Assessment style in interdisciplinary education – challenges in creating equitable assessment opportunities

Abstract

ABSTRACT Interdisciplinary education has become increasingly prominent in the higher education landscape over the past several decades. However, it is unclear if interdisciplinary learning environments offer students an equitable learning opportunity. This research paper examines the performance of 435 undergraduate students from different disciplinary backgrounds who enrolled in and completed two interdisciplinary project-based courses. The results of this study indicate that different assessment styles in interdisciplinary courses tend to benefit students from certain disciplines while disadvantaging others. This paper goes on to consider this problem from an equity perspective, cautions educators to consider the challenges, and encourages inclusive assessment design to ensure students are presented with equal opportunity in interdisciplinary learning environments. This paper offers a substantive contribution to the field by highlighting a need for more research on inclusive assessments in interdisciplinary education.