Project Investigator(s): Chris Addison, Instructor, Department of Chemistry; James Charbonneau, Lecturer, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Project Description
This project involves developing an instrument that will allow us to quantify student ability to transfer knowledge across discipline boundaries, and to assess the ability of the Science One Program to promote this knowledge transfer. We will be researching the effectiveness of the interdisciplinary teaching environment used in the Science One Program at UBC. Science One is an interdisciplinary science program offered to first-year students in the faculty of science. Along with more typical classes taught using traditional disciplinary-based programming, Science One also uses co-taught interdisciplinary lectures, case studies, tutorials, and interdisciplinary exams to promote the connections between the fundamental sciences. Despite this emphasis on interdisciplinary teaching within this (and similar) programs, little supporting data exists on how interdisciplinary thinking is enhanced at the first-year level. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, there does not exist any instruments that can quantify changes in interdisciplinary thinking.
Research Questions
Can we develop an instrument to effectively measure student aptitude and ability to think in an interdisciplinary manner? Do students in an integrated and interdisciplinary science program exhibit measurable differences in interdisciplinary problem solving, compared to students in discipline-specific science courses?
Impact on teaching and learning at UBC
The main target audience would be the Science One program (~75 students) and coordinated science program (~170 students) at UBC. These are both first-year options for entering UBC students, and offer some form of interdisciplinary instruction. Interdisciplinary science programs at other institutions are also interested in our proposed work.