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Channelling the BAME student voice to unveil the hidden curriculum and build an inclusive learning community
Silvia Dal Bianco, UCL Social & Historical Sciences
Project dates: October 2021 – August 2024
Summary
The project sought feedback from BAME students in June 2021 concerning their lived experiences at UCL. The respondents said that they struggled to understand what was needed to do well and that they were not confident accessing academic support. Aspirations about potential future study or careers were also subdued. They also said they do not have a strong voice in a large cohort, and many do not feel they belong to the UCL Economics Community. It is the ‘hidden curriculum’ that may explain the gap in part. The first project intervention involves creating a Student Inclusivity Champions Panel, providing a vehicle for the BAME student voice to help the department ensure academic and careers support reaches students not reached before.
The research and wider reviews of student experience surveys show that going into second year, many students are not familiar with how things work in the degree and are not embedded in the community. The second intervention involves introducing a Second Year Challenge (SYC) group video project, building on the department’s established and successful First Year Challenge project. The project would be linked to the general theme of ‘inclusive economics.’ The SYC will allow students to re-integrate with their peers and to ease back into their learning.