Evaluation in Transdisciplinary Learning

Evaluating transdisciplinary learning starts with a teacher who knows their students very well and can observe and analyze their strengths and weaknesses throughout the day offering intervention as needed. To this end, one teacher is responsible for each student for most of the class time in order to help students make connections across their learning and to help capture those teachable moments.

Evaluating transdisciplinary learning also begins with teachers getting together to identify which units provide opportunities to teach the various transdiscipinary themes. A written curriculum is developed that identifies what is worth knowing for students that consider the transdisciplinary themes along with the subject-specific knowledge, concepts and skills. It highlights the transdisciplinary learning by reporting on each unit of inquiry at the beginning of the report, followed by subject-specific information. In addition, there are opportunities for teachers to report on students’ learning in relation to the essential elements of knowledge, concepts, skills, attitude and action. Students are monitored and observed daily by their classroom teacher for their understanding of transdiscipinairy components and how they fit into the PYP curriculum framework.

Culminating projects are used to inquire deeper into a central idea of a unit. The student, or group of students, decide what they want to learn and then delve into how best they will learn and what resources they will use in the process of their discovery. Each student has group work and personal projects to give in for display. Projects usually incorporate activities from more than one curriculum. Subjects such as math, art, writing, science and social studies might all be incorporated into the activity. Students will reflect on to what extent they have achieved their learning purpose and how they plan on taking action in the future through journaling, self evaluating and discussions. Teachers keep detailed records of the processes involved including ongoing reflection.