Opportunities and Challenges in Developing Interdisciplinary Thinking in Undergraduate Education

Résumé fourni par la source

To train students who are adept at managing and solving complex problems, higher education has pivoted to interdisciplinary learning so that students can acquire boundary-crossing skills. While instructors can actively curate the learning environment and process, students’ ability to engage in interdisciplinary thinking (IDT) is also influenced by student conditions. This chapter leveraged on an interdisciplinary module (CAPSTONE) in a residential college in an Asian university. Through this module, students collaborate with teaching staff and community partners on an inquiry-based project. Through the review of students’ reflective journals, the students demonstrated higher-order skills such as the ability to change disciplinary perspectives, an appreciation of diversity in opinions and the broadening of disciplinary perspectives. Student conditions that enabled IDT included curiosity, openness and respect. Another condition, humility, clearly emerged from the close readings. In addition, they were also more self-aware of their own disciplinary identities. The challenges of implementing interdisciplinary learning and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the CAPSTONE and IDT are highlighted. This discussion aims to contribute to the growing research in this field and prompt further exploration of the conditions that support interdisciplinary learning in higher education.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.