The Challenges of Interdisciplinary Team Teaching

Strategies for Success in Interdisciplinary Team Teaching

Dr. Michael FurickSchool of BusinessGeorgia Gwinnett College

Dr. Jennie StearnsSchool of Liberal Arts (English)Georgia Gwinnett College

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1. Female2. Male3. Other

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What is interdisciplinary team teaching?

Two or more teachers from different disciplines

Integration of disciplines to create and teach

Synthesis of disciplines, as opposed to a multi-disciplinary approach which adds disciplines together

Concepts exist across a continuum

Cone, Park, & Cone, 1998

Advantages of Interdisciplinary Teaching

Life is interdisciplinaryEmployers want students to work

and think in teamsNew careers blur the discipline lines

◦(bioengineering, neuroscience)Technology replacing linear models

of knowledge acquisition with broad-based models disregarding specialty

Have you ever taught a course as part of an interdisciplinary team?

1. Yes2. No3. Other/Guest lecture

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Would you team teach again?1. Yes2. No

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If “No”, then why not?1. Not interested2. Too many issues3. Maybe in the

future4. Other

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Lower schools use team teaching frequently

79% of middle school principles use interdisciplinary teaching teams

(Valentine, Clark, Hackman,Petzko,2002)

Studies show it improves student achievement

(Felner, Jackson,Kasak,Mulhall, Brand,Flowers, 1997)

Advantages at the college levelGains from multiple perspectiveso Instructors discuss content, style,

alternatesoMini-peer review everydayo Two “experts” in every class with

different perspectives on the same subject

Students see teamwork in actiono Instructors model the workplace

environment

College use of interdisciplinary teaching is mixed

Stanford has 1000 faculty in its program

(Elam,Matson,Eckert,Roberts,2007)

Others have no formal program (Felner, Jackson,Kasak,Mulhall,

Brand,Flowers, 1997)

Does your institution have a program to foster interdisciplinary teaching?

1. Yes2. No3. Maybe/ in progress

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Issues – philosophical and pragmatic Philosophicalo Better suited to fostering thinking skills than to

delivering contento A two-faculty classroom has less central

authority and can be less efficient

Pragmatico Requires more effort and timeo Requires flexibility and compromiseo Misperception among peers/dean about

workloado Administration has to agree (e.g. course credit)

This studyCourse:

Communicating in the Business Environment• Team taught by Business School faculty and

English faculty for two semesters o (Fall ’08, Spring ’09, total of 57 students)

• Two semesters taught by Business faculty onlyo(Summer ’09, Fall ’09, total of 77 students)

Intention was to provide individual writing and speaking attention to students and improve their communication ability

Concepts exist across a continuum

Cone, Park, & Cone, 1998

Fall 2008 Spring 2009

Discussion

Course design•Syllabus designoEnglish dept or business schoolooutcomes & learning objectives

•Textbook selection

•Faculty presence in each class o Partnership method rather than connected or

shared method

•Assignmentso number and type; content vs. style

Discussion

Logistics• Professor course credit & workloado Admin support for expense of using two

teachers for one classo Impact on other obligations

•Grading methods•Multiple classrooms may be needed• College not set up to do this

naturally

Discussion

Managing student expectations•Need to be prepared for two

teachers• Style issues – English course vs.

business course•Grading – rubrics and other

strategies for guaranteeing consistency•Whom to ask for help?

Sample of student commentsFall 2008

◦Did not like having two professors

◦Different teaching styles - hard to go between them

◦Two professors graded assignments differently

Sample of student commentsSpring 2009

◦Dealing with two professors for one class

◦Two professors made the course much more challenging

◦The other sections did not have two professors so why did my class

◦Did not like that the speeches were given twice

Discussion

Course Evaluations• Separate evaluations for each

instructor•Whom to evaluate•What to evaluate

Would you expect student performance in an interdisciplinary class to be:

1. Better than a one professor class

2. The same as a one professor class

3. Worse that a one professor class

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For those that have team taught , did your student learning outcomes improve?

1. Yes, quantitatively2. Yes, qualitatively3. No4. Did not measure

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Impact on outcomes was positiveMean student grade = 80.4% for

the interdisciplinary semesters

Mean student grade = 77.2% for the traditional one faculty semesters

T-test indicates that this is significant

Finally, items for faculty successItems for successPlanning (key, but time-

consuming)Managing interpersonal relationsAttending every lectureUsing every idea from either

facultyEstablishing common grading

standardsProviding support for studentsEnsuring dean and administration

support

Strategies for Success in Interdisciplinary Team Teaching

Thanks for coming

Dr. Michael FurickSchool of BusinessGeorgia Gwinnett College

Dr. Jennie StearnsSchool of Liberal Arts (English)Georgia Gwinnett College