We cannot agree to disagree: ensuring consistency, transparency and fairness across bachelor thesis writing, supervision and evaluation

Abstract

Writing, supervision and evaluation of students’ dissertations has received a fair share of attention in academic literature, with a focus on problems of marking, information processing mechanisms, worldviews and more. In most texts, problems of inconsistency, transparency and fairness are identified, leading to frustration among supervisors, assessors and students. This article shares positive experience on the creation and application of an instrument which would benefit educators and contribute practical solutions on how the issues of inconsistency, transparency and fairness within the bachelor thesis process could be tackled. Using design science research, which utilizes gained knowledge to solve problems, create change or improve existing solutions, we developed the bachelor thesis writing and assessing instrument. Following three iterations of the instrument among writers, supervisors and assessors of bachelor theses at the Estonian Business School, we conclude that the use of the instrument has greatly improved consistency, transparency and fairness of the thesis-process, thus benefitting all three parties in particular and the university in general.