Freedom and Flexibility in a Final Project: The Unessay

Keywords: unessay, flexibility, assessment

Abstract: The unessay was developed by Daniel Paul O’Donnell as a way to move beyond the constraints of a traditional essay in order to allow students to focus on what interests and excites them (both in terms of content as well as format). In this session, I will discuss using the unessay as the final project in an introductory organizational behavior course. I will highlight how students engaged with the assignment, along with the variety of topics and formats used. I will also discuss the challenges of an assignment like this, for students and faculty alike.