Students as Partners: A Social Justice Approach to Co-Creating Inclusive Assessment for Transformative Growth While Addressing Grand Challenges

SaPIA+ is part of a series of initiatives supported by Advance HE.
Part 2 /3 of Advance HE Supported Series: Transformative Inclusive Pedagogy: Towards Purposeful Research-Led Teaching Practice
MSc Digital Business
Course: MN5808 – Leading Online Collaborations (2023-2024)

- SaPIA+ is a pedagogical initiative that integrates a social justice approach to co-create inclusive assessments with students as partners, enhancing their learning experience whilst addressing grand challenges for impact. This initiative is part of a series supported by Advance HE and has been implemented in the MN5808 – Leading Online Collaborations course as part of the MSc Digital Business program at Royal Holloway, University of London.

- SaPIA+ emphasises educational inclusivity by empowering students from diverse backgrounds and learning styles, fostering unity and collaboration, and leveraging diversity as a strength. It includes real-time group video presentations and partnerships with industry, such as BMT Sparo and CISCO, to provide practical, research-led modular assessments.

- The initiative employs innovative weekly formative feedforward and reflection-in-action practices, positively impacting student satisfaction, confidence, employability, and improved assessment outcomes. Evidence includes student feedback, external evaluations, and recognition from Advance HE, which awarded Dr. Polykarpou distinction for his FHEA status.

- SaPIA+ aligns with strategic initiatives at Royal Holloway, such as enhancing employability and inclusive curriculum reviews, and involves collaboration with professional support staff and senior management. It aims to create a culture of collaboration and reflection-in-action across disciplines, focusing on inclusive learning and teaching.

- Future plans for SaPIA+ include knowledge translation praxis, cross-departmental workshops, and institutional reviews to promote inclusive assessment practices. The initiative seeks to transform the learning experience, challenge assessment inequities, and prepare students with transferable skills for the post-pandemic digital world.

SaPIA+, a pedagogical initiative that integrates a social justice approach to co-create inclusive assessments with students, enhancing their learning experience and addressing grand challenges

SaPIA+ has demonstrated a significant impact on student learning, with students reporting increased confidence, satisfaction, and employability outcomes. This has been proven by student feedback, external evaluations, and successful industry collaborations, such as with BMT Sparo and CISCO.

SaPIA+ is based on a social justice approach that views students as active agential partners in co-creating their learning experience. It promotes inclusivity and unity in diversity while addressing the challenges of digital literacy and online collaboration tools.

SaPIA+ is set to be implemented across the University and shared with other institutions to promote inclusive learning and teaching practices.