'Exploring the Policy-Practice Nexus in Higher Education'

Today was a fascinating, idea-provoking day participating in Lancaster University's conference 'Exploring the Policy-Practice Nexus in Higher Education'. Bob Lingard from the University of Queensland in Australia kicked off the day with remarks about the macro level of higher education policy and globalization. He highlighted education as the major human capital that nations can control, and also the habitus of the global policy maker elite who create the globalized discourses that are then localized in countries around the world. It was worrying to think of the private companies that are seeking not only to influence but to define and frame global education policy. It was helpful that Bob Lingard emphasized that how we define the purpose of higher education and its policy carries implications for how we frame educational practices worldwide.

Next Murray Saunders from Lancaster gave a really interesting presentation about theories of change in higher education and their potential for effecting policy development and implementation from different angles. I found it helpful to apply these concepts to the concepts of student engagement and, in particular, student/staff partnerships in higher education which I'd like to explore more fully later.

I particularly enjoyed the small-group discussion sessions for unpacking the keynote presentations, as well as the afternoon sessions by Jenni Case and Paul Ashwin. Jenni Case shared the context of the University of Cape Town and her work applying Margaret Archer's concept of reflexivity to longitudinal research about engineering students' learning and development ten years after graduation. Paul Ashwin also shared he research with colleagues about how university affects students and, in particular, the pedagogic quality and inequality project and research around the different meanings of student engagement. Paul Ashwin made some great remarks about the development of and the influence of league tables, which also promoted interesting discussions. He also ended with the excellent question 'Would a focus on enhancing quality rather than measuring quality offer an alternative way forward?'