Title: Best Practices in Interdisciplinary Co-Teaching
Duration: [ ] Fall 2013 only
[ X] Winter 2014 only
Spring 2014 only [ X ]
Full-Year [ ]
Facilitator:
Jan Holmes, Associate Professor, School of Language, Culture & Society, College of Liberal Arts
Focus:
This Faculty Learning Community (FLC) will explore the viability and feasibility of creating
interdisciplinary linkages between lower- and upper-division undergraduate coursework.
Possible linkages between course work will be explored using a framework based on three
essential aspects of the teaching and learning process: (a) curriculum (content), (b) instruction
(delivery) and (c) assignments (products). Opportunities for these links may vary widely from
collaborations across faculty (e.g., on a single topic that may link assignments and/or class
discussions), to integrated syllabi involving multiple ties across course units, to combined
curricular and co-curricular experiences across units. In this FLC, participants will be introduced to
and generate an array of ideas to forge links between their own courses and integrate new
material/methods into current and/or future courses.
Participants: There is no pre-requisite knowledge required to participate in this FLC. Participants will work
collectively to conceptualize and ultimately incorporate interdisciplinary curriculum, coinstruction, common assignments, and/or shared student experiences across course work. This
FLC is intended to facilitate the exploration and development of interdisciplinary course work for
those who teach (or intend to teach) lower- or upper division undergraduate courses.
Supervisor approval is required for FLC participation.
Outcomes:
All FLC participants will collectively identify and document at least 10 best practices for
interdisciplinary co-teaching and develop a set of sample materials which may include (but not be
limited to): (a) syllabus (for each course in the pair), (b) common assignment(s), and/or (c) related
activities to be taught from two different disciplinary perspectives across two lower- or upperdivision courses. Moreover, participants will collectively identify and document challenges as well
as solutions associated with designing and delivering interdisciplinary course work. This
information will be complied and incorporated in the Interdisciplinary Faculty Instructional Support
Packet, for any and all faculty interested in ideas to change and enhance instruction in lower- and
upper division courses. This information may potentially appear on a web page dedicated to
information about instructional activities related to the interdisciplinary studies.
Each individual participating in the FLC will identify a potentially compatible lower- and/or upperdivision course that has good potential for an interdisciplinary link. Participants will contribute to
a master table of courses with cross-references, linking courses by discipline. This information will
be shared in a brochure (possibly a supplement to literature that already exists or new material)
highlighting information about interdisciplinary studies for the entire OSU community, including
faculty and students explaining the link between particular courses. This information may
potentially appear on a web page dedicated to information about instructional activities related to
the interdisciplinary studies.
Timeline:
This FLC will hold five face-to-face sessions and three on-line sessions, for a total 8 sessions over
the course of two semesters. The timeline below is incomplete and does not include the specific
Wednesdays the tasks will be completed. Once the final format of the expected products is clear
(web based, etc.), specific dates will be determined. All tasks will be completed by April, 2014. See
the table below for further details.
Session #
Day/Date
Session #1
Wednesday/TBD
Session #2
Session
Type
Presession
activity
In-session
activity
Assignment
Completion
Date
Face-toFace
TBD
TBD
Discuss designing and delivering
interdisciplinary courses (noting
challenges and solutions to those
challenges).
TBD
On-line
TBD
TBD
Discuss contents of faculty
instructional support packet.
TBD
Face-toFace
TBD
TBD
Develop template for community
brochure and faculty instructional
support packet.
TBD
On-line
TBD
TBD
Draft community brochure and
faculty instructional support
packet.
TBD
Face-toFace
TBD
TBD
Identify best instructional practices
and courses for links across
disciplines.
TBD
On-line
TBD
TBD
Vet best instructional practices.
Decide on list for course links
across disciplines.
TBD
Face-toFace
TBD
TBD
Develop cross course activities for
linked courses.
TBD
Wednesday/TBD
Session #3
Wednesday/TBD
Session #4
Wednesday/TBD
Session #5
Wednesday/TBD
Session #6
Wednesday/TBD
Session #7
Wednesday/TBD
Add to community brochure and
faculty instructional support
packet.
Session #8
Wednesday/TBD
Face-toFace
TBD
TBD
Complete community brochure and
faculty instructional support
packet.
April, 2014
Potential Meeting Time: Meetings for this FLC will take place using two different formats. A total of five face-toface meetings will be scheduled on select Wednesdays from 12-2 PM in Winter 2014 and 2-4 PM in
Spring 2014. The leader and participants will also use Blackboard to share ideas, documents, etc. in
between face-to-face sessions. Participants from the Cascades campus will have the option to
participant in meetings via Skype or videoconference if necessary.
Stipend:
Participants will receive a stipend ($1000 full-year) for active participation in the FLC and upon
fulfilling all FLC expectations. These expectations include attendance/participation in at least 80%
of all group meetings and work, attendance/participation in the end-of-year FLC luncheon on April
18, 2014, submission of an end-of-year report documenting individual outcomes and results for the
FLC’s project(s), and completion of the end-of-year feedback survey.
Marian Moore
Center for Teaching and Learning
Oregon State University
January 30, 2014 Teaching Symposium