Project-Based Learning as a Potential Decolonised Assessment Method in STEM Higher Education

Abstract

Decolonising the curriculum (DtC) is an emerging concept that continues to challenge higher education institutions globally, with educators and scholars increasingly recognising how traditional curricular structures, content, and pedagogical practices can reinforce colonial biases and marginalise certain student groups. DtC can be seen as a process rather than a phenomenon, one which is ongoing and multiplexed, consisting of elements that aim to dismantle the hierarchy between staff and students and question the ways in which knowledge is produced, valued, and disseminated. The expected outcome is to provide students with an education which is equitable, inclusive, and relevant to their personal lives and experiences. Efforts in DtC have continued to gain traction, but assessment practices remain overlooked as a crucial component, with most decolonising efforts focussed towards content and pedagogy. As such, this review aims to contribute to the conversation by exploring the roots and impacts of colonisation on higher education, particularly within the context of assessment in STEM subjects. We examine various elements of decolonised assessment methods and ultimately suggest project-based learning (PBL) as a comprehensive approach that brings together the aforementioned decolonial elements, illustrating this concept through the examination of a PBL assessment mode study conducted at the University of Sussex.