Curriculum co-creation as a transformative strategy to address differential student outcomes : the example of Kingston University's Student Curriculum Consultant Programme

This paper examines the role that curriculum co-creation can play in creating a more inclusive higher education and in so doing, address the complex challenge of differential student outcomes and attainment. It achieves this by exploring Kingston University’s Curriculum Consultant programme within this context of their Inclusive Curriculum Framework. Students who work as Curriculum Consultants use their own diverse lived experiences and Kingston University’s Inclusive Curriculum Framework (ICF) to collaborate with staff to create more accessible, diverse and globally relevant curricula at all levels of the institution. The consultants work with staff in a variety of ways, providing feedback on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) experience of individual modules, the inclusivity of teaching resources, and areas where the curriculum represents potential barriers to some groups of students. They also take leadership roles, participating in and facilitating staff development workshops focused on inclusive teaching and learning. This paper examines three instances of co-creation facilitated through the Curriculum Consultant programme. We argue that the Curriculum Consultant programme acts as a mechanism through which the institution can not only legitimate, but also actively endorse and encourage co-creation in order to create more inclusive curricula

Closing the attainment gap for students from black and minority ethnic backgrounds through institutional change

UK universities are achieving some success in attracting increasingly diverse undergraduate cohorts. However, there is compelling evidence that students from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds do much less well in their final degree classifications than their White counterparts, even when entry qualifications are taken into account. This attainment gap has, until recently, not received the attention it deserves. This paper describes how Kingston University has substantially narrowed this gap through an outcome focused institutional change programme. The paper draws upon race theory and describes a multifaceted approach to change that involved: defining the scale of the problem; using a value added metric; engaging the university leadership and academic community; agreeing goals, interventions and outcomes/targets. Over a five year period of collecting data on value added scores on BME attainment, there is evidence of very significant year on year improvement. The paper discusses the challenges of complex change and the initial reluctance of staff to discuss issues around racial disadvantage. It highlights some implications for higher education institutions, especially those in the UK, seeking to close differentials in attainment

"The great unspoken shame of UK Higher Education" : addressing inequalities of attainment

UK universities are achieving some success in attracting increasingly diverse undergraduate cohorts, although distributed unevenly across different types of institutions. It is therefore a concern that once at university, students from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds perform less well in their final degree classifications, even when entry qualifications, subject of study and student characteristics are taken into account. This paper firstly, reviews the research on what is understood about the BME attainment gap, described by an independent university governor as “the great unspoken shame of higher education” and secondly tells the story of institutional change initiated by Kingston University, which is a large, “modern” and widening participation institution in South West London. The multifaceted change involved: defining the problem; establishing an institutional key performance indicator; engaging the university leadership and academy; using a value added metric; and measuring attainment outcomes over a four year period. Results show significant improvement in attainment and qualitative evidence of improved staff awareness. The paper discusses the ethical challenges of complex and institutional change, including, the importance of committed leadership, the value of data as a vehicle for initiating engagement when staff are reluctant to discuss race, equality and social justice, and the implications for moving away from a student deficit to an institutional deficit model through developing inclusive cultures and an inclusive curriculum. It reflects on the parallels with higher education chances and success for young black South Africans and concludes with describing Kingston University’s role in influencing change across the sector

The impact of academic leadership behaviours on BME student attainment

This relatively small-scale study is the first to pose the question as to the difference that the quality of academic leadership can make to the attainment levels of black and ethnic minority (BME) students. With the aid of in-depth interviews and a survey, the study has started to build a picture of the underexplored relationship between leadership and BME outcomes. It finds that leadership style is one of the top four factors out of 14 that BME students believe influence their academic achievement (alongside motivation, fair treatment and fair assessment) and highlights the significant role that inclusive leadership could play in closing gaps. It paves the way for further research into the association between academic leadership behaviours and BME student productivity, motivation and well-being