Abstract:

As part of the Queen Mary 2030 strategy (2024) to be the most inclusive university, we are seeking to improve and measure equality of attainment, retention, and graduate outcomes. Closing the awarding gaps is one of Queen Mary’s Key Performance Indicators and the university is undertaking a range of projects in this area.

This article provides a deep exploration of the ethnicity awarding gaps, as defined for the sector by Advance HE (2021) in two representative schools, the School of Economics and Finance (SEF), ranked 1st on social mobility in Economics based on the 2021 IFS/Sutton Trust report, and the School of Business & Management (SBM).

The article looks at the single gap based on the BAME grouping following the concern that grouping ethnic minorities into one group ‘BAME’ may not provide enough granularity to address the degree awarding gap in HE (DaCosta, Dixon-Smith, and Singh, 2021). Therefore, we explore the various ethnicity gaps, and, within these, it further investigates the gender gaps, in relation to specific factors such as students’ performance in quantitative modules and assessment type. Assessment types are categories as either traditional and invigilated or diversified in several different pieces of assessments, including quizzes, exercises, problem sets, reports, presentations, posters, and essays. The categorization of the type of assessment is unique for each school. It depends on students' background and the possible challenges that students may face during their assessments.

SEF data indicated that diversified assessment types helped to reduce the ethnicity and gender gaps. This is in line with sector findings and provides a rationale for inclusive education practices and active learning that reduce awarding gaps. SBM data confirm SEF data and, additionally, shed some light on the performance dynamics of group works. This type of assessment appears to be a source of increasing gap, but also the safer form of assessment for underperforming students.

The article concludes with a series of recommendations that range from engaging staff in a reflection on the link between active learning and inclusive/diversified assessment to awarding gap reduction, to data collection that could support our continuous journey towards inclusive education.

References:
[1] AdvanceHE. (2021). Ethnicity awarding gaps in higher education. Retrieved from https://www.advance- he.ac.uk/news-and-views/advance-he-launches-ethnicity-awarding-gaps-uk-higher-education-201920- report.
[2] DaCosta, C., Dixon-Smith, S. and Singh, G., (2021). Beyond BAME: Rethinking the politics, construction, application, and efficacy of ethnic categorization. Higher Education Research Action Group (HERAG). Retrieved from https://pure.coventry.ac.uk/ws/files/41620042/Beyond_BAME_final_report.pdf
[3] Queen Mary 2030 Strategy (2024). Accessed on https://www.qmul.ac.uk/strategy-2030/.

Keywords:

Education.