Thursday, October 13, 2011
Concurrent Session 1 (A-E)
2:15-3:45 p.m.
1A Biography: Learning from Life Stories
Christine Drewel, Grand Valley State University
“Forrest Armstrong: Integrative Learning and a Value-Centered Life”
Presentation Abstract:
This presentation explores the life and contributions of Forrest Armstrong, founding member of AIS and administrator at Grand
Valley, highlighting personal and professional narratives, career highlights, contributions, and his commitments to integrative
learning.
Brett Townsend, Grand Valley State University
“Integral Learning and its Transformation of Lived Experience: Insights from Sri Aurobindo”
Presentation Abstract:
The work of 20th century Indian philosopher, Sri Aurobindo is valuable to academic and contemporary dialogues related to
integrative/interdisciplinary learning. By discussing his teachings of an "integral yoga," which focuses on the combined
cultivation of one's personal, interpersonal, and transpersonal domains of experience, I demonstrate that the inclusive
methodology he uses can assist us in holistic learning and development.
Roslyn Abt Schindler, Wayne State University
“An Interdisciplinary Perspective on Ingeborg Hecht: Holocaust Survivor, Author, Friend”
Presentation Abstract:
Ingeborg Hecht’s story is a complex one that was surrounded by silence for many years. My continuing relationship with the
author as part of “a deepening conversation” (Henry Greenspan) has enabled me to accumulate information and insights that
shed important light on the two memoirs that Hecht wrote about her experiences before, during, and after the Holocaust.
1B Adult Learners and Pedagogy
Lisa Miller, Jo Miller, & Kate VanDerKolk, Grand Valley State University
“Access, Advising and Academic Integrity: An Integrative Approach with Returning Adult Learners”
Presentation Abstract:
Explore with us the diverse and complicated world of academic administration and advising in an interdisciplinary program. This
presentation highlights the integrative nature of a program designed to meet the needs of adults at a university’s regional
location.
Karen Bell, Delta State University
“Can I Get Credit for My Real World Experience? Prior Learning and the Liberal Arts College”
Presentation Abstract:
In the changing landscape of higher education, non-traditional students are increasing in number and bring with them a wealth of
experience. In order to recognize prior learning, Delta State University, a Carnegie Master’s Institution, recently explored a
Credit by Portfolio system. It aims to allow students to earn college credit based on their work force or volunteer experiences
outside of college. This paper explores the need for, and challenges of, implementing prior learning credit.
Ben Bennett-Carpenter, Oakland University
“If You Could Ask Any Question: An Investigative, Critical, and/or Creative Project as Model”
Presentation Abstract:
I present the open-inquiry, student-centered course I teach at Oakland University, drawing upon multiple disciplines, including its
position at the avant-garde of integrative teaching and learning. This presentation lays out the course’s project proposal as a
useful design for a course in integrative studies.
1C “Interdisciplinary Responses to Budget Crises in Higher Education: Updating the Politics of Interdisciplinarity”
Tanya Augsburg, San Francisco State University & Stuart Henry, San Diego State
Presentation Abstract:
Much has changed within higher education since 2008 as previously financially secure institutions are experiencing budgetary
crises while others are facing drastic measures. How are interdisciplinary programs responding to the current economic climate?
This panel session explores new developments and responses, such as increased class sizes; increased reliance on academic
technology and online learning, restructuring; reconfiguring, and consolidating existing interdisciplinary programs; as well as
strategies to improve retention and graduation rates.
1D Scholarship of Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning
Jeannie Brown Leonard, George Mason University
“Integrative Learning in Undergraduates: A Grounded Theory”
Presentation Abstract:
Higher education recognizes integrative learning as a desired learning outcome for undergraduate students. Using grounded
theory methodology, this study examined students’ experiences in an integrative studies academic program. Student
participants defined integrative learning broadly. The data suggested a continuum of integration that ranged in complexity from
least complex (application) to most complex (synthesis). An emerging theory provides a model for this developmental process.
Ken Fuchsman, University of Connecticut
“Studying Interdisciplines”
Presentation Abstract:
Studying interdisciplines helps illuminate what transpires when specialties formed from two fields intersect. This paper compares
psychohistory and political psychology, two interdisciplines that should have much in common, but have travelled quite different
highways. Political psychology and psychohistory each cherry pick from the divisions within their respective disciplines, favoring
one discipline over the other. This results in an incomplete exploration of their own subject matter and little attempt at being
comprehensive.
Colleen Tremonte, Michigan State University
“Mapping Interdisicplinary Learning through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning”
Presentation Abstract:
This presentation reports on the efficacy of structured electronic dialoguing to engender student competence in interdisciplinary
thinking. Drawing on a case study, it argues that structured electronic dialoguing cultivates epistemological reflexivity—a
hallmark of critical interdisciplinarity. Such dialoguing not only helps students navigate various disciplinary terrains, it also
supports students in recognizing broader processes of knowledge production in inter-disciplinary contexts. As such, the
presentation provides a model of scholarship on interdisciplinary teaching and learning.
1E “Interdisciplinary Research Seminars” (Roundtable)
Diane Lichtenstein & Linda Sturtz, Beloit College
Presentation Abstract:
We will explore with participants how the Newberry Seminar might be adapted to interdisciplinary research courses on our
campuses. The Newberry Seminar and the Library offer undergraduates a unique immersion in interdisciplinary research and
learning, but some vital elements of the program can be sustained off site. We will focus on preparing students for
interdisciplinary research, working with librarians to develop technology-based tools and primary source repositories and
building interdisciplinary learning communities for students.
Session 2 (A)
4:00-5:30 p.m.
2A “The State of the Field”
Bill Newell, Miami University, Ohio; JulieThompson Klein, Wayne State University and University of Michigan; Rick Szostak,
University of Alberta
Presentation Abstract:
Three leading contributors to our understanding of interdisciplinary studies will step back to assess the current state of the field
and situate recent developments in larger contexts. Julie Thompson Klein will focus on institutions, Bill Newell on theory, and
Rick Szostak on research. Each of them will comment on implications for education.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Concurrent Session 3 (A-E)
8:30-10:00 a.m.
3A Reflective Teaching Practices
Tanya Augsburg, San Francisco State University
“Alternative Reflective Practices For Electronic Portfolios: Self-Portraits and Six-Word Memoirs”
Presentation Abstract:
Two alternative reflective practices for electronic portfolios will be introduced and discussed: self-portraits and Six-Word
Memoirs (as adapted from Smith Magazine). Sample student self-portraits and Six-Word Memoirs will be presented, along with
examples of written reflection papers in which students analyze and discuss their self-presentations as interdisciplinarians.
Kaitlin Briggs, University of Southern Maine
“Biographical Research as Interdisciplinary Research Backwards: Overlaps with/Deviations from Repko”
Presentation Abstract:
This paper presents a general education capstone course in biographical research taught at the University of Southern Maine,
“The Senior Seminar/Democracy: Focus on the Public Intellectual.” I explore how the approach used deviates from Repko’s
model. In biographical research the integrated life precedes the research, and the process concludes with disciplinary
unpacking. This backwards approach serves to broaden practices away from the accepted standard and toward interdisciplinary
research as a complex, diverse field of study.
Shadia Kawa, National Cancer Institute
“A cross-cultural comparative analysis of interdisciplinary graduate programs in Mind/Brain Sciences”
Presentation Abstract:
Recognizing the importance of interdisciplinarity in addressing “big questions” in the study of the Mind, interdisciplinary graduate
programs in the Mind/Brain Sciences have flourished, offering a variety of training models. We compare and contrast the
institutional, academic, and human resource characteristics of different training programs in North America and Europe.
Implications and future directions for Mind/Brain Sciences research and education are discussed.
3B Performance and Pedagogy
Jo Miller, Grand Valley State University & Katherine Mayberry, Pigeon Creek Shakespeare and Grand Valley State University
"Call Forth Your Actors! Collaboration, Comedy, and Community with Shakespeare”
Presentation Abstract:
Embark on a three-step journey through a comic scene from Shakespeare to reveal how the integration of literary analysis and
theatrical performance creates a rich experience of humor, community, and self-reflection. This collaborative teaching project
gives students a hands-on experience of literature, and gives arts organizations a chance to develop the next generation of
audiences, an essential part of sustainability for the arts in a time of shrinking support.
Nick Sousanis, Teachers College, Columbia University
“Unflattening: A visual-verbal dissertation reimagines research”
Presentation Abstract:
Through an interdisciplinary visual-verbal dissertation that embodies in form what it addresses in content, the author of this
paper seeks to radically reimagine the form research can take. The dissertation upon which this presentation is based develops
“unflattening”: a simultaneous engagement of multiple vantage points from which to engender new ways of seeing. Juxtaposing
and truly integrating the visual alongside the verbal facilitates resonance between them and multiplies possibilities for
understanding. The author’s creative practice itself becomes a form of research.
Stephen Weber, University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
“The Interdisciplinary Arts and Ideas Performance Model”
Presentation Abstract:
This research examines the philosophical, psychological, pedagogical, and practical aspects of an interdisciplinary approach to
presentation of arts and ideas, using the writings of Richard Wagner and Friedrich Schiller as historical bases. The proposed
Interdisciplinary Arts and Ideas Performance Model combines the artistic and intellectual experience, bringing to the audience a
deep and rich understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of ideas.
3C Administrative Challenges
Angus McMurtry, University of Iowa
“Lessons learned from an attempt to establish an interdisciplinary educational research group”
Presentation Abstract:
The presenter will describe and discuss his case study research which focuses on a failed attempt to establish an
interdisciplinary research network. I will explore lessons learned from the case study and how they link to existing literature on
the factors that support or constrain interdisciplinary initiatives.
Ken Morgan, Coppin State University
“Viewpoints of Faculty Towards Integrative Studies: A Case Study of Coppin State University”
Presentation Abstract:
Coppin State University recently conducted a survey of attitudes toward integrative studies among its full-time faculty.
Viewpoints were gathered through a six part survey, administered to faculty electronically. Part 1 asked faculty to provide their
academic standing and use of IDS. Parts II, III and IV sought their opinion about Interdisciplinary Studies generally. Part V
addressed the University’s current IDS program. Part VI provided respondents a chance to discuss any aspect of IDS covered.
The survey yielded a 50 percent return rate. This presentation examines the findings of this survey and its implications for future
programming, development, and assessment.
Kathleen Sitzman, Weber State University
“Envisioning Possibilities with Dwindling Resources: Creating Structured Interdisciplinary Degrees”
Presentation Abstract:
Dwindling resources in higher education have made the creation of new degree programs challenging or impossible in many
institutions even as student interests and market demands continue to change. By drawing upon 14 existing programs across
campus, we were provided an opportunity to engage 27 faculty members in the process of creating five pre-formulated Bachelor
of Integrated Studies (B.I.S.) degrees at Weber State University. Faculty support and student interest in these pre-formulated
degrees has been unprecedented. This presentation explores what made this initiative so successful, as well as ways that
similar programs might be adapted at other institutions.
3D Pedogogical perspectives
Stephen Rowe, Grand Valley State University
“Comparative General Education”
Presentation Abstract:
Assuming that one purpose of General Education is giving students access to a heritage of humane values, and that such a
heritage can be found in virtually all of the world's traditions, the paper suggests that access is most effectively gained through a
comparative and dialogical approach. This paper investigates this proposition from the perspective of my engagement with the
General Education Program at Jiao Tong University, Shanghai.
Ken Badley, George Fox University
“Ernest Boyer's Scholarship of Integration Re-examined”
Presentation Abstract:
Since it appeared in 1990, Ernest Boyer's Scholarship Reconsidered has generated much discussion about the scholarship of
discovery, of service and of teaching. Boyer's fourth category – the scholarship of integration – has received less attention and
even generated some confusion. After unpacking Boyer's scholarship of integration, this session suggests ways for individual
faculty to describe and present integrative work. The session ends with suggested assessment criteria for those who evaluate
tenure and promotion portfolios.
Stuart Henry, San Diego State University
“What Do You Know? Beyond Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Knowledge Integration.”
Presentation Abstract:
This presentation offers a proposal for a theoretical schema to integrate knowledge produced outside of academic disciplines
based on insights from the “multiple knowledge formations” of Richard Carp (2001) and the legal pluralism of George’s Gurvitch
(1947). In addition to integrating knowledge across different academic disciplines, the schema considers how to incorporate
dimensions of organization, formality/informality, objectivity/subjectivity. Implications and applications of the proposed schema
will be discussed.
Friday October 14, 2011
9:00-11:45 a.m.
3E “The Nuts and Bolts of IDS Development and Assessment” (Workshop)
Pauline Gagnon, University of West Georgia & Allen Repko, University of Texas at Arlington Emeritus
Presentation Abstract:
This special hands-on conference workshop returns for a sixth year. It offers members an opportunity for in-depth study of
interdisciplinary courses and programs. Participants will learn about models and the plethora of resources available on the AIS
website.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Concurrent Session 4 (A-D)
10:15-11:45
4A Sustainability and Intersectionality
Tendai Chitewere, San Francisco State University
“The Re-emergence of Urban Gardens: Stories from the front yard”
Presentation Abstract:
This paper offers insight into the interdisciplinary nature of urban gardens and gardeners. While growing food in the city might
offer a healthful alternative to modern industrial food production, urban gardeners also have a long history of social activism and
addressing social injustice. Through collecting life histories and engaging in participant observation, this paper argues that urban
agriculture can be a useful site for creating a just and sustainable society.
Danielle Lake, Grand Valley State University
“Sustainability as a Core Issue in Diversity and Critical Thinking Education”
Presentation Abstract:
Sustainability is an inherently interdisciplinary subject and, as a problem, requires creative and integrative thinking. This is at
least in part because sustainability is what I call a “wicked problem.” For this reason I argue that the integration of sustainability
into general education courses is not only appropriate, but necessary. Higher education must do more integrate work in
responding to our pressing environmental and social issues.
Rachel Peterson, Grand Valley State University
“Integrating Liberal Education: Intersectional Biographies, Diversity and Interdisciplinary Pedagogy”
Presentation Abstract:
This presentation discusses how mining the biographies of individuals whose racial, gendered and political activism have
historically set them beyond the margins of academic consideration can yield interdisciplinary insights. Using teaching
experiences exploring three such figures, this paper shows how integrating different standpoints and forms of knowledge into the
classrooms can harness numerous creative approaches that exemplify the integration of intellectualism and activism.
4B “Weaving Ancestral Muses: Two Perspectives from the Arts to the Academy” (Roundtable)
Heidi Upton & Elizabeth Albert, St. John’s University
Presentation Abstract:
The presentation chronicles how two artists, a painter and a musician/teaching artist, inspired by pedagogical philosophies of
major figures in their fields, work to bring this inspiration into academic settings. Specifically, it explores how two perspectives,
that of philosopher Maxine Greene on the one hand and Friedrich Froebel and the world of the Bauhaus on the other, are woven
into the teaching practices of Dr. Heidi Upton and Professor Elizabeth Albert at St. John’s University.
4C Institutional Perspective
Jennifer Lawrence, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
“From Plato to the Present: Addressing the Impasse of Interdisciplinarity in the University”
Presentation Abstract:
This paper will explore the traditions and trajectories of interdisciplinary work by drawing upon the historical roots of integrative
study, using Plato’s Academy as a point of departure. The scope of the paper will include a historical overview that sets the
stage for interrogating the state of integrative studies in our contemporary context. Specifically, the paper will problematize
efforts to coalesce integrative studies into curricula based on the corporatization of the American university.
Tami Carmichael, University of North Dakota
“Twenty Five Years of Integration: The Success of a Long Established Integrated Studies Program”
Presentation Abstract:
This presentation highlights the successes and challenges of the Integrated Studies Program at the University of North Dakota,
deemed the "Great Granddaddy of Integrated Learning Communities" by the Washington Center. This program was established
25 years ago, initially through an NEH grant. It offers a student-centered, theme based curriculum that integrates courses in the
humanities, sciences, social sciences and communications.
Marina Pluzhenskaya, Dalhousie University
“Interdisciplinary doctoral programs: past, present, and future.”
Presentation Abstract:
Interdisciplinary doctoral programs are an integral part of modern university culture; but some of them are struggling to establish
themselves as sustainable units. As a graduate coordinator of an ID PhD program with almost 100 students, I see some patterns
that call for attention. It is important to study different programs to identify predictors of their intellectual and financial success
and sustainability, and come up with a sound model of an ID doctoral program.
4D “Interdisciplinary Academic Teams: Rebuilding Michigan One Student At a Time”
Diane Kimoto, Kristen Jack, & Quincy Williams, Grand Valley State University
Presentation Abstract:
In meeting GVSU's goal of supporting service learning, an interdisciplinary team composed of students and faculty, known as
The Project, was formed. Utilizing a common passion for civic engagement, the team promotes the development of marketable
skill sets for students towards public service. By linking critical thinking with action learning, The Project provides a vehicle
whereby students are given the opportunity to design, implement, and sustain endeavors leading to jobs within Michigan.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Concurrent Session 5 (A-E)
2:00-3:30 p.m.
5A “Power and Intersectional Identities: Institutional Challenges for the 21st Century” (Roundtable)
Azfar Hussain, Grand Valley State University
Presentation Abstract:
This roundtable discussion will bring together administrators and leaders from several institutions to discuss their perspectives
on the powers that can support or challenge diverse faculty and students.
5B Trajectories in Intedisciplinarity
Jennifer Dellner, Ocean County College
“Interdisciplinarity, the Net, and the Self: Hypertext as a Question for Interdisciplinarians”
Presentation Abstract:
Both the creation and theory of interactive fiction are, at heart, interdisciplinary enterprises, yet there is very little, if any, literature
on theories and practices of interdisciplinarity per se vis-a-vis this new, but now established, genre. This paper asks what that
theory and practice might look like: How do we construct our interdisciplinarity in light of this medium? What do current theories
and practices of interdisciplinarity suggest about how to understand this phenomenon?
Nathan Phelps, Center for Strategic and International Studies
“Thinking about the Future to integrate our understanding the Present”
Presentation Abstract:
Analysts at The Center for Strategic and International Studies – a DC based think-tank – developed a broad interdisciplinary
framework to help executives and policy-makers think through the implications of seven long-term trends that will shape the
future. This paper examines how this framework is used to teach both integrative learning and civic skills in an array of higher
educational settings. Data assessing the effectiveness of this pedagogical model will be presented.
5C “Emerging Scholars Forum – Institutional Realities”
James Welch IV, University of Texas Arlington; Matthew Haar Farris, Graduate Theological Union; Shadia Kawa, National
Cancer Institute
Roundtable
Presentation Abstract:
This is an opportunity for graduate students to describe their own interdisciplinary work, and exchange hopes, concerns and
ideas with established interdisciplinarians. We will particularly address the ways in which interdisciplinary studies are
transforming institutions of higher education, as well as career opportunities in interdisciplinary fields. This is an open forum and
all graduate students are especially welcome to attend.
5D “A New Trajectory in Interdisciplinarity: Case Studies in Interdisciplinary Research (2012)”
Allen Repko, University of Texas at Arlington Emeritus; Marilyn Tayler, Montclair State University; Rick Szostak¸ University of
Alberta; Machiel Keestra, University of Amsterdam; Stuart Henry, San Diego State University; Julie Thompson Klein, Wayne
State University and University of Michigan; Bill Newell, Miami University, Ohio
Presentation Abstract:
A major gap in the literature of interdisciplinarity are case studies demonstrating best practices in research that is explicitly
interdisciplinary. The publication of Case Studies in Interdisciplinary Research (2012) edited by Allen F. Repko, William H.
Newell, and Rick Szostak, is the first collection of case studies that apply the research model that appears in Repko’s (2008)
Interdisciplinary Research: Process and Theory. Contributors discuss how working with the model has affected their approaches
to research and teaching.
5E “The Scholarship of Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning: Teaching for Interdisciplinary Understanding at
Project Zero”
Flossie Chua, Harvard University; Veronica Boix-Mansilla, Harvard University; Gretchen Schulz, Oxford College of Emory
University
Presentation Abstract:
Based on a performance view of understanding, a constructionist-pragmatic epistemology, a multi-pronged novice/expert
empirical study, and a learning community action research project, our team at Project Zero has advanced a pedagogical
framework to guide teachers in the design of quality interdisciplinary units of instruction. This framework proposes that quality
interdisciplinary understanding should be purposeful, disciplined, and integrative, comprised of the following dimensions:
multifaceted topics, disciplinary understandings, integrative understandings, the performance of understanding, and targeted
assessment.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Concurrent Session 6 (A-E)
3:45-5:15 p.m.
6A Reflections on Teaching
Karen Kirkendall & Vicki Perkins, University of Illinois at Springfield
“Who Am I? An Interdisciplinary Understanding of Self through Narrative and Visual Depiction”
Presentation Abstract:
Interdisciplinary and integrative thinking are tough concepts for first year undergraduates. The issues revolving around identity
provide comfortable and familiar territory for them to think, write and create within an interdisciplinary framework. The UIS
Capital Scholars Honors Program provides interdisciplinary, team taught courses that constitute a foundation from which
students can approach learning and acting in the world. The purpose of this presentation is to showcase this interdisciplinary
experience for incoming students in an Honor’s program.
Ashley Karcher, Grand Valley State University
“A Revaluation of Philosophy's Contribution Toward Learning Beyond Specialization”
Presentation Abstract:
The relationship between education and philosophy, as a way of life and as an academic discipline, has changed dramatically
over the course of human history. My concerns regarding human philosophical development urge me to express the vital
significance of academic philosophy in human life beyond what exclusive disciplinary specialization can offer. In this project I
inquire how a revaluation of philosophy’s role in education can improve the development of students beyond disciplinary
specialization.
Christine Sorrell Dinkins, Wofford College
“Stories People Tell: Teaching the art of interviewing to foster community engagement”
Presentation Abstract:
The art of interviewing allows students to learn by listening. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn two methods of
interviewing they can teach to their students: critical incident and Socratic-hermeneutic. After learning the theoretical
underpinnings of both methods, participants will practice Socratic-hermeneutic interviewing with each other and discuss
integrating interviewing assignments into their own courses. Through such projects, students learn about community members
and, where appropriate, share these members’ stories with a wider audience.
6B Integrative theoretical perspectives
John DeCarlo, Hofstra University
“Thinking and Writing Across the Disciplines: Nietzsche's Historic Lead”
Presentation Abstract:
In examining the historical roots of interdisciplinary and integrative learning, Nietzsche, in the wake of the clash between the
Enlightenment and Romanticism, emerges as the great modern inter-disciplinarian, poetically, psychologically and
philosophically exploring how the body, brain, and mind interface with language, class, and culture, and often intermingle in
indistinguishable ways. Thus, beyond his innovations in historical-intellectual inter-bordering, are his insights on how borders
blur each other, calling for even more inter-disciplinary oversight.
Patrick Gamsby, Laurentian University
“Max Horkheimer’s Critique of Tradition: Critical Theory at Its Roots”
Presentation Abstract:
Max Horkheimer was the key administrative figure behind what has come to be known as the early ‘Frankfurt School’. Although
less famous than some of his colleagues – such as Theodor Adorno, Herbert Marcuse, and Jürgen Habermas – Horkheimer
wrote some of the foundational texts for the intellectual tradition that has come to be known as ‘Critical Theory’. This paper
discusses the interdisciplinary project envisioned in Horkheimer’s foundational texts and its applicability for contemporary
integrative studies.
John Giordano, Union Institute and University
“Art and Interdisciplinary Social Practices: From John Dewey’s Art as Experience to Relational Aesthetics”
Presentation Abstract:
This paper explores a range of contemporary artmaking practices that have become sites of interdisciplinarity aimed at social
change—a dimension of cultural work that draws from a variety of fields including ethnography, performance areas, education
and social work. This direction for art, I argue, has roots in Dadaism as well as John Dewey’s critique of the ‘art of museums’ laid
out in his seminal book from the 1930s, Art as Experience.
6C Assessment
Chris Francovich, Gonzaga University
“Leadership Studies and a Theory of Everything: Integrating influence, bodies, & meaning”
Presentation Abstract:
This presentation focuses upon a developing integrated program curriculum where content, context, and process assumptions
are explicitly articulated for undergraduate, masters, and PhD Leadership programs at a small Jesuit University in the Pacific
Northwest. This model of integrated curriculum development provides one example of how to navigate the paradox of unity in
diversity that challenges experience and the paradox of diversity in unity that challenges knowledge. Collegial dialogue around
the model parameters is offered as a praxis that can harmonize the experience/knowledge tension.
Michael O’Rourke & Liela Rotschy, University of Idaho
“Educational Applications of the Toolbox Approach to Interdisciplinary Communication”
Presentation Abstract:
In this presentation, we discuss the educational applications and curricular potential of the workshop-based, Toolbox approach
to interdisciplinary communication. After describing our approach, we detail the educational contexts within which we have
conducted Toolbox workshops. We argue that analysis of these workshops reveals conditions to be satisfied if the Toolbox
workshop is to have a salutary impact on collaborative communication. We conclude by describing how the Toolbox can be
deployed in undergraduate and graduate courses.
E.J.H. Spelt, Wageningen UR
“Competence Development on Interdisciplinary Thinking in Engineering Higher Education”
Presentation Abstract:
The session provides insight into the competence development on interdisciplinary thinking in engineering higher education.
Empirical research on the curriculum design, course design, teacher and student experiences, together with the student learning
outcomes, is presented. This is done to advance our understanding on the enabling teaching and learning elements for
interdisciplinary thinking development among students in higher education. The session ends with critical discussion on the
results together with the research activity itself
6D “Teaching with Repko: Approaches to Teaching Interdisciplinarity”
Allen Repko, University of Texas at Arlington Emeritus; James Welch IV, University of Texas at Arlington; Scott Crabill, Oakland
Univeristy; Marilyn Tayler, Montclair State University; Ian Drake, Montclair State University
Presentation Abstract:
Allen Repko’s (2008) Interdisciplinary Research: Process and Theory provides a comprehensive approach to interdisciplinarity
and a step-by-step process for research. The structure of the book lends itself to a three tier curricular design for interdisciplinary
studies courses: introductory, research methods, and capstone. Panelists will share how they creatively apply the book to these
different levels. Repko will conclude the session describing the expanded 2nd edition scheduled for release in October 2011.
6E Religion and Literature
Richard Law, Alvernia University
“Wordsworth’s The Prelude and Poetry Therapy”
Presentation Abstract:
Poetry therapy is one modality used effectively by psychiatrists and other mental-health professionals. From their success one
may infer that students would benefit from applying their mental, emotional, and imaginative energies to reading inspiring poetry.
A valuable poem is William Wordsworth’s The Prelude. Wordsworth’s insightful autobiographical account of “the growth of the
poet’s mind” is engaging and edifying. It can be salutary to read thoughtfully many passages of Wordsworth’s eloquent
introspection, philosophical meditations, vivid dramatic episodes auto-analyses of mental and emotional responses (often to
impressive natural scenes), and ultimately his rhapsodies of love, joy, and hope. Many, perhaps most, students either want or
need sources of assurance that love, hope, and joy can be theirs.
Matthew Haar Farris, Graduate Theological Union
“Interdisciplinary Innovations in the Study of Religion: The Emergence of the “Participatory Turn”
Presentation Abstract:
Scholars of religion in the West are increasingly becoming spiritual practitioners, destabilizing the tried and true methodological
boundaries between religious studies and theology, but also numerous other fields such as philosophy, cultural studies, and
women’s studies. The aim of this paper is to elucidate an emerging interdisciplinary trend associated with the study of religion,
namely the cutting edge cluster of issues flying under the banner of “the participatory turn.”
Guy Beckwith, Auburn University
"Disciplining the Disciplines: Integrative Themes in B.F. Skinner's Walden Two"
Presentation Abstract:
This paper explores B.F. Skinner's use of integrative themes and strategies in his widely read utopian novel, Walden Two. In this
work, Skinner offers behavioral psychology as a keystone science, capable of uniting and regulating the other sciences, and
non-scientific disciplines as well. His effort to make subordinative integration of knowledge credible offers important lessons for
contemporary interdisciplinary scholars.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Concurrent Session 7 (A-E)
9:00-10:15 a.m.
7A Political Economy and Assessment
Donald Morris, University of Illinois at Springfield
“The Civic Duty to Pay Taxes and the Fair-Share Calculation”
Presentation Abstract:
A recent survey by the IRS Oversight Board indicates that 95% of taxpayers believe they have a civic duty to pay their “fair
share,” the amount of tax cheating in the U.S. has been growing. Currently at least 20 percent of income subject to tax goes
unreported and uncollected. This paper is an interdisciplinary examination of the meaning of “fair share,” drawing on insights
from philosophy, economics, psychology, law, and tax.
Christy Newton, Graduate Theological Union
“Fair Trade: Setting a Trajectory for Integrative Relationships in Consumer Culture”
Presentation Abstract:
This paper develops a critical, interdisciplinary method to enable people to identify and interpret how beliefs and values are
shaped, reflected, and reified within consumer culture. It demonstrates this method by addressing the complex motivations and
results of the contemporary fair trade movement. The very existence fair trade is a reaction to the unfair trade of the neoliberal
global economy that dehumanizes people into mere instruments for meeting another’s desires.
Evan Widders & Ben Brooks, West Virginia University
“IDS and the Real World: Assessing Learning Outcomes and Student Satisfaction Post-Graduation”
Presentation Abstract:
This paper is an outgrowth of the assessment process in a large Interdisciplinary Studies program at West Virginia University.
We argue the importance of collecting and assessing quantitative and qualitative data concerning learning outcomes, student
satisfaction, career choice and development, and graduate education after students have graduated from an undergraduate IDS
program. Despite difficulties in accessing quality data, the process ultimately yields valuable insights that can improve student
learning, teacher quality and programmatic design.
7B “Interdisciplinarity, Emergent Media and Internet and Hardware Technologies” (Roundtable)
Jennifer Dellner, Ocean County College
Presentation Abstract:
This roundtable discussion examines how technological media may shape our practice of interdisciplinarity as well as what
current theoretical understandings have to offer to studies of the intersection of technology and new modes of content. We will
consider the ways that new connections between graphics, gaming, programming and text are inherent in the technical side of
the creation of works such as games, hypertext, visual fiction, and Internet art, Attendees are invited to email the presenter with
ideas/readings/web sites. Note: Papers will not be read in this session. The discussion may lead to papers for next year’s
conference.
7C Identifying Disciplinary Assumptions
Bill Newell, Miami State University; Michael O’Rourke, University of Idaho; Rick Szostak, University of Alberta; Stephen
Crowley, Boise State University
Presentation Abstract:
Identifying and vetting disciplinary assumptions is central to the integrative challenge of creating common ground. This
session compares the approaches to disciplinary assumptions taken by philosophers in the NSF-funded Toolbox Project
and the approaches taken by AIS-inspired interdisciplinarians. The panel will discuss the differences between the Toolbox
assumptions about scholarly inquiry that cut across disciplines, and the AIS approach which distinguishes assumptions
that characterize the worldview of particular disciplines.
7D “Where have we been? Where are we going? Outcomes as a (Temporary) Panacea for Interdisciplinarity”
Kathleen Nesbitt, Patricia Dillon, & John Wilcox, Spalding University
Presentation Abstract:
Assessment of Interdisciplinary Humanities and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences in Spalding University’s School of Liberal
Studies (since 2003) exposes shortcomings requiring significant changes to improve student outcomes. When the results are in,
faculty are relieved to find that they are doing more good than ill by their students. Faculty then address weaknesses exposed
through the data, proposing both macro (resource-driven) solutions and micro (intra-curricular) changes. So far the programs’
trajectory has been healthy.
7E “Imagining the Interdisciplinary Study of Religion”
Brent Smith, Sheldon Kopperl, Michael Ott, & Douglas Kindschi, Grand Valley State University
Presentation Abstract:
Creating a Religious Studies major, which GVSU is doing, involves perspective and hermeneutics: How does bringing multiple
disciplines to the study of religion deepen an understanding of it, particularly in relationship to the pervasive, historical
development of secularity in Modernity? Given different disciplinary approaches to inquiry, what is for each the “object” being
studied? What contributions do various disciplines bring? How can students be prepared for one of the defining features of 21st
century life?
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Concurrent Session 8 (A-E)
10:30-11:45 a.m.
8A “Integrative Approaches to Diversity Building within AIS” (Roundtable)
Tanya Augsburg, San Francisco State University
Presentation Abstract:
During this session participants will work in small groups to identify best practices to increase diversity within AIS.
8B “Symbiotic Software”
Blake Seidenshaw, Chris Moffett, Victoria Grubbs, & Ethan Jucovy, Columbia University
Presentation Abstract:
This panel seeks to raise and address the problem of technology in education. From a central identification of the 'architectures'
of educational environments as ‘software’ systems, we will seek to a) demonstrate that software can represent society by proxy;
b) that most educational software is architecturally inegalitarian; c) that 'symbiotic' design principles address this iniquity; and d)
that what we call symbiotic design both requires and promotes integrated and interdisciplinary study.
8C “Business, Baking, Academics and Cooking: Transforming a Food and Wine Travel Program”
Denise Bauer, Sharon Zraly, & Jean Morris, Culinary Institute of America
Presentation Abstract:
This presentation will chronicle how an interdisciplinary group of faculty and administrators--from liberal arts, business
management, culinary arts, restaurant operations and baking and pastry arts--came together to transform a travel study program
into a dynamic, multi-faceted, capstone learning experience for our bachelor students at the Culinary Institute of America.
8D “AIS Undergraduate Honor Society: A Conversation” (Roundtable)
Pauline Gagnon, University of West Georgia and Michelle Buchberger, Franklin University
“AIS Undergraduate Honor Society: A Conversation”
Presentation Abstract:
At last year’s conference, a panel discussion was held to investigate the idea of an AIS Undergraduate Honor Society. The
outcome of this discussion was to propose such an idea to the AIS board for consideration. The board has recently approved
moving forward with the planning for such a society. This conversation will examine the approved plan and discuss methods of
implementing an AIS Undergraduate Society.
8E “The Scholarship of Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learnin: Graduate Education and the Pedagogic Imagination”
(Roundtable)
Colleen Tremonte, Constance Hunt, Baburhan Uzum, & Betsy Ferrer, Michigan State University
Presentation Abstract:
Drawing on the experiences of graduate fellows and faculty at a research university in the US, the participants in the roundtable
will explore the promise and challenges of interdisciplinary undergraduate teaching and learning within an institutional frame, the
Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Teaching (IIT) Fellowship Program. More specifically, the participants will discuss how the
scholarship of interdisciplinary teaching and learning (SOITL) can promote a re-visioning of the linkages between
interdisciplinary teaching and research—the pedagogic imagination.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Concurrent Session 9 (A-E)
2:00-3:30 p.m.
9A Reflective Teaching Practices
Debra Parker, Benedictine University
“From Autonomous to Anonymous: Exploring Student Authorship in Interdisciplinary Writing Spaces”
Presentation Abstract:
Building on a theoretical backdrop, the presenter will pose questions that expose our assumptions about student authorship in
interdisciplinary writing spaces that involve the concepts of originality, ownership, credit, and plagiarism. The aim of the session
is to engage in an interdisciplinary conversation that exposes our disciplinary assumptions and generates possible components
of student authorship within interdisciplinary writing spaces.
Jeanne Sorell, George Mason University
“The Magic Stethoscope: Collaborative Creative Writing to Learn in Nursing and Other Disciplines”
Presentation abstract:
Writing Across the Curriculum has transformed learning in many disciplines, including nursing. This presentation describes a
“writing to learn” assignment in a Nurses as Writers course that fostered skills in organization, teamwork, and technology, as
well as writing. Collaborative writing of a children’s novel, The Magic Stethoscope, is used to illustrate how similar assignments
could be implemented in other disciplines. Learning outcomes from five other collaborative book publications with nursing
students will also be addressed.
Amy Spies & Vicki Perkins, University of Illinois at Springfield
“Using Collage as an Integrative Representation of Self in the First Semester of College”
Presentation Abstract:
Join this session to discuss collage and public presentation as pedagogical tools to enhance or develop student understanding
of “interdisciplinarity” and develop critical analysis skills. This general session will discuss the elements and the results of this
assignment as demonstrated by outstanding examples of the Collage Showcase.
9B Philosophical and Theoretical Perspectives
Liela Rotschy & Michael O’Rourke, University of Idaho
"It's just semantics": Putting joint construal to work in communication and team building”
Presentation Abstract:
In this presentation we use the linguistic notion of joint construal (JC) to examine communication within interdisciplinary research
groups. We look at JC in the context of the Toolbox Project, a research effort that focuses on interdisciplinary communication.
We argue that Toolbox workshops construct situations in which participants engage in focused JC of concepts associated with
scientific research. We present results of our analysis of Toolbox transcripts, correlating linguistic evidence of JC with team
functionality.
Machiel Keestra, University of Amsterdam
“Rigor and Creativity in the Interdisciplinary Interpretation of Aristotle’s Ethical Theory: An Investigation in the
Dimensions and Logic of Interdisciplinary Theory Integration”
Presentation Abstract:
Interdisciplinarity research consists often of the revitalization of a theory buried in a tradition. A theory can sometimes contribute
to the development of opposite insights. For example, Aristotle’s Ethics has recently found defenders both among hermeneutic
philosophers and communitarians among cognitive neuroscientists—for different reasons. This presentation will analyze this
versatile reception trajectory.
James Welch IV, University of Texas Arlington
“Interdisciplinarity and the Question of Being”
Presentation Abstract:
As interdisciplinarity develops a coherent theory of knowledge, it inevitably confronts issues of ontology. Ontology deals with the
nature of existence, and the way that human consciousness perceives and interacts with Nature. A survey of ontological issues
in philosophy, science, cognitive psychology, and spiritual traditions both East and West will be conducted. Finally, this paper
examines how ontology has entered contemporary scholarship of interdisciplinarity, with a view toward its importance for
interdisciplinary theory
9C “An Integrative Approach to Qualitative Research: Interdisciplinarity as Interpretive Framework”
Phillip Ryan, Danielle Pester, Deanne Carter, & Jill Sornson, Union University
Presentation Abstract:
This presentation addresses the complexities of an integrative approach to a qualitative research project conducted by a cohort
of graduate students. While the methodology of this project is qualitative, the interpretive framework is interdisciplinary.
Specifically, presenters focus on the project’s multidisciplinary literature review and its integrative impact on analysis, the role
that students’ varied disciplinary backgrounds played in the research, and the implications of this experience on their
intercultural competence.
9D “A Holistic Vision for Liberal Education: Integrating the Inner and Outer”
Maureen Wolverton, Susan Mendoza, & Diane Maodush-Pitzer, Grand Valley State University
Presentation Abstract:
In this discussion, panelists will share ways to help students integrate their inner and outer lives within the academy. Participants
will learn different approaches towards a holistic view of liberal education, including techniques for integration in traditional and
online learning environments. Finally, student development theories will permeate this discussion, serving as a touchstone for
the innovative forms of holistic pedagogy presented.
9E “Using the AAC&U VALUE Integrative Learning Rubric Workshop”
Tanya Augsburg, San Francisco State University & Karen Moranski, University of Illinois, Springfield
Roundtable
Presentation Abstract:
During this two-hour special workshop Tanya Augsburg and Karen Moranski will introduce the most popular of the VALUE
initiative rubrics: the Integrative Learning rubric. Participants will learn how the rubric can be adapted and used to assess
integrative learning within the classroom and for program assessment. Participants will have the opportunity to test the
effectiveness of the rubric by scoring sample student work and norming their scores within small groups.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Session 10 (A)
8:30-10:00 a.m.
10 A Conference Synthesis Session
President Rick Szostak, University of Alberta
The conference wrap-up session provides an opportunity for conference attendees, both new and old, to share their thoughts on how
they experienced the conference and to make suggestions regarding what we might try to do at future conferences. The conversation is
usually lively and informative, and we try to have a bit of fun.