1. A Research-Based Framework
A Multi-Institutional Study of Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning in STEM
A Research-Based Framework
Jim Swartz, Grinnell College

2. Motivation for Project
The 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.

3. Collaborative Inquiry of Interdisciplinary Learning
Interviews with faculty & students (self-report)
Online surveys (self-report)
Course instructors
Pre & post surveys of enrolled students
Faculty team inquiry & analysis of student work in interdisciplinary courses (performance-based)
RISC

4. Acknowledgements Trish Ferrett (Carleton College)
Funding provided by HHMI
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)

5. RISC (Research on Integrated Science Curricula) Surveys
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.

6. Sample (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.

7. Sample (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.

8. 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?
Study of Complexity
Attitudes
Science
Pedagogy

9. Learning Goals: Items from Faculty survey common to “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.

10. Pedagogies: Items from Faculty survey common to “high” ID courses
Students engage in class discussion
Students spend the entire course on one or a few problems
Students work on problems that have no clear solution
Students learn about two (or more) disciplines so that new insights emerge from considering them together
Students have input on design of a project

11. Results & 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.

14. Scholarly Inquiry by Faculty Cohort: Analysis 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 14

15. Interdisciplinary Courses: Qualitative Work
Two traditional disciplinary disciplines merged
Introductory biology and chemistry integrated course
Defined 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 15

16. Interdisciplinary Understanding
Findings: Emergent Framework
Interdisciplinary Understanding
Integration
Engaging
Complexity
Disciplines
Learning Communities
Personal Connection
Building
Understanding
Return, Revise, Reflect
Put two examples slide as transition 16