Newton, Radka (2025) Inclusive Programme Review Method : fostering participatory and creative evaluation of student journeys. In: The future of business education: Disruption, Design, and the Student Experience, 2025-11-12 - 2025-11-13, University of Sydney.
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
The paper introduces the Inclusive Programme Review (IPR) method, a human-centred approach to understanding students’ holistic experiences throughout their university degree programmes. Developed through a participatory action research project (2018–2022) across three UK universities and involving over 100 participants, the IPR method builds on service design principles to promote empathy, co-creation, and inclusive appreciative enquiry (Newton, 2019–2024). IPR aims to move beyond traditional surveys by engaging entire degree cohorts—students, academic staff, and administrators—in collaborative programme evaluation. At its core are generative sessions (Sanders, 2000), intensive workshops held early in the review process to surface genuine student experiences, including emotions, frustrations, and aspirations. These sessions enable accurate problem framing and establish a solid foundation for meaningful improvements. A key strength of the IPR method is its inclusivity, addressing critiques such as Bovill’s (2017) observation that “students as partners” initiatives often rely on a narrow, unrepresentative group of volunteers. Instead, IPR ensures broad participation and fosters authentic student-staff collaboration. Research findings show that the method yields deeper insights than standard surveys, encouraging strong cohort commitment to programme improvement. The process not only enhances data quality but also strengthens human connections, supports a sense of student belonging, and deepens staff understanding of cohort needs. Staff have reported improved empathy and more informed programme design, while students appreciated being seen and heard as whole individuals.