In this keynote presentation given at the 2016 Association for Interdisciplinary Studies conference, I considered the field of gerontology from a transdisciplinary perspective. Juxtaposing personal narratives with dominant and alternative discourses on issues of aging, later life, and old age, I explored such questions as: Given the multifaceted,…

Assessment of student learning is a priority within the University Studies curriculum; however, those findings are aggregated and do not capture the experience, or voice, of the individual student. This article addresses that missing data by ceding the floor to seven dynamic student coauthors. Individually, their autoethnographies illustrate the…

This paper brings together general principles for teaching inquiry across disciplines with those generally employed in mathematics classrooms. It describes some broad principles of teaching inquiry to first-year writing students and shows how these can be employed in the context of a course on game theory in popular culture. Although undergraduate…

As states are working to align their education systems with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in support of the goal of graduating all students ready for college, careers and life, academic and career and technical education (CTE) leaders at the state and local levels can and should maximize this opportunity to finally break down the silos…

The first four years of a summer faculty development program were evaluated through participant surveys, quarterly trainee logs, and reports of participant projects. The program received consistently high ratings; number of courses with gerontology/geriatrics content increased; and trainees went on to train peers, students, and laypersons. (SK)

The purpose of this project was to examine whether students in three sections of a team coordinated interdisciplinary course received the same educational experience. An essay covering three aspects of Native American history was evaluated for content and critical thinking. Significant differences were seen between classes in describing cultural…

This essay explores the themes of curriculum and pedagogy, as outlined by the editors of this special edition, in the context of Portland State University's institutional transformation. We elucidate select mechanisms that support curricular-community interactions, known at PSU as "community-based learning." In doing so we discuss how…

The goal of the Early Childhood Mental Health (ECMH) Best Practices Project in Multnomah County, Oregon, is to improve the ability of early childhood professionals and partners to support and strengthen the emotional and relational development of young children with their families and communities. This report presents the activities for Year 2 of…