In Our Own Courses: How Will We Know Students Are Doing the Integrating? What Should It Look Like?

1. In Our Own Courses:How Will We Know Students Are Doing the Integrating?What Should It Look Like? Roben Torosyan, Ph.D. Philosophy Dept. and Curriculum & Instruction, Grad Ed. Associate Director, Center for Academic Excellence Roben Torosyan, Fairfield University www.fairfield.edu/cae

2. What connections do we want? Within a course of your own: • What kinds of connections should students make? Should they see similarities, interactions and other connections: • Between theory and practice? • Within your course? • Across information, ideas, and perspectives of other disciplines? • To personal, work or civic life? Roben Torosyan, Fairfield University www.fairfield.edu/cae

3. What connections do we want? Within a course of your own: • In what contexts? • a specific assignment, or just an aspect of one? • a series of staged assignments that are joined into a whole? • a service learning requirement or option in your course? • a capstone experience in your department? • In what ways should connections be demonstrated? Roben Torosyan, Fairfield University www.fairfield.edu/cae

4. An Integrative Learning Rubric Basic: Creating Common Ground • Presents a clear rationale for taking an interdisciplinary approach. • Assumptions from more than one discipline are made explicit and compared. • Compares and/or contrasts disciplinary perspectives. • The problem is explicitly defined in neutral terms that encourage contributions from more than one discipline. • Creates common vocabulary that can be applied to the object of study. Cf. Miller, Integrative Learning and Assessment, Peer Review, Summer/Fall 2005 Roben Torosyan, Fairfield University www.fairfield.edu/cae

5. An Integrative Learning Rubric Intermediate: New Holistic Understanding • One or more novel metaphors or models are presented. • A preexisting metaphor or model is used or applied in a novel way. • A new theoretical interpretation or understanding is presented which explicitlydraws on more than one discipline. Roben Torosyan, Fairfield University www.fairfield.edu/cae

6. An Integrative Learning Rubric Advanced: Application of the New Holistic Understanding • The new metaphor, interpretation, or model is applied to a new situation, context or phenomenon. • The new metaphor, interpretation, or model is applied in a novel way to anestablished “text,” situation, context or phenomenon. • The new metaphor, interpretation, or model is explicitly tested through observation, data collection, or lived experience and reflection. • The new metaphor, interpretation, or model is usedin a significant way to guide inquiry. • The new metaphor, interpretation, or model is tested by using it to solve a problem. • Interdisciplinary theory is used to assess the approach taken. (Note: If no intermediate competency is exhibited, only this item receives credit). Roben Torosyan, Fairfield University www.fairfield.edu/cae

7. How do you know students are making integrative connections? Take one of your courses and list: • What should they be able to do to show they’re integrating? • What attitudes should they exhibit as integrative learners? Describe behaviors, products or dispositions that can be captured by assignments. Roben Torosyan, Fairfield University www.fairfield.edu/cae

8. Example: PH150 Modern Philosophy Integration goals for course: • Compare and contrast how frameworks and multicultural contexts affect how you answer key philosophical questions • Make connections to how other subjects do thinking or knowing, such as: • How ethics gets applied to cheating in school or at work • How epistemology influences decisions about truth in politics or the news • How metaphysics affects thinking about abortion or stem cell research Roben Torosyan, Fairfield University www.fairfield.edu/cae

9. Example: PH150 Modern Philosophy Integration goals for course (cont’d): • Make connections to overall paradigms, theoretical revolutions across subjects and thinking dimensions (“epistemes” or types of thinking, cf. Lauer; Torosyan): • 1D: Sensory, impulsive, primary process • 2D: Classifying, categorical • 3D: Scientific, empirical, rational, skeptical • 4D: Reflexive, deconstructive, “show me the meta” • 5D: Unifying, paradoxical Roben Torosyan, Fairfield University www.fairfield.edu/cae

10. Describe levels of achievement for integration in one assignment PH150: Write your own personal philosophy. Roben Torosyan, Fairfield University www.fairfield.edu/cae

11. Rough out a 3-point rubric for the integrative aspect of either the course or one assignment. Pay special attention to clarifying what’s acceptable integration. Roben Torosyan, Fairfield University www.fairfield.edu/cae

12. What are you taking away? • Print on an index card and one thing you learned that you found most surprising. • Stand and trade your card with someone standing near you, from another group. Read it. • Then move across the room and trade again with someone from still another group (no taking back your original card) and read it. • Do so until you’ve read at least three other cards. • Return to your group and if you feel like it, share something you read that you found engaging or interesting. • As a group, select or formulate one learning and put it up on an easel sheet. Roben Torosyan, Fairfield University www.fairfield.edu/cae