A Multi-Institutional A Multi-Institutional Study of Study of

Interdisciplinary Interdisciplinary Teaching and Teaching and

Learning in STEMLearning in STEM

A Research-Based A Research-Based FrameworkFramework

Jim Swartz, Grinnell College

Motivation for ProjectMotivation for ProjectThe 21st Century Learner: To investigate

diverse ways of implementing and assessing interdisciplinary learning in the sciences.

To employ a multi-institutional faculty cohort to investigate interdisciplinary student learning.

To use an evidence-based approach (qualitative & quantitative).

To construct a framework for interdisciplinary understanding.

To build upon the work of others in this area of scholarly inquiry.

Collaborative Inquiry of Collaborative Inquiry of Interdisciplinary LearningInterdisciplinary Learning

Interviews with faculty & students (self-report)

Online surveys (self-report)◦Course instructors ◦Pre & post surveys of enrolled students

http://www.grinnell.edu/academic/psychology/faculty/dl/risc

• Faculty team inquiry & analysis of student work in interdisciplinary courses (performance-based)

RISCRISC

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

Trish Ferrett (Carleton College)

David Lopatto, Mark Levandoski, Vida Praitis (Grinnell College)

Joanne Stewart, Graham Peaslee (Hope College)

Jim Russo (Whitman College)

Paul Jackson, Gary Muir, Kevin Crisp (St. Olaf College)

Whitney Schlegel (Indiana University)

Carleton’s Science Education Resource Center (SERC)

Funding provided by HHMI

RISC (RISC (Research on Integrated Research on Integrated Science Curricula) Science Curricula) SurveysSurveys

Faculty survey: course goals and activities

Student pre- and post- surveys: nature of science, learning styles, confidence, and learning gains.

EMPIRICAL & SCHOLARLY - Based on research literature, previous work of project team, and faculty/student interviews.

Sample (of 50) Faculty QuestionsSample (of 50) Faculty Questions

Students read primary scientific literature.

Students work on a project or problem entirely of student's own design.

Students work on problems that have no clear solution.

Students work a project or problem entirely of student's own design.

Students study an interdisciplinary problem.

Students study problems with multiple causes that operate simultaneously and interactively.

Sample (of 50) Student QuestionsSample (of 50) Student Questions

Please rate how much learning you gained from each element you experienced in this course.

A project or problem entirely of student's own design

Working in small groups or teams.

Working on a problem that requires integrating ideas from both science and non-science disciplines.

Attempting a complete understanding of a complex problem.

Reading primary literature from multiple disciplines or fields of study.

How well did you gain an understanding of how scientists think

Even if I forget the facts, I'll still be able to use the thinking skills I learn in science.

What might we learn from RISC?What might we learn from RISC?Once survey validity is more established, we will query RISC data with more “profound” questions.

EXAMPLE: What are the relationships between degree of independent learning (pedagogy), student attitudes about nature of science, and courses with a focus on complex ID problems or systems?

Learning Goals:Learning Goals:Items from Faculty survey common to Items from Faculty survey common to “high” ID courses “high” ID courses

Students learn to ask "big questions" that implicate more than one discipline in a solution.

Students learn about two (or more) disciplines so that new insights emerge from considering them together.

Students learn to find similarities and differences between disciplines or fields of study.

Students study problems with multiple causes that operate simultaneously and interactively.

Pedagogies:Pedagogies:Items from Faculty survey common to Items from Faculty survey common to “high” ID courses “high” ID courses

Students engage in class discussionStudents spend the entire course on one or a few

problemsStudents work on problems that have no clear

solutionStudents learn about two (or more) disciplines so that

new insights emerge from considering them togetherStudents have input on design of a project

Results & Lessons from RISC SurveyResults & Lessons from RISC Survey

Language matters!

Students’ reports on prominent learning gains align with faculty - and high learning gains reported by students.

Faculty reports on learning goals and pedagogies are consistent with research literature on interdisciplinarity.

High ID RISC items resonate with qualitative findings.

Scholarly Inquiry by Faculty Cohort: Scholarly Inquiry by Faculty Cohort: Analysis of Student WorkAnalysis of Student Work

10 faculty, 1-3 from each of 5 colleges (Carleton, Grinnell, Hope, St. Olaf, Whitman)

Faculty and cohort inquiry into student learning in their own courses using qualitative methods of analyzing student work

Interdisciplinary Courses: Interdisciplinary Courses: Qualitative WorkQualitative WorkTwo traditional disciplinary disciplines merged

Introductory biology and chemistry integrated courseDefined interdisciplinary area

Neuroscience (senior capstone & introductory course) Bioinformatics (mid-level)

Problem-based drawing upon multiple disciplines Health Sciences

Senior seminar on infectious diseases Environmental Science

First-year seminar on renewable energy Mid-level course on abrupt climate change Senior research capstone for environmental science majors

Interdisciplinary

Understanding

Integration

Engaging

Complexity

Engaging

Disciplines

Learning Communities

Personal Connection

BuildingUnderstandi

ng

Return, Revise, Reflect

Findings: Emergent FrameworkFindings: Emergent Framework