Anything But Another Essay: Zoology student perceptions of UnEssay projects

Training innovative and diverse scientists starts with creative teaching practices. Much of the existing literature on nontraditional teaching practices in college science courses has focused on in-class active learning activities. Few studies have examined what students perceive they learn from creative, project-based learning in an organismal biology course. The UnEssay is a semester-long project that challenges students to complete a literature research project on a Zoology topic of their choosing and present it using anything but an essay. Students were asked to complete a post-semester survey consisting of Likert-scale and open-ended questions that assessed student perceptions of the project, inquiring whether students found the UnEssay project valuable, what they felt they learned about literature research and science communication, and whether they would recommend the UnEssay be used in future courses. Qualitative analysis of open-ended questions using a self-determination theory framework revealed that the UnEssay supported student autonomy, competence, and relatedness through the individualized learning aspects that allowed them to explore their personal interests and showcase their skills. This study is among the first to systematically document the myriad ways that students report learning from the UnEssay project.