In my interdisciplinary collaborative project course, first-year undergraduate students study epidemics of infectious disease to develop skills in literature research, academic writing, and collaboration. At the beginning of the course, we conduct an interdisciplinary case study of an epidemic together. For the rest of the course, students work in three-member teams to research their own epidemic and co-write a paper. Each team member investigates their epidemic from a different disciplinary perspective: ecological, political/economic, or anthropological/cultural. They present their results in one of three sub-sections of the paper. Team members collaborate to revise their sub-sections, research and compose an introduction, and craft a conclusion. In the conclusion, they apply their collective results to suggest more effective, sustainable, or equitable interventions and to identify “tradeoffs” where different disciplinary perspectives suggest conflicting solutions. I used student evaluations and products to quantify: 1) the effectiveness of the course, 2) the course components that most sustained student engagement, and 3) the contribution of specific course resources to student learning and the success of the collaborative project. Student ratings of the course overall were high, students produced high-quality products, and self-reported learning outcomes reflected course goals and objectives. Student engagement was most sustained by the topic of epidemics and the interdisciplinary and process-based approach of the course. Across the course, aspects of pacing and revision most facilitated student learning. The resources that most contributed to the success of the collaborative project were those that provided clear goals and expectations, those that provided scaffolding, the pacing of the project, and resources for revision. A relevant topic, an active and collaborative approach, assignments that were well paced and supported, and opportunities for revision all contributed to the effectiveness of the course.
