Innovative research leads enhanced Higher Education evaluation methodologies

Released: 07.05.24

In the landscape of higher education, evaluating the impact of various initiatives can be challenging, especially when dealing with smaller cohorts of students. Plymouth Marjon University has been at the forefront of addressing this challenge through innovative evaluation methodologies.

One such initiative, the Student Colleague scheme, has been the focus of a ground-breaking project funded by the Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO) What Works Centre.

The Student Colleague scheme, established in 2019 as part of Plymouth Marjon’s Access and Participation Plan (APP), is designed to provide students with valuable employment experiences while enhancing their employability skills, particularly among under-represented groups in Higher Education. Recognising the need for robust evaluation methodologies to assess the scheme's outcomes, evaluators embarked on a journey to explore the effectiveness of Transformative Evaluation in this context.

Transformative Evaluation (TE) is a methodology rooted in the Most Significant Change (MSC) technique, harnessed by Professor Susan Cooper at Plymouth Marjon University in 2012. Originally designed to evaluate youth work programmes, TE has since been adapted for various educational settings, showcasing its versatility. The methodology involves a series of structured evaluation activities, including encouraging participants to reflect on the evaluation process itself, therefore providing opportunities to improve the methodology’s implementation based on the needs of the context within which it is used.

Elpida Achtaridou Head of Research and Knowledge Exchange and Professor Jennie Winter, Dean of Teaching and Learning at Plymouth Marjon conducted the evaluation.

Elpida commented:

“This important project unlocks ‘small n’ methodologies that can be used across the sector. It can support evaluators in making informed decisions when choosing and implementing different ‘small n’ evaluation methodologies leading to robust findings. I’m proud that Plymouth Marjon University was part of this innovative work.”

The University’s project aimed to evaluate the Student Colleague scheme using TE, focusing on the scheme's impact on student employability outcomes. Unlike traditional large-scale methodologies, which often prioritise quantitative data like statistics, TE emphasises qualitative insights. Such insights allow for a deeper understanding of the initiative's effectiveness from the recipients’ perspective through brief stories of impact written in their own words This approach proved invaluable in evaluating the Student Colleague scheme's impact on student participants, providing rich insights into their experiences and the programme's overall effectiveness.

Professor Jennie Winter added:

“We champion research and evaluation projects, especially that which directly impact our society and affect real social change. Marjon is a pioneer of exciting new and innovative methodologies, and I’m looking forward to seeing how our work can positively impact the sector.”

The success of Marjon's project underscores the University's commitment to innovation and excellence in Higher Education research. The project delivered three comprehensive reports and offered valuable insights into the implementation of TE in a Higher Education context. The project's findings have garnered significant attention, leading to invitations to present at various institutions nationally and internationally.

Plymouth Marjon University’s involvement in the TASO pilot on 'small n' evaluations highlights the University's leadership in driving methodological advancements in Higher Education research. Through TE, Marjon is paving the way for new and innovative evaluation practices across the sector.

In November 2023, the University opened the Marjon Doctoral College, a centre for research excellence and postgraduate research opportunities. As part of the South West Doctoral College Partnership and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, the University offers bursaries for social science PhD students to produce research to impact social change.

You can start your postgraduate research journey at Marjon, find out more here.