Masterclass: Race and Inclusive Assessment
This is a masterclass exploring assessment practices in higher education.
Black History Month
Date: Thursday 22 October 2026
Time: 10:30 - 12:30
Venue: The Bridie Room, Glasgow University Union, 32 University Avenue, GL12 8LX
Category: Academic events
Speaker: Dr Paul Ian Campbell
There is a current dearth of sociological and empirically substantiated evidence as to what works with regards to equalizing the uneven educative experiences of racialized students in higher education across all disciplines. There are even less empirically substantiated answers to what works with regards to addressing the barriers specifically manifest within HE assessment and related practices that are experienced by domicile students of colour in UK Higher Education Providers (HEPs).
Drawing on the findings of the first holistic, large-scale, UK, multi-institution and mixed-methods evaluation of an intervention explicitly designed to reduce the racialised barriers that exist within HE assessment, presented in my recent book 'Race and Assessment in Higher Education' (Emerald), this paper explores the answers to these questions. Utilising Ahmend and Cushing (2021) 'ideal student' frame, this talk shines light on the Racially Inclusive Practice in Assessment Guidance Intervention’s (RIPIAG) impact for improving (1) Teaching staff’s ability to identify and reduce the racialised inequities that are manifest in their assessment practice. (2) Students from minority-ethnic backgrounds’ experiences of assessment. And (3) its capacity to foster a reduction in the race award gap in student outcomes in assessment at the module level across all types of assessment in all disciplines. In doing so, this paper provides a case-study example of how to move from sociological enquiry to measurable change.