Teaching interdisciplinary courses requires instilling interdisciplinary habits of mind by using strategies for active learning and reflective thinking. This publication emerged from discussions and surveys used to evaluate interdisciplinary habits of mind and pedagogies drawn from different disciplines. Prior to face-to-face discussions, surveys…

This article features a conversation on the occasion of a May 2018 "Festschrift" in "Issues in Interdisciplinary Studies" to honor the work of William Newell, between Newell and P. Sven Arvidson. William Newell is Emeritus Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Miami University, where he taught interdisciplinary courses full…

Though overlooked or at best implicit in "A Crucible Moment," interdisciplinary studies has much to contribute to civic learning for democratic engagement. The article organizes those contributions into the report's categories of knowledge, values, and skills. It concludes with an example of how techniques used in interdisciplinary…

This chronological overview of the development of interdisciplinary theory starts with the pre-cursors of theory: the development and elaboration of the definition of interdisciplinary studies, influential but problematic images of interdisciplinary studies proposed by Donald Campbell and Erich Jantsch, and best practices in interdisciplinary…

A mixture of integrative learning and interdisciplinary studies, appropriately conceived and well grounded in academic disciplines, constitutes the most effective education for a complex world. But how exactly should interdisciplinary studies and integrative learning be conceived? In this article, the author sketches a focused vision for…

Examines the history of interdisciplinary studies over the last 30 years, reviewing the growth of interdisciplinary approaches and the structural forms that such programs have taken in higher education. Discusses implications of these changes for traditional disciplines. Highlights impediments to further change. (20 citations) (AJL)

The curriculum of the Western College Program at Miami University is used to illustrate the effective use of the interdisciplinary approach to undergraduate curriculum. The importance of finding the right question and stating it so the disciplines can complement, not talk past, one another is emphasized. (MSE)

Six requirements for citizenship in the 21st century are discussed: civic literacy, critical thinking, social conscience, tolerance and respect for diversity, global citizenship, and political action. An action agenda is proposed that includes promoting student involvement in off-campus political projects and on-campus governance. (Author/MLW)

Interdisciplinary studies are not only desirable but possible in the fiscal, ideological, and organizational context of the 1980s. Interdisciplinary studies are defined as inquiries that draw critically upon two or more disciplines and that lead to an integration of disciplinary insights. (MLW)

This article describes an interdisciplinary seminar for college faculty which focuses on the process of discovering and crossing disciplinary boundaries to work with colleagues on developing and teaching general education programs. Participants were interdisciplinary teams from different institutions. (MSE)

The ways in which Miami University (Ohio) has addressed some issues of interdisciplinary study are reported. Issues include disciplinary background needed by students before interdisciplinary study and by teachers before interdisciplinary teaching; the roles of the individual disciplines; intellectual skill development; and interdisciplinary study…

A step-by-step guide to designing interdisciplinary courses is presented. Underlying theoretical rationales and expected educational outcomes are explored, and concrete suggestions and examples are offered. Steps include assembling an interdisciplinary team, selecting a topic, identifying disciplines for inclusion, developing the issues underlying…