Ensuring Student Success Through Innovative Interdisciplinary Faculty Development Beverly Dolinsky, Ph.D. Endicott College Donna Qualters, Ph.D. Northeastern.

Ensuring Student Success Through Innovative Interdisciplinary Faculty

Development

Beverly Dolinsky, Ph.D.Endicott College

Donna Qualters, Ph.D.Northeastern University

Goals of this SessionGoals of this Session

General background and issues in General background and issues in general educationgeneral education

Share ideas about general Share ideas about general education implementationeducation implementation

Discuss ways to involve facultyDiscuss ways to involve faculty

What are your What are your concerns and concerns and challenges on your challenges on your campus campus General education issues?General education issues? Faculty involvement?Faculty involvement?

“General or liberal education has been challenged on the basis of its failure to provide an integrated learning experience, with a national movement away from distribution requirements and toward more coherent core curricula” Fuhrmann (1998).

Higher Education in the 21Higher Education in the 21stst CenturyCentury

Colleges must be held Colleges must be held accountable for the accountable for the knowledge and skills of knowledge and skills of their graduatestheir graduates

Higher education does not Higher education does not precede productive workprecede productive work

Colleges should provide Colleges should provide both a common core of both a common core of learning and a wide learning and a wide variety of professional variety of professional preparationpreparation

The values of a liberal The values of a liberal education must again education must again become the foundation of become the foundation of a professional preparation a professional preparation

Colleges should prepare all Colleges should prepare all students for productive students for productive employmentemployment

Students must learn to Students must learn to manage change manage change

Students should learn to Students should learn to interact in a variety of interact in a variety of cultural environmentscultural environments

Interdisciplinary work and Interdisciplinary work and understanding must be understanding must be fostered along with fostered along with specialized knowledge and specialized knowledge and skillsskills

Students learn in a variety of Students learn in a variety of ways: all must be ways: all must be understood and fosteredunderstood and fostered

A Call for Intentional A Call for Intentional PracticePractice

Greater Expectations: A New Vision for Greater Expectations: A New Vision for Learning as a Nation Goes to College (AACU, Learning as a Nation Goes to College (AACU, 2002)2002)

Purposeful Pathways: Helping Students Purposeful Pathways: Helping Students Achieve Key Learning Outcomes (AACU, Achieve Key Learning Outcomes (AACU, 2006)2006)– Liberal arts is the foundation of practice education. Liberal arts is the foundation of practice education.

Students want practice onlyStudents want practice only Faculty want theory onlyFaculty want theory only A need for integrationA need for integration

Intentional LearnersIntentional Learners

The Empowered LearnerThe Empowered Learner– Communication skills , multiple problem Communication skills , multiple problem

solving skills, works well in teamssolving skills, works well in teams The Informed LearnerThe Informed Learner

– Uses imagination and creativity, cross Uses imagination and creativity, cross cultural understanding, modeling the cultural understanding, modeling the natural worldnatural world

The Responsible LearnerThe Responsible Learner– Active citizen, understanding of one’s selfActive citizen, understanding of one’s self

Intentional PracticeIntentional Practice

Integrative LearningIntegrative Learning– Diverse points of view, connections across domains Diverse points of view, connections across domains

and skills, adaptationand skills, adaptation

Inquiry LearningInquiry Learning– Seek own theories, answers; ask questions, design Seek own theories, answers; ask questions, design

methodologies, analyze and interpret datamethodologies, analyze and interpret data

Global LearningGlobal Learning– Knowledge of world diversity, recognize different Knowledge of world diversity, recognize different

perspectivesperspectives

Civic LearningCivic Learning– Facilitate collective work to protect life, liberty, Facilitate collective work to protect life, liberty,

equality and democratic practicesequality and democratic practices

A Curriculum to Promote A Curriculum to Promote Intentional Learning HasIntentional Learning Has

Coherence and purposeful Coherence and purposeful pathways reflecting mission and pathways reflecting mission and its corresponding objectives.its corresponding objectives.

Interdisciplinary curriculumInterdisciplinary curriculum Assessment - Regular points to Assessment - Regular points to

demonstrate achievement within demonstrate achievement within courses and programs (Leskes, courses and programs (Leskes, 2004)2004)

Coherent CurriculumCoherent Curriculum

“Simply providing students with a wide range of choices to fulfill breadth and depth requirements attempting to ensure exposure to arts and humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and the life and physical sciences, is not enough ….

Students should be offered more opportunities to figure out how different elements, themes, or ideas can be connected and applied to social situations and human reflection”. (Ratcliff, 1997)

Interdisciplinary CurriculumInterdisciplinary Curriculum

Interdisciplinary studies is “a Interdisciplinary studies is “a process of answering a question, process of answering a question, solving a problem, or addressing solving a problem, or addressing a topic that is too broad or a topic that is too broad or complex to be dealt with complex to be dealt with adequately by a single discipline adequately by a single discipline or profession or profession (Klein and Newell, 1998, p 3)(Klein and Newell, 1998, p 3)

Traditional and Familiar Traditional and Familiar Forms of Interdisciplinary Forms of Interdisciplinary StructuresStructures Free-standing Free-standing

institutionsinstitutions Autonomous and Autonomous and

cluster collegescluster colleges Centers and Centers and

institutesinstitutes Interdisciplinary Interdisciplinary

departmentsdepartments Interdisciplinary Interdisciplinary

majors, minors majors, minors and concentrationsand concentrations

(Klein and Newall, 1998, p 6-7)(Klein and Newall, 1998, p 6-7)

Mainstream and Mainstream and alternative general alternative general education programseducation programs

Individual courses Individual courses within disciplinary within disciplinary departmentsdepartments

TutorialsTutorials Independent study Independent study

and self-designed and self-designed majorsmajors

Travel-study, Travel-study, internships and internships and practicum'spracticum's

Intentional Practice: Intentional Practice: Curricular and Pedagogical Curricular and Pedagogical PracticesPractices Learning Learning

communitiescommunities First Year First Year

ExperienceExperience Senior CapstonesSenior Capstones Service LearningService Learning

Experiential Experiential LearningLearning

Authentic Tasks ( Authentic Tasks ( collective collective projects, student projects, student research)research)

Problem-focused Problem-focused learninglearning

Interdisciplinary Interdisciplinary InstructionInstruction

Roadblocks to Intentional Roadblocks to Intentional PracticePractice

Graduate programs teach content Graduate programs teach content not teacher preparationnot teacher preparation

Research on student learning and Research on student learning and pedagogy is marginalized or ignoredpedagogy is marginalized or ignored

Few incentives to change or Few incentives to change or improveimprove

Fear of systematic and continuous Fear of systematic and continuous assessmentassessment

Bok, 2006Bok, 2006

Inderdisciplinary Faculty Inderdisciplinary Faculty Development:Development:Objectives for this part:Objectives for this part:

Share experiences with Share experiences with interdisciplinary work in general interdisciplinary work in general educationeducation

Discuss characteristics of faculty who Discuss characteristics of faculty who work well in interdisciplinary settingswork well in interdisciplinary settings

Share 10 stages of interdisciplinary Share 10 stages of interdisciplinary projects with examplesprojects with examples

Interdisciplinary Interdisciplinary ExperienceExperience

What have been the What have been the challenges to working in an challenges to working in an interdisciplinary project?interdisciplinary project?

What have been the What have been the rewards?rewards?

Successful Successful characteristics of characteristics of facultyfaculty Research supports the belief that Research supports the belief that

senior faculty are the best suited for senior faculty are the best suited for interdisciplinary activityinterdisciplinary activity– No danger about tenure/contract renewalNo danger about tenure/contract renewal– Often looking for a new challengeOften looking for a new challenge

BUT coupled with this are the BUT coupled with this are the following characteristics for following characteristics for

success:success:

Interdisciplinary Interdisciplinary faculty are:faculty are: ReliableReliable FlexibleFlexible PatientPatient ResilientResilient Sensitive to othersSensitive to others Risk-takersRisk-takers Thick skinnedThick skinned

Interdisciplinary Interdisciplinary faculty are:faculty are: Prefer new social rolesPrefer new social roles Know how to learn new thingsKnow how to learn new things Know how and when to ask for Know how and when to ask for

informationinformation Know how to acquire a working Know how to acquire a working

knowledge of language, knowledge of language, concepts, information and concepts, information and analytic skills neededanalytic skills needed

Interdisciplinary Interdisciplinary faculty are:faculty are: Open to diverse ways of Open to diverse ways of

thinkingthinking Wary of absolutismWary of absolutism UnconventionalUnconventional Self-reflectiveSelf-reflective Good at listeningGood at listening Comfortable with ambiguityComfortable with ambiguity

““The ideal person would be The ideal person would be someone with a high degree someone with a high degree of ego strength, tolerance for of ego strength, tolerance for ambiguity, considerable ambiguity, considerable initiative and assertiveness, a initiative and assertiveness, a broad education and a sense broad education and a sense of dissatisfaction with of dissatisfaction with monodisciplinary constraints.”monodisciplinary constraints.”

Armstrong, 1980Armstrong, 1980

Sverre Sjolander 10 Sverre Sjolander 10 stages to stages to Interdisciplinary ProjectsInterdisciplinary Projects1.1. ““Singing the Old Songs”Singing the Old Songs”

2.2. ““Everybody on the other side is Everybody on the other side is an idiot!”an idiot!”

– Issues here:Issues here: Surfacing assumptions/beliefsSurfacing assumptions/beliefs Creating a non - judgmental climateCreating a non - judgmental climate Creating a climate of listeningCreating a climate of listening

What do you do?What do you do?

TrainingTraining– Active listeningActive listening– Ice BreakersIce Breakers

DialogueDialogue– MITMIT– Used successfully in NSF Used successfully in NSF

interdisciplinary project interdisciplinary project

Sverre Sjolander 10 Sverre Sjolander 10 stages to stages to Interdisciplinary ProjectsInterdisciplinary Projects 3. 3. “retreating into abstractions” “retreating into abstractions”

44. “definition of sickness”. “definition of sickness”

– IssuesIssues Language usageLanguage usage Power strugglesPower struggles Epistemological differencesEpistemological differences

What do you do?What do you do?

Informal gatheringsInformal gatherings– Wine/cheeseWine/cheese– DinnersDinners

Establish ground rules around Establish ground rules around language and affectlanguage and affect– Generative listeningGenerative listening– ““what does it mean to you”what does it mean to you”

Sverre Sjolander 10 Sverre Sjolander 10 stages to stages to Interdisciplinary ProjectsInterdisciplinary Projects5.5. ““jumping the tussocks”jumping the tussocks”

6.6. ““the glass bead game”the glass bead game”

IssuesIssues– Lack of focusLack of focus– WearinessWeariness

What do you do?What do you do?

Take a break!Take a break!– Slow down weekly meetingsSlow down weekly meetings– Provide a social eventProvide a social event

Have a structure for the planning Have a structure for the planning processprocess

Interdisciplinary Interdisciplinary Planning ProcessPlanning Process

Title

Identifying essential concepts

Critical content

Essential questions

Knowledge skills

neededacquire

Evidence determine

success

Interdisciplinary Interdisciplinary Planning ProcessPlanning Process

Multiple Voices of America

Identifying essential concepts

Critical content

Essential questions

Knowledge skills

neededacquire

Evidence determine

success

Sverre Sjolander 10 Sverre Sjolander 10 stages to stages to Interdisciplinary ProjectsInterdisciplinary Projects7.7. ““the greatest failure”the greatest failure”

8.8. ““what’s happening to me”what’s happening to me”

IssuesIssues– DisequilibriumDisequilibrium– Lack of metacognitionLack of metacognition

What do you do?What do you do?

ReportsReports– Writing process as critical analysisWriting process as critical analysis

Reflective activitiesReflective activities– JournalingJournaling– Blogs and chatroomsBlogs and chatrooms– Sharing insightsSharing insights– metaphorsmetaphors

Sverre Sjolander 10 Sverre Sjolander 10 stages to stages to Interdisciplinary ProjectsInterdisciplinary Projects9.9. ““getting to know the enemy”getting to know the enemy”

10.10. ““the REAL beginning”the REAL beginning”

CELEBRATIONCELEBRATION

WhatWhat

Resonates?Resonates?

What makes you bristle?What makes you bristle?