An Evaluation of the Racially Inclusive Practice in Assessment Guidance Intervention on Students’ and Staffs’ Experiences of Assessment in HE: A Multi-University Case Study

At the time of writing, this study represents the first holistic and mixed-methods evaluation of its kind to test the effectiveness of an intervention designed specifically to reduce the racialised barriers that exist within assessment and related practice at the undergraduate module level. Specifically, it reports on the efficacy of the Racially Inclusive Practice in Assessment Guidance Intervention (RIPIAG), which was developed from the 8 ‘Pre-assessment support’ recommendations provided in Campbell et al’s (2021) Tackling Racial Inequalities in Assessment in HE report.

The intervention was trialed between September 2021 and December 2022, in 7 modules, in 3 partner Higher Education Providers (HEPs) (1 research intensive and 2 teaching focused). The sample consisted of 175 undergraduate students and module leaders (approximately at least 35% were domicile undergraduate students of colour). Partner institutions self-selected a module or modules from a course or courses to trial the intervention. Modules selected were at the discretion of the partner HEP. However, for validity purposes, all modules consisted of at least 25 students.