Empathy in Action : Inclusive Programme Review for Holistic Student Experience

The session introduces the Inclusive Programme Review (IPR) method, a human-centred approach designed to deepen understanding of students' holistic experiences throughout their degree programmes. While higher education often emphasizes student-centred learning, this is challenging to actualize meaningfully. Co-production initiatives, though valuable, frequently engage only a small portion of the student body, leaving many perspectives unheard. The IPR method bridges this gap by involving entire degree cohorts, incorporating diverse student voices in educational design. Rooted in empathy and human-centred design principles, the IPR method explores the emotional, academic, and personal challenges students face. Developed through a funded action research project (2018–2022) across three UK universities, it has engaged over 120 students from various undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. By employing creative techniques such as persona profiling and journey mapping, IPR generates richer insights than traditional surveys, helping educators better understand student experiences. The method promotes learner autonomy and supports equity, diversity, and inclusion, key themes in SoTL. It directly addresses the challenge of incorporating diverse student perspectives into programme design, enhancing co-creation and fostering deeper engagement. Workshop participants will experience the IPR method firsthand, leaving with practical tools to strengthen student-centred practices in their institutions. Adopting IPR transforms student feedback into actionable insights, leading to more empathetic and effective programme design, ultimately aligning educational outcomes with student needs and aspirations, which improves both learning and teaching quality. The sessions is aimed at anybody involved in programme or course/module design and delivery, academic and professional educators who annually review student experience and are looking for creative evaluation methods.