Using an environmental studies capstone to solidify and assess the integration of interdisciplinary learning at Pacific Lutheran University

Abstract

Pacific Lutheran University restructured the capstone course for its Environmental Studies Program explicitly to foster interdisciplinary integration. Assignments assess the effectiveness of programmatic learning objectives in keeping with the Program’s mission, “…to engage actively and critically the complex relationships between people and the environment, drawing upon integrated and interdisciplinary perspectives.” This final course in the curriculum focuses specifically on the development of integrated and interdisciplinary perspectives. It builds on previous courses in our curriculum by asking each student to explore an environmental issue through the perspectives of at least two disciplines. Students are expected to integrate the methods and content of these two academic perspectives to develop more complete approaches to complex environmental challenges. Final capstone products are a public oral presentation and a 25–50-page academic paper. To accommodate a range of capstone questions and goals, the faculty created three templates from which the students can choose: investigative, interpretive, and advocacy. Two sets of guiding questions facilitate conversations between students and their disciplinary faculty mentors and lead to integrative analyses. Five short writing assignments focus student attention on the issue, chosen disciplines, audience, methodology, and integrative analyses central to their capstones. These assignments catalyze class discussion about the elements of a capstone, evidenced-based arguments from different disciplinary perspectives, and the writing process. The final short writing assignment, which specifically addresses integration, is used as the key programmatic assessment instrument. These changes have increased the quality of student–faculty mentor conversations and enhanced the complexity of classroom discussions and student outcomes.