Digital media as a driver of a more inclusive higher education: towards a proposal of an action plan

Abstract

Digital media may have a fundamental role in promoting more inclusive social and learning experiences, particularly when considering the challenge of widening participation that Higher Education Institutions (HEI) are currently facing. This article briefly overviews recent policies, initiatives and recommendations that address the use of digital media in promoting a more inclusive higher education (HE) system; the review focuses especially on actions involving HE students and that promote innovative uses of digital media solutions that provide flexible delivery models and alternative ways of communicating, helping students from a variety of non-traditional backgrounds and contexts to actively participate and engage with HE in a more open and inclusive approach. The article also presents preliminary results of an exploratory survey on how Portuguese public HEI websites present the challenge of inclusion, namely through digital media. The results of the review show the increasing importance for HE of ensuring open and inclusive student experiences through the use of digital media, although it seems that there is a lack of policies and information widely available about how this can be achieved, especially for publics other than the learners with disabilities or special education needs. Also, the analysis of the HEI websites does not seem to reveal a great concern in presenting HEI as open, flexible and inclusive for all learners, particularly using digital media. Drawing on the revision undertaken and on the collected data, the authors make recommendations for future research and propose an action plan towards the development of a future research project.