Conclusion: higher education, participation and change —— —— —— Valentina Grion Education, and in particular Higher Education, are recognised today as the principle vehicles for social and economic development (Altbach, 2014; Benneworth & Cunha, 2015; Salas, Velasco, 2014), and an instrument for the promotion for a sustainable future (Axelsson, Sonesson, & Velasco, 2014). On the other hand – as is affirmed several times in the various chapters of this publication – the impact of globalisation and the sudden societal and institutional changes that characterised the end of the twentieth century have made it undeniably clear that a thorough review is needed of the aims, methods and structures of our didactic and educational systems. Focusing on higher education, it is recognised by many authors that: an academic revolution has taken place in higher education in the past half century marked by transformations unprecedented in scope and diversity. Comprehending this ongoing and dynamic process while being in the midst of it is not an easy task. Arguably, the developments of the recent past are at least as dramatic as those in the 19th century when the research university evolved, first in Germany and then elsewhere, and fundamentally redesigned the nature of the university worldwide. The academic changes of the late 20th and early 21st centuries are more extensive due to their global nature and the number of institutions and people they affect (Altbach, Reisberg, & Rumbley, 2009, p. iii). 359 Pre-print paper published in: M. Fedeli, V. Grion, D. Frison (2016). Coivolgere per apprendere. Metodi e Tecniche partecipative per la formazione. Lecce: Pensa Multimedia.