Creating Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Classrooms

1. Creating Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Classrooms GradSTEP 2011 John Morrell

2. Freewrite • What is interdisciplinarity? • Why should we do it? • What are the benefits? Challenges?

3. Ice Breaker • Introduce yourself to a neighbor from a different discipline. Share your ideas about interdisciplinarity. How could your particular disciplines inform each other? • on specific topics? • in terms of pedagogical practices?

4. Group Work • With your partner, arrange yourselves in groups of # to share ideas. What possibilities do you find most inspiring? What strategies can you imagine for dealing with the challenges of interdisciplinary teaching?

5. Cooperative Learning • Promotes positive interdependence • Product/goal interdependence • Reward interdependence • Resource interdependence • Role interdependence • Promotes active learning.

6. Strategy: Expert Guests • Guest speakers extend the boundaries of the classroom, helping students to see the course as a part of a larger network of ideas and conversations. • The expert’s visit presents an external motivation for students to engage with readings and assignments. • Careful planning can help to ensure that guest contributions will enhance student learning. • Let guests know ahead of time the topic of the course and how their visits fit with the themes of the class. • Assign students to submit questions in the expert’s area of interest. • Avoid presentations; invite the expert to class to participate in an interview instead. • Consider inviting guests with opposing views.

7. Strategy: Student Generated Questions • Write a question • Instead of asking, “are their any questions?”, have students write down 1 – 3 questions. Instead of answering the questions, have other students try to answer first. • Exam questions • Alone, in pairs, or in groups of 3, have students write exam questions about the material covered in class. • Minute Papers • Most important point, remaining question

8. Strategy: Students as teachers • Make students responsible for leading discussion. • Presentations, on both core concepts and relevant issues.

9. Strategy: Think, Pair, Share

10. Strategy: Jigsaw • Promotes group-work accountability. • 1111, 2222, 3333, 4444 • 1234, 1234, 1234, 1234

11. Strategy: Structured Controversy

12. Strategy: Fishbowl • One group observed by another group. Can help to formalize self-reflection on group dynamics and participation. Exercise: • Brainstorm: Argue for or against group work in the classroom. What are the pros and cons? • Volunteers? • Inner group – conversation about content • Outer group – observations about process

13. Strategy: Simulations and Role Play