Project Lead: Sara Biscaya, Department of Architecture.

This project will undertake an evidence-led scoping exercise to strengthen inclusive teaching and collaborative learning practices within Architecture and Civil Engineering at the University of Bath. Recent internal discussions have highlighted that challenges often attributed to space are more fundamentally linked to learning culture, including competition norms, assessment signalling, group-work dynamics, workload expectations, and psychological safety. Studio and project-based pedagogies are central to both disciplines and closely reflect UK professional practice. However, sector research increasingly recognises that tacit expectations, critique formats, and uneven group contributions can unintentionally affect inclusion, confidence, and equitable participation. In interdisciplinary contexts, differences in disciplinary culture may further shape student experience. The project will gather structured evidence through cross-cohort student focus groups, a short pulse survey, and a staff roundtable, with particular attention to collaborative working and perceptions of fairness and belonging. The aim is to identify key pressure points and priority areas to enhance assessment clarity, strengthen inclusive group-work design, and support student development within studio and project-based learning environments. Findings will provide a clear, sustainable evidence base to inform proportionate enhancements to teaching practice within the Department, with potential relevance across other collaborative learning programmes.

Project outcomes and report expected in Spring 2027.