Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning in the New American College

1. Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning in the New American College Best Practices, Challenges Fran Navakas, AIS 2008, North Central College

2. The Language and Structure of IDS Initiatives – Refining the Focus and Assessing the Results Best Practices/Challenges in Teaching and Learning Faculty Development/Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Program Administration Assessment of Student Learning An Experimental Laboratory for Integration Fran Navakas, AIS 2008, North Central College

3. Preliminary Working Definitions • Interdisciplinary--“A process of answering a question, solving a problem, or addressing a topic that is too broad or complex to be dealt with adequately by a single discipline or profession. . . . IDS draws on disciplinary perspectives and integrates their insights through the construction of a more comprehensive perspective” (Klein and Newell). Fran Navakas, AIS 2008, North Central College

4. North Central College Approaching integration through— • Team-taught first-year seminars • Linked courses and international clusters • All-college seminars • Interdisciplinary majors, minors, honors offerings • Co-curricular initiatives—undergraduate research, service, civic engagement Fran Navakas, AIS 2008, North Central College

5. Features of IDS 125 and ENG 125 • Two instructors: Each instructor receives the equivalent of one 3-credit hour course credit. • Two departments: Departments are defined in terms of disciplinary boundaries rather than administrative departments that include multiple disciplines. Fran Navakas, AIS 2008, North Central College

6. Utopia/Dystopia Reading the Blues The Future of Being Human Money Matters Writing the Holocaust Reading the Movies Representations of the Body We Are What We Eat Deviance, Discipline and Society Consumption in the Global Age Investigating Violence Fraud Communication and the Presidency The Culture of the Video Game Science and the Public Interest Course topics anchored to Learning Communities or Regional Cluster Topics lending themselves to interdisciplinary consideration: The Image Journeys Work Food Invention The Mind Crossing Borders First-Year Seminar Topics: ENG/IDS 125 Fran Navakas, AIS 2008, North Central College

7. NCC SIFE Coffee Project –Inside and Outside the Classroom Coffee Botany of Coffee Economics of Coffee Anthropology of Coffee Technology of Coffee History of Coffee Marketing of Coffee The Uses of Coffee Cultural Exchange of Coffee Coffee and Health Coffee and Gender Linguistics of Coffee Coffee and Geography Coffee and Colonialism Coffee and Labor Fran Navakas, AIS 2008, North Central College

8. Panel, Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning in the New American College Context, 2007 ANAC Summer Institute. Francine Navakas, North Central College North Central CollegeInternational Studies: Annual Regional Emphasis Faculty Development Faculty/Student Travel Student Learning • Course Clusters/Links • Team-Taught Freshman Seminars • Cultural Events • Fulbright Scholar • Interim Travel Seminar • Mini-courses • Study Abroad • Richter Fellowships • Summer Faculty Development Grants • Reading Group/Workshops • Travel Grants Fran Navakas, AIS 2008, North Central College

9. Supplements to the On-Campus ClassroomNorth Central College Study Abroad Richter Independent Study Interim Seminars Mini- Courses • Eastern Europe • Border Cities • Mexico • China • Japan • Southeast Asia • Central America • North Africa • NCC in • Costa Rica • England • China/ • Japan • Funding for • independent • research • grant • application • campus • dissemination • BUS 390 • EDN 390 • International • Student • Conference Fran Navakas, AIS 2008, North Central College

10. LEV Seminars offered “across the curriculum” at upper level Reinforcement of general education skills in writing, oral presentation, research, and critical thinking Linkage of general education perspectives and skills to advanced study Topics considered from the perspective of a department, division, or interdisciplinary program Explicit and systematic infusion of LEV themes into readings, assignments, and course structure Emphasis on interaction of leadership, ethics and values Coordination of seminars with Cultural Events; Student Life; co-curricular programs Summer curriculum grants fund course development, reading groups, and research to assist faculty in preparing for and coordinating seminar The Leadership, Ethics, and Values SeminarA Capstone Approach Governing Principles Fran Navakas, AIS 2008, North Central College

11. Best Practices/Challenges—North Central College • Implications for student learning across liberal arts and preprofessional programs; nuancing of an education • Implications for faculty development, collaborative research, and scholarship of teaching and learning • Consequences of program growth—from supplementary programs to systemic change Fran Navakas, AIS 2008, North Central College

12. Questions for Discussion and Follow-up • How are faculty roles defined? • What organizational structures accommodate them? • What avenues exist for supporting interdisciplinary teaching, scholarship, service, faculty evaluation? • What next? Resources. Networking. Fran Navakas, AIS 2008, North Central College

13. Higher Education Context AAC&U, Greater Expectations: A New Vision for Learning as a Nation Goes to College • “Intentional learners are integrative thinkers who see connections in seemingly disparate information and draw on a wide range of knowledge to make decisions.” • “…all students will need to be nimble thinkers and creative problem solvers. To think outside the box, they will depend on intellectual flexibility, at least as much as on factual information.” Fran Navakas, AIS 2008, North Central College