic circumstances and an aging population have created a diverse student population that fall within, between and outside different notions of inclusion.  Whilst we think of students varying in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, religion and sexual orientation there is also diversity in terms of personal circumstances, geography, career stage, perception of higher education, its purpose, and prior experience. 

How do experiences within and beyond the academy shape students’ experiences of higher education? How do notions of success, attainment, personal development and employability feature in the lives of students? How is lifelong learning and the life course integrated into inclusive practice? 

Each article will be reviewed by the editors and sent to a number of referees for blind peer review. Articles will be accepted or rejected, or revisions suggested, based on their recommendations. Articles should be between 4000 and 6000 words (not including references) and associated abstracts should be between 100 and 200 words in length. Authors' details must include a full international contact address, telephone number and e-mail address.

Further information about Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning can be found at the journal website www.open.ac.uk/wpll-journal.

Submitting a paper for the Special Issue

A template for submissions of main section articles can be accessed using the link below.

Article manuscripts must be submitted through our online submissions process and the title of the article should start with 'Volume 14 Special Issue:...'. All submissions should adhere to the journal house style. When submitting your manuscript you will be required to provide the following information: 

• a biography for each author (100 words or less),
• the authors' postal and email addresses and the authors' home pages on the web,
• the title, keywords and abstract for your article,
• the filename or names of your submission.