"Interdisciplinary Learning: A Discipline-Based Design, Implementation and Evaluation" is a new work launched by Dr. Xia Xuemei in January 2024. In order to let you better understand the wonderful content of this book and help teachers in their interdisciplinary practice, we will share the highlights of the book with you. Today, let's talk about the understanding of the concept of "interdisciplinary learning".
What is interdisciplinary learning? Let's start with three examples related to animals. one
"Butterfly", "Cicada" and "Bear".
The first example is about "butterflies". This case study is designed with the theme of "butterflies", involving four subjects, including Chinese and science, as shown in Figure 1-1.
In Chinese lessons, students read poems and nursery rhymes about butterflies and tell stories about butterflies. In science class, students are expected to observe butterflies and make butterfly tabloids. In art class, students are expected to draw butterfly paintings and make butterfly decorations; In math lessons, students count the number of butterflies.
The second example is about "cicadas". Teachers from Chinese, Mathematics, Science and other subjects are teaching students about the theme of "cicadas".
The Chinese teacher used the cicada to analyze the characteristics of Yongwu poems and the literary imagery of cicadas in different poems: Luo Bingwang used cicadas to compare himself in the midst of tribulation, and used cicadas to entertain himself, "it is difficult to fly in the dew, and the wind is loud and easy to sink", which entrusts the author's grievances and sorrows of "suffering from the Hui of the Times"; When Yu Shinan sang the cicada, he used "the voice is far away, not by the autumn wind" to depict the noble and proud world of the cicada.
The math teacher analyzes the mathematical probability and prime numbers from the periodic appearance of cicadas: cicadas are in the larval stage for a long time in their lives, and most cicadas will stay in the soil for several years or more than ten years, some of which are 3 years, some are 5 years, and some are even as long as 17 years. Why don't cicadas come out 12 or 14 years later? This periodicity involves not only probability, the probability of a cicada encountering a cold summer, a natural predator, and a competitor of the same kind, but also a prime number, which has only 1 and itself. Studies have shown that if there is a cold summer every 50 years in 1500 years, there is only a 7% probability that the cicadas unearthed once every 7 years will avoid the cold summer, the probability of the cicadas unearthed once every 11 years avoiding the cold summer has risen to 51%, and the probability of the cicada unearthed once in 17 years has risen to 96%. If the life cycle of a cicada that emerges once every 17 years is 7 years, then it will only happen once in 119 years (17 7) between them.
The science teacher starts from the question of whether the cicada is a pest**As an insect class, hemiptera, and a creature of the cicada family, the feeding method of the cicada, as a link in the food chain, the relationship between the cicada and the trees and birds, and provides the relationship between the number of cicadas and the number of birds in a certain area mentioned in the relevant research over the years, and guides the students to **Whether the periodic number of cicadas will affect the periodic number of birds, and then extend to how we should treat the cicadas in campuses, communities, and parks.
The third example has to do with bears. Students are asked to answer the following question:
This is a physics question in the 2019 Shanghai High School Mock Exam. On the surface, this topic may seem like a brain teaser and a bit nonsensical, but to really solve this problem, it requires a combination of multiple knowledge. The process is as follows:
The above three examples illustrate different forms of knowledge combinations.
Example 1 shows the messy-disciplinary. Although it seems that there are many subjects, the knowledge of these subjects is scattered, and it is a knowledge platter around the theme of "butterfly", which selects a little Chinese, a little science, a little art, and a little mathematics, and the integration of these knowledge cannot promote students to have a deeper understanding of the theme of "butterfly".
Example 2 shows a multi-disciplinary. Focusing on the theme of "cicada", teachers from different disciplines combine the key concepts of their own disciplines, such as "imagery" in language, "probability" in mathematics, and "life cycle" in science, to carry out extended analysis from different perspectives, so as to support students to understand cicadas through different conceptual lenses. Although there is no integration between the subject knowledge of each part, it plays a role in the students' multiple perspectives, and through the conceptual lens of different disciplines, the students have a deeper understanding of cicadas.
Example 3 shows an interdisciplinary approach. Different from the first two types of knowledge, when solving this problem, it is necessary to use the knowledge of physics, mathematics and biology at the same time, and the knowledge of different disciplines is intertwined and fused with "you have me, I have you", and each part of the knowledge can be dismantled separately, but only by interweaving and integrating can this problem be solved.
Focusing on the above-mentioned three types of knowledge combinations, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary, we can use the metaphors of the "fruit" series to visually express their connotations. In the three metaphors in Figure 1-2, the relationship between disciplines is different.
The puzzle is a platter of various types of fruits. The different fruits are only scattered together and have no relationship with each other. Each type of fruit is just isolated fruit cuts.
Multidisciplinarity is a picture of the composition of different fruits. It may be a cloud from one disciplinary perspective, and an umbrella from another disciplinary perspective. Although there is no connection between the clouds and the umbrella, it has a rich meaning for those who see and eat the whole picture.
Interdisciplinarity is a blend of juices. The different disciplines are combined by questions and the like, like a mix of mango and apple, to form a new juice variety. Repke et al. (2021) described it this way:
The choice of fruit (i.e., the discipline and its insights) is not arbitrary, but is aimed at the end result of a clear consideration.
The mixing of fruits (i.e., the process of integration) changes each fruit (i.e., disciplinary insights).
The blended juice (i.e. the integrated result) is something new compared to the ingredients used.
The activities involved in the production of blended juices (i.e., interdisciplinary research processes) are constrained in time and space by the research topic.
This metaphor can help us better understand interdisciplinary learning in practice. In the design, it is necessary to avoid just doing the accumulation of low-level knowledge and skills like spelling disciplines, and if students can be inspired to look at the same phenomenon, theme and concept from the perspective of different disciplines and concepts, multi-discipline is also valuable. In multidisciplinary learning, subject knowledge does not need to be consciously designed to be integrated, that is, it is not as high as interdisciplinary learning in terms of the degree of knowledge integration, so it will be easier for subject teachers to use it.
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The connotation of interdisciplinary learning and the various concepts associated with it
The connotation of interdisciplinary learning has its own definite characteristics, and there are a series of concepts related to interdisciplinary learning, such as integrated learning, thematic learning, project-based learning, etc., which will be clarified in this section.
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The connotation of interdisciplinary learning
Mansler, the chief expert of the Zero Point Project at Harvard University in the United States, put forward the key points of interdisciplinary learning: knowledge is something to be applied, it is not enough to acquire knowledge, individuals must be able to apply their understanding of concepts in various situations and contexts; Interdisciplinary understanding is strongly influenced by disciplinary insights, and individuals need to have a foundation in two or more disciplines in order to use them to solve interdisciplinary tasks; Disciplinary insights are integrated, not just juxtaposed, in the interdisciplinary learning process; Interdisciplinary learning has its purpose, which is to promote students' cognitive progress.
Based on the elaboration of Mansler et al., this book combines the relevant research of interdisciplinary learning to form the following integrated definition:
Interdisciplinary learning is the process in which students synthesize the knowledge, abilities or thinking of two or more disciplines and form an integrated interdisciplinary understanding through certain carriers (such as themes, phenomena, problems, products, etc.).
This definition reflects the five key characteristics of interdisciplinary learning, as shown in Figure 1-3.
1.Interdisciplinary learning has a real purpose
When it comes to interdisciplinary learning, you need to think about why it's crossing. If the purpose of training and consolidating subject knowledge is only to be carried out, the interdisciplinary learning carried out will often have a false and unreal feeling. Interdisciplinary learning should have a real purpose such as solving problems, forming works, and generating new knowledge. When the purpose of interdisciplinary learning is not clear enough, fragmented, patchwork learning can occur.
2.Interdisciplinary learning should have a cross-vector
The vehicle of interdisciplinary learning can be themes, problems, phenomena, concepts, outcomes, etc. No matter what kind of medium it is, it must be meaningful to the learner and can also drive the integration of two or more disciplines. The carrier should be challenging.
3.Interdisciplinary learning requires a multidisciplinary basis
Interdisciplinary learning involves two or more disciplines and goes beyond a single discipline. In-depth interdisciplinary learning requires more in-depth learning and exploration in the corresponding subject areas, drawing nourishment from their respective disciplines, and then producing deeper and more creative integration.
4.The process of interdisciplinary learning should be creative and professional
Because it is necessary to integrate the knowledge and content of two or more disciplines, it is difficult for interdisciplinary learning to copy the existing formulas, so it is often necessary to screen and call back and forth in different disciplines, which will be extremely creative and creative.
5.Interdisciplinary learning ultimately leads to an integrated, interdisciplinary understanding
Interdisciplinary understanding goes beyond a single discipline and is a new understanding that condenses in the process of understanding topics, explaining phenomena, solving problems, and creating products, and promotes students' cognitive progress.
There are many different types of interdisciplinary learning. Some of the characteristics of interdisciplinary learning in the above five key aspects can be relatively superficial, such as the aforementioned example of "bear", although it involves the integration of knowledge from different disciplines, but the whole process is very short and the authenticity is not strong; Interdisciplinary learning, such as project-based learning, requires higher requirements for each of the above characteristics.
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Connections and distinctions to related concepts
At present, interdisciplinary learning discussed in China based on the 2022 version of the curriculum plan and curriculum standards has two conceptual implications: curriculum content, learning and teaching.
1.as a concept at the level of course content
Based on the 2022 edition of the curriculum plan and curriculum standards, "interdisciplinary learning" appears in the form of "interdisciplinary thematic learning", which is first and foremost a concept with the connotation of curriculum content. The new curriculum plan proposes to "set up interdisciplinary theme learning activities, strengthen the interconnectedness between disciplines, drive the comprehensive implementation of the curriculum, and strengthen practical requirements", "each course uses no less than 10% of the class time to design interdisciplinary theme learning", where "interdisciplinary theme learning" is a general term, and in the curriculum standards of various disciplines, different disciplines have different expressions, such as interdisciplinary practice, interdisciplinary learning task groups, etc., although the names are different, but they are all content concepts, It is emphasized that each discipline should integrate interdisciplinary content into its own subject curriculum content area.
2.as a concept at the level of learning and teaching
The 2022 version of the curriculum plan advocates subject practice and comprehensive learning in the course implementation part, and subject practice means that students should "participate in subject activities......Strengthen the connection between knowledge learning and students' experience, real life and social practice, pay attention to the creation of real situations, and enhance students' ability to understand the real world and solve real problems", comprehensive learning means "exploring large-unit teaching, and actively carrying out comprehensive teaching activities such as thematic and project-based learning", and the design of theme-based, comprehensive and project-based learning has also appeared in the teaching suggestions and cases of various subject curriculum standards. This means that advocating interdisciplinary learning is not only a requirement at the content level of the curriculum standard, but also a suggestion for learning and teaching. The interdisciplinary learning in this book is more developed at this level, covering the use of different carriers such as problems, themes, and projects.
3.The relationship between interdisciplinary learning and concepts such as integrated practical activities, integrated learning, and project-based learning
Integrated practical activities are a curriculum concept, not a learning and teaching level. Integrated practical activities can be carried out in the form of integrated learning, interdisciplinary learning, and project-based learning. Integrated learning is the most extensive concept in learning and teaching.
There are many carriers of interdisciplinary learning, such as themes, projects, etc. If the theme is used as the carrier, it is necessary to reflect the characteristics of the theme and integrate different disciplines to deepen the understanding of the theme. If the project is used as the carrier, the elements of the project should be reflected in the design, and the project results should be publicly visible through the project process; If the design method of interdisciplinary content and project-based learning is adopted, interdisciplinary project-based learning will be aggregated.
In short, in terms of the general direction, the core themes of these learning methods are similar, all of which point to the elimination of monopoly brought about by sub-disciplines, and all pay attention to the cultivation of students' comprehensive quality. There are only differences in the scope of connotation, discipline vision, and design elements. We can use a formula to represent the range of connotations between the several ones, as shown in Figure 1-4.
This article is excerpted from Interdisciplinary Learning: A Discipline-Based Design, Implementation and Evaluation, published by Education Science Press in January 2024.