Beyond the survey: performance assessments for higher-order sustainability literacy in higher education

Purpose This study aims to explore how a performance-based assessment measures students’ higher-order sustainability competencies in ways that multiple-choice or scaled-survey tools, common ways to assess sustainability literacy, may not. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory case study created a performance task for a first-year honors writing and critical inquiry course. Students (n = 9) analyzed a scenario across environmental, social and economic domains. A rubric measured students’ abilities to address all three domains and articulate a feasible and balanced solution supported by credible evidence. Findings Students demonstrated proficiency in defining the three sustainability domains but tended to struggle to balance them. Choosing scenarios in familiar local contexts appeared to improve the feasibility of their proposals. Critical argumentation appeared to influence students’ capacity to showcase systems and strategies-thinking, suggesting its importance in sustainability literacy. Research limitations/implications With only nine participants from a single course, results are not generalizable. Future research should involve larger, more diverse samples in different courses to refine performance-assessment rubrics and strengthen reliability. Practical implications Higher education institutions seeking greater validity in sustainability assessments could integrate performance tasks with multiple-choice questions. This blended approach potentially increases the relevance and reliability of sustainability literacy assessments. Social implications By focusing on complex, real-life tasks, performance assessments enhance students’ capacity to address “wicked” sustainability problems. This approach promotes complex thinking crucial for teaching students to be transformative change agents. Originality/value By deploying a writing-based performance assessment, this exploratory case study expands understanding of how Key Sustainability Competencies can be evaluated. Its interdisciplinary grading process highlights practices for assessing sustainability literacy beyond multiple-choice tools.