Piloting collaborative evaluation approaches in creative education: Making space for staff & student voice in evaluation processes for curriculum development

We piloted a collaborative qualitative approach to explore student experience of a new master's unit's first year of delivery to identify strengths and areas for improvement. We supported students to contribute to data analysis, which surfaced unexpected insights for the next unit iteration. Student researchers identified several themes as being important to learners' experience that did not come to the immediate attention of the Evaluation Lead, enriching the analysis and feedback. The timing of feedback allowed the Unit Leader to have access to, and reflect on the key messages in time to embed relevant changes into the curriculum for the planned unit delivery in the next academic year. This collaborative approach, that centred staff and student voice, was felt to be supportive and constructive.