Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Learning

Rationale

Assumption: Disciplinary silos remain and we return, in some ways, to traditional methods of education in collegiate institutions.

  • This is the best way to approach this possible reality in order not to compromise accuracy. With the demand for specialization, the foundation of the undergrad program at JMU would remain.
  • Through interviews with faculty and administration from across JMU and beyond, a recurring theme was that disciplinary silos, for all the negative attention, would not disappear anytime soon. Our team focused on leveraging resources and creating connections to eliminate any negative effects from this trend.
  • Resources:

Assumption: Research grants rewarded specifically for interdisciplinary work will become more prevalent, resulting in more ambitious interdisciplinary opportunities in the form of research projects.

Resources:

  • Postgraduate Collaboration  “Promotes partnership and research collaborations between our postgraduate students and non-academic organizations.”

From our interviewees:

  • Drawing from his background in psychology, Dr. Apple (Associate Dean of the College of Health Behavioral Studies) stated that behavior occurs once it is reinforced. This translates into institutional support to encourage desired behaviors, in this context, by the CHBS rewarding IPE and collaborative endeavors with the possibility for a $10,000 research grant. This acts as an incentive to encourage individuals and make it easier for them to pursue collaboration or interdisciplinary work once they have decided to do that.

Assumption: Employers continue to pursue remote and hybrid workplaces, and need employees who can work in this environment.

 

Assumption: Technology continues to evolve to allow more collaboration opportunities regardless of geography.

From our interviewees:

  • “Opportunities are endless, especially with this newly accustomed online world.  It has allowed us to connect with others across campus, the US, and the world.” Taryn Roberts, Director of Study Abroad, Center for Global Engagement, JMU
  • “To me, collaboration is when we are able to work in nonadjacent disciplines, it means you can’t get to the answer without working with someone else. unique skill set, all partners need each other to be successful, blends with diversity.” Dr. Linda Plitt Donaldson, Associate Dean, College of Health Behavioral Studies

 

Assumption: Specialization is key to career opportunities. Employers are outsourcing many menial and procedural tasks to AI or overseas and hiring specialists in their field of study while also looking for employees who can work collaboratively across departments, geography, and culture with their teams.

From our interviewees:

  • “Specialization of the workforce is continuously increasing, so an interdisciplinary/gen end degree may not be the best fit.” Maggie Rogers, Instructional Designer, Ohio State University

Assumption: Self-employment continues to grow, as subject matter experts can sell their services across borders due to technological innovations. Careers require adaptable graduates.

 

 

Assumption: Administration is invested in collaboration opportunities and connecting departments for resource-sharing.

 

  • “When the individual, yet complementing, contributions of the various departments are published broadly, people more readily understand their interdependent roles and are more likely to see that the key to organization (and their own) success is not to compete for limited resources, but rather to collaborate so that resources can be maximized. This leads to the recognition and elimination of redundant processes or internal products. Again, open, accurate, and consistent information is critical.” Guerra-López, I. J. (2008). Performance Evaluation: Proven Approaches for Improving Program and Organizational Performance (1st ed.). Jossey-Bass.
  • Faculty Perspectives on Rewards and Incentives for Community Engaged Work
  • Connecting data silos in higher ed
  • How Colleges Cut Costs by Embracing Collaboration

From our interviewees:

  • “What’s enabled in the space between your disciplines? What do you know and what don’t you know? […] We tend to think of collaboration as something that only happens in the present moment, but it goes beyond that. Rethink technology, spatiality, temporality in regards to collaboration.” Dr. Zachary Dorsey, Associate Professor, School of Theater and Dance, JMU
  • “Education used to be hunting and gathering. The task of the student has changed; we have to change the tasks that we ask them to engage in to meet the sophistication of tools they have.” – Dr. Diane Foucar-Szocki, Professor, Learning, Technology, and Leadership Education Department, JMU

Assumption:  JMU has expanded its options for minors and specializations that encourage inter-disciplinary collaboration, including microcredentialing.

 

From our interviewees:

  • “[Work] on a system to track students who are taking interprofessional courses to lead them toward some sort of recognition at the end of their time at JMU – that’s important because that’s what the world needs. Employers want team players who work collaboratively with others.” – Dr. Linda Plitt Donalson, Associate Dean, College of Health and Behavioral Studies
  • [We have to] work around barriers [so that] anyone who wants to collaborate has a way to find or be found by those individuals and effectively work toward the goal they’re working for.” – Dr. Linda Plitt Donalson
  • “Some challenges could be the training that is needed to develop learning opportunities like this and major-requirements that may not allow for as much flexibility to fit an experience like this into an already busy academic schedule.” – Taryn Roberts, Director of Study Abroad, Center for Global Engagement, JMU

Interviews

  • Dr. Kevin Apple – CHBS Associate Dean; former Undergraduate Psychology Department Head, JMU
  • Dr. Zachary Dorsey- Associate prof. in School of Theatre and Dance, JMU
  • Dr. Diane Foucar-Szocki – Professor in the Learning, Technology and Leadership Education Department of the College of Education, JMU
  • Dr. Kyle Gipson – Associate Professor of Engineering, JMU
  • Dr. Patrice Ludwig – Associate Professor of Biology, JMU
  • Dr. Jennifer J. Peeks Mease – Assistant Professor in the School of Communication Studies, JMU
  • Dr. Linda Plitt Donaldson- Associate Dean College of Health Behavioral Studies, JMU
  • Taryn Roberts – Director of Study Abroad, Center for Global Engagement, JMU
  • Maggie Rogers, Instructional Designer, Ohio State University
  • Sen. Scott Surovell – VA State Senator – 36th District; JMU graduate