1/27/12
Session #1
“What works in Facilitating Interdisciplinary Learning in Science and Mathematics” Summary report from AAC&U and Project Kaleidoscope
Excellent publication - connects to report from the National Academies:
A New Biology for the 21 st Century
Integrative and interdisciplinary nature of the biological sciences in:
Global food
Health
Environment
Energy challenges
Five key recommendations:
1.
Start by articulating a common understanding of STEM interdisciplinary learning goals that will drive the cycle of curricular innovation, development, assessment and improvement
2.
Use assessment to connect interdisciplinary learning goals with program structure, content, and pedagogy, paying attention to students as individual learners, who come with diverse backgrounds, experiences and expectations, career aspirations and goals.
3.
Build a critical mass of faculty, from within and with new hires, that assumes leadership responsibility in the iterative process of shaping interdisciplinary curricular and co-curricular approaches and in assessing the impact of those on undergraduate STEM learners.
4.
Incorporate interdisciplinary program needs into the processes of campus governance and resource distribution – financial, personnel, equipment, and spaces
5.
Align interdisciplinary learning with the institutional vision, mission, and identity, as well as in strategic planning processes at all levels.
Note: - this is true for the redesign of Gen Ed – period!
Question: why require either: a.
All Doane students must have one interdisciplinary – (possibly thematic) course within the
Gen Ed requirements b.
All majors must have one interdisciplinary course as part of the degree requirement
This same expectation could apply to experiential opportunities as well...
Keck/PKAL seems a strong professional development opportunity for those in STEM:
Project Kaleidoscope at http://www.aacu.org/pkal - host two summer institutes in July – Crestone, Colo at Baca Campus of Colorado College – application deadline April 6...
Session #2
I.
Using Avatars to Access History - http://languages.oberlin.edu/courses/2010/fall/hist293/
This was beyond excellent! I think we can model this. It builds on “role playing” in an amazing and “real time” way and uses technology via blogging. This I want to try...
Project will be discussed in The History Teacher in 2012. – do have a two page hand out on key elements to consider, so we may not need to wait for publication. We might want to have some folks pilot the creation of one of these in the spirit as piloting REACTING to the Past...

II.
What would education that values wisdom look like?
Knowledge is of the past, wisdom is looking toward the future
Some key traits connected with wisdom* – Moral reasoning
Regulating the emotions
Tolerance for ambiguity
*From book by Steven Hall Wisdom: From Philosophy to Neuroscience –
Traits of wisdom are laid in people during the ages 14 – 25
Build “a wisdom” driven exercise into every day of learning or build specific activities that require students to apply or look for intersections with the elements of wisdom.
For ex: Role play question: Should genetically modified crops be used in famine stricken
Africa?
Parts – Biotech engineer
Organic farmer
Minister of Agriculture
Community activists
Ensure scenario really brings complexities to the surface – working toward EMPATHY
III.
How team projects kill democracy
If not done correctly, as in really honoring all the complexities, it is better not to do team projects because of long term negativity toward working toward others – promotes preference for isolation and intolerance of the group process...
Why do so many students hate team projects:
Unequal division of work (someone always does more, others less)
No clear structure
Team element is unnecessary to truly accomplish the task (it can just be turned into a jigsaw)
Note: An important CETL session ought really focus on the pedagogy behind team projects/collaborative group work...
IV.
Tips for writing and using scenarios

Build it around a “most important element”

Do it at a point in the course where it must “matter” or students sense it must
“sing”

Avoid squeezing it in – (students will see it’s not “legitimate”)

Keep it focused on the human (don’t do “theories” say on racism – do a “Raisin in the Sun”

Ensure it has a conflict and that a legitimate obstacle to the resolution exists – (it must be real)

Consider both comedy and tragedy as outcome

Ensure that the “motivation” for the participants is there

Do not obsess with the extraneous details


Use foreshadowing well

Pay attention to what students will pay attention too

Always leave them wanting more
Session #4
Conduct a survey on campus of who is already doing civic engagement – might be able to use existing projects as prototype
Ensure all projects include:
Scholarship
Engagement
Teaching
Be sure they are rigorous
Check out:
The Happiness Initiative: “
The Happiness Initiative builds a new quality of life movement based upon measures of civic success and prosperity that go beyond Gross Domestic Product.” http://www.happycounts.org/
What’s the Economy for, Anyway: Why it’s Time to Stop Chasing Growth and Start Pursuing
Happiness (Bloomsbury, 2011) Author John de Graaf is outreach director of The Happiness Initiative.
The American Commonwealth Project: Colleges and Universities as Agents and Architects of Democracy
Imagining America: Artists and Scholars in Public Life http://imaginingamerica.org/blog/2012/01/
Democracy Plaza http://life.iupui.edu/osi/civic-engagement/political/dp.html