Assessing student learning in transdisciplinary learning environments

Project introduction and background information

Transdisciplinary learning prepares students to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and societal needs, where they can directly make a meaningful impact in society. Research shows that assessment plays a crucial role in shaping how students learn and engage with the learning process. However, there is a significant gap in our understanding of assessing student learning in transdisciplinary environments. The key question is how can we assess student learning in these settings in a way that not only measures their progress but also actively enhances their learning experience?

Before we can answer this ‘how-question’, we need to explore the why and what of assessing student learning in transdisciplinary contexts.  This leads us to the following research questions:

•                 Why do we assess in transdisciplinary education: what are the primary purposes of assessment in these settings?

•                 What do we aim to assess in transdisciplinary education; what aspects do we want to make visible with the assessment?

•                 How can we assess student learning in transdisciplinary learning environments, so that it contributes to the learning process of students, while also measuring their learning?

Objective and expected outcomes

This research will be conducted in three phases, with these three questions serving as the central focus:

1.                Foundation phase: This first research phase is about exploring the experiences of student learning within transdisciplinary education, addressing the fundamental question: Why, what and how is student learning in transdisciplinary education currently assessed? These questions are asked (via a questionnaire, followed by deepening interviews of case studies) to the various knowledge institutes, to map the current status of assessment in transdisciplinary education.

The expected outcome is a synthesized understanding of the current state of the why, what and how of assessment in transdisciplinary education, providing a foundation for designing an effective framework.

2.                Framework design and development: To develop a practical assessment framework, with design criteria and a step-to-step guide of things to consider,  that aligns with the why and what, focusing on the how of assessment in transdisciplinary learning environments. The goal of the framework is to help educational designers to design the assessment aligned with the why and what within transdisciplinary education.

3.                Framework implementation and evaluation: To implement and evaluate the assessment framework, examining its practical utility and impact on student learning in transdisciplinary settings in the design of different courses.

The expected outcome is a comprehensive evaluation of the framework’s effectiveness in relation to the why, what and how, with practical recommendations for refinement and wider application.

Results and learnings

The ultimate goal is to have a better understanding of the why, what and how of assessing student learning in transdisciplinary education, and the relation between these three aspects.  From that insight we expect to create an assessment framework that not only aligns with the objectives of transdisciplinary learning but also helps educational designers and advisors to design transdisciplinary assessment in such a way that it fosters and measures the student learning processes.

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