Evaluating interdisciplinary education

Assessment is often not considered a high priority in the development of any new curricular endeavor, but it is one of the most important. This chapter lays out an approachable, “backwards design” process for developing an assessment plan based on establishing learning goals, determining measures of success, and creating thoughtful assessment opportunities, both formative and summative, for gathering direct and indirect data on student learning outcomes. Examples of specific and tailorable assessment tools and rubrics are provided along with advice on using discovered data effectively. In developing an interdisciplinary learning experience, it is important to remember that assessment is both manageable and valuable because it can be used to improve the student learning experience as well as to protect and promote the interdisciplinary course or program under scrutiny.