ExpandO - Making Peer Learning on Access
and Success Work
The Social Dimension in
the Bologna Process
Brian Power
Co-Chair of the BFUG Working Group on the Social Dimension and
Lifelong Learning
12 November 2013 -Ghent
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 The Bologna Process
 The Social Dimension – what do we mean?
Overview
 What do we want to achieve?
 How do we go about achieving it?
 Peer Learning in the Bologna Process
 Intergovernmental Process
 47 participating countries, European Commission and
representatives of higher education institutions,
students, staff, employers and quality assurance
agencies
The Bologna
Process
 Purpose of the Bologna Process:
 Improve international transparency of programmes
and the recognition of qualifications
 Convergence towards a common framework of
qualifications and cycles of study
 Greater mobility of students and teachers
 In brief, a European Higher Education Area
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 Every second year, Ministers meet to measure progress
and agree priorities for action
 The main follow-up structure is the Bologna Follow-up
Group (BFUG)
Bologna
Structures
 Oversees the Bologna Process between the ministerial
meetings
 Meets at least once every six months
 Supported by the Bologna Secretariat
 Sets up working groups to deal with specific topics in
more detail
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 Berlin (2003), Ministers acknowledged that the need to
increase competitiveness must be balanced with the
objective of improving the social characteristics of the
European Higher Education Area
The Social
Dimension
 One of the aims of the EHEA must be to strengthen
social cohesion and reduce social and gender
inequalities both at national and at European level
 London (2007), Ministers agreed on a definition of the
social dimension:
“…that the student body entering, participating in and
completing higher education at all levels should reflect the
diversity of our populations…”
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 Centre for Social Policy Studies of the University of
Antwerp in 2009
 2012 BFUG implementation report
 Collecting and comparing more detailed national level
data on the social dimension presents real challenges
Challenges
 Social dimension understood differently from one
country to another
 National level policies not linked to the Bologna
commitment
 Measurement and monitoring of target groups are not
consistent across national boundaries
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 How do we ensure a coherent approach to ensuring
equity of access across in our higher education
systems?
Key questions
 How do we support those working in the area of access
in addressing this important policy objective?
 How do we ensure that what we learn and what
demonstrably works is reflected in national and
international policy and practice?
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 Critical both in economic and social terms to secure
more equitable access to, participation in and
completion of higher education
 Strong interdependence of social and economic
objectives
Key objectives
 Europe’s economic recovery is increasingly dependent
on its capacity to develop the skills of all its citizens
 There are too many capable individuals who do not
participate in higher education for social, cultural or
economic reasons
 Measures to ensure equitable access, participation and
completion
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 Critical to identify, measure and monitor
participation of underrepresented groups
 Underrepresented groups in higher education
Who is underrepresented?
 Lower socio-economic groups
 Students with disabilities
 Mature students
 National context is important
 Ethnic minorities
 Migrants
 Rural isolation
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 General Policy Approaches
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What
approaches?
Financial supports
Flexible pathways
RPL
Student-centred teaching and learning for a more diverse
student population
 Guidance and counselling
 Student services
 Targeted Policy Approaches




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Enhanced financial supports for target groups
Alternative admission systems
Targeted teaching and learning assistance
Tailored guidance and counselling services
Outreach services to specific groups and communities
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 Political commitment through ministerial agreement
 In the EU Council of Education Ministers
 In the Bologna ministerial meetings
How do we
move the
agenda
forward?
 Adoption of specific objectives and strategies at
national level
 Institutional commitment to access and success
 Measuring, monitoring and analysis of impact
 Peer learning
 Sharing of experience and “what works”
 Analysing and contextualising
 National and international
 Irish Presidency of the EU 2013 – May Council of Education
Ministers
 Council conclusions on the social dimension of higher education
 Political commitment to:
EU Council
Conclusions
 Adopt national objectives which are aimed at increasing the access,
participation and completion rates of under-represented and
disadvantaged groups in higher education, with a view to
progressing towards the Bologna Process goal
 Systematic collection of relevant comparable data to enhance the
evidence base for policy development and to enable the effective
monitoring of national objectives on access, participation and
completion
 Commission actions
 Pursue work on the social dimension through peer learning,
engagement in the Open Method of Coordination and working
within the Bologna Process
Bucharest
Communiqué

“Widening access to higher education is a
precondition for societal progress and economic
development. We agree to adopt national measures
for widening overall access to quality higher
education.”

“Strengthen policies of widening overall access and
raising completion rates, including measures
targeting the increased participation of
underrepresented groups”

“Develop a system of voluntary peer learning and
reviewing by 2013 in countries which request it and
initiate a pilot project to promote peer learning on
the social dimension of higher education”
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 Working Group on the Social Dimension and LLL
 Two meetings per year – Chairs and sub-groups ongoing
 Objectives and work plan
 Thematic Strands:
SD&LLL WG
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Access initiatives, guidelines for national access plans
Teaching and Learning
Student supports and services
Lifelong Learning and Employability
Social Dimension & LLL Strategy for the EHEA
 Development of the pilot project on peer learning for the social
dimension - PL4SD
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 Peer Learning for the Social Dimension – or “PL4SD”
 Three-year project to 2015 funded by the EU Commission
 Provide research and analysis to support the development of
social dimension policies in the EHEA
PL4SD
 Structure information on national and institutional policies and
initiatives and collect and analyse relevant reports and research
 Database of comparative information
 Both peer learning and peer review
 Three country reviews to be completed by end-2014
 Outcomes for individual countries and for EHEA
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 ExpandO will provide extremely valuable lessons
 Important synergies – both social dimension and peer learning
 Peer learning as a method:
ExpandO
experience
 the challenges and how these were overcome
 difficulties that could not be overcome
 lessons to be drawn on approach to peer learning in the social
dimension
 Comparative analysis of six systems examining policies,
regulations and measures taken to improve access and success
 National action plans
 Recommendations on best practice in funding, monitoring, quality
assessment and networking
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 Greater development of peer learning in both EU OMC and
Bologna Process
 Move away from simple exchanges of best practice
 Greater emphasis on key data analysis to demonstrate impact
Peer learning
for peer
learning?
 National, regional or institutional contexts may be critical to
success of individual measures
 Peer learning and peer review
 ExpandO has been a pathfinder initiative, both in terms of peer
learning and the social dimension
 Enormously valuable well of experience from which to draw
 Enduring legacy of learning and ongoing cooperation
Thank you
Brian Power
Head of Student Support and Equity of Access to Higher
Education
Department of Education and Skills
Ireland
Brian_Power@education.gov.ie
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