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Interdisciplinary Teaching

Interdisciplinary Teaching. Malcolm Potts, Qatar University, February 2008. 3. The Freshman Seminar. Typical Course. One Instructor/Evaluator One Subject 13-15 Weeks of Lectures Several Tests/Exams . A Typical Student’s Schedule. Isolated courses – very different learning experiences.

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Interdisciplinary Teaching

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  1. InterdisciplinaryTeaching Malcolm Potts, Qatar University, February 2008 3. The Freshman Seminar

  2. Typical Course • One Instructor/Evaluator • One Subject • 13-15 Weeks of Lectures • Several Tests/Exams

  3. A Typical Student’s Schedule Isolated courses – very different learning experiences Students must be helped to make purposeful connections otherwise their learning will be hindered

  4. Modular Teaching – A New Concept at QU • New Program in Environmental Science (Begins Fall 2008) • Seminar Taught in Semester 2 • Multiple Instructors/Evaluators • Theme-Based Teaching • Multiple Topics • Interconnected Themes • Student- Interactive Intensive • Meta-Goals – Ambitious for Freshman

  5. A Module Module = 1Theme + nInstructors + nTopics +nEvaluations

  6. Challenge 1 – Linking Topics

  7. Theme 3 Departments 3 Topics Example Module

  8. Week 9 – The State of Qatar • Environmental Systems Research Institute ESRI • QU – GIS Technology Diploma Program • Training and Job Opportunities in GIS

  9. You are here! Connection within the Theme Qatar Institute for Integrated Environmental Research (QIIER) Landsat imagery was used to map corals in the Gulf. The map was produced in collaboration with Abu Dhabi (EAD) and Qatar's Supreme Council for the Environment and Natural Reserves (SCENR). A survey in Kuwait showed corrosion in the construction industry cost ($798 million), nearly 0.5% of the gross domestic product Week 10 – The Environment of the Gulf Connect to an Engineering Theme Or even a Business Theme! Did you know?

  10. GIS as Theme Marine Environment as Theme Water Resources as Theme Week 11 International Laws and Treaties

  11. Challenge 2 – The Key!Linking Modules A perfect opportunity to assess students through questioning and debate – What links do you see? How are these topics interconnected? The students should carry this knowledge from their freshman year through to graduationand beyond How? What common thread can be found to link them together? • Finding the link is an issue for: • The instructors (course design) and… • The students

  12. Enduring Knowledge Holistic Appreciation

  13. Each review session may include • a group debate of the theme • a discussion of connections between • the 3 lectures or… • a student presentation As well as within themes in an interdisciplinary context Topic 7 Students must appreciate the connections between themes in an interdisciplinary context Topic 8 Topic 9 Freshman SeminarA Summary Each theme consists of three different lectures, with some overlap or cross-reference Examples of Assessment

  14. Example Pre-Course Test Which country has a per capita (per individual) generation of carbon dioxide that is 44 times more than India, and 15 times more than China? Its greenhouse gas emissions per capita were 33.6 metric tons in 2003 – the highest in the world. a) Oman b) United States c) Tunisia d) etc. etc. …………….n) UAE√

  15. Example Pre-Course Writing Assessment • What are your interests and career goals? • Give four different examples of job opportunities for graduates of the program Students are asked the same questions in the “exit exam”

  16. Team Involvement • At the first meeting of the class, students are asked to organize themselves into groups of 5 to 6 students and to elect a spokesperson (leader) • The teams make presentations during exam week and lead debates throughout the course

  17. Example Theme Reviews – Assessment Metrics • What are the important principles to be learned from the last module?.........easy • What connections can you identify between Modules 1 and 3?....harder • By 2010 the largest aluminium smelter in the world will be built inمسيعيد What environmental issues can you expect this to generate?....................harder

  18. Example Final DebateMeta-Cognition "This house believes that the environment of Qatar, and Doha in particular, is degrading in an exponential fashion“…..hardest

  19. Course Goals • Instructors attend professional development workshops for the program • All instructors meet with students on 1st day • Instructors interact during debates with studentsthroughout the course • Instructors share experiences • Instructors share assessment responsibilities • Instructors meet together and design the Seminar for 2010

  20. Freshman SeminarA Model for Interdisciplinary Teaching

  21. Don’t for one moment think this is easy!

  22. Group Discussion (Consider what you know about the different methods of interdisciplinarity that were discussed in Presentation 1). What problems do you see for implementation of the Freshman Seminar?

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