Discussions of 'diversity' in higher education are often limited to structural diversity (i.e. access to higher education based on demographic variables), which is just one form of diversity that impacts student learning outcomes. Others include curricular diversity (a measure of the interdisciplinary of the coursework) and interactional diversity…

Prompted by William Newell's 2013 call for the Association of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) to consider whether to rethink its mission in light of other organizations' interests, this article begins by reflecting on similarities and differences among five of the founding organizations of a recently formed Global Alliance for Inter- and…

Public health has constituted itself as a distinct academic discipline. The present paper attempts to understand ontology of this discipline. A study has recently been carried out which concerns, first, conceptualization of ontology of public health, secondly, nature of public health, and thirdly, curriculum development. Ontology is a…

Field training is seen as a central component of the discipline of Physical Geography and an essential part of the undergraduate curriculum. This paper explores the structure and relationships between fieldwork and theoretical courses and the abundant experiences of field training in the undergraduate curriculum of 37 Russian universities. It…

Creativity often has been associated with the arts, although creativity also is essential for innovative discoveries and applications in science and engineering. In this article, a pilot study is presented about an investigation concerning how creativity is fostered in an art education course in conjunction with an undergraduate engineering…

A course called "Economics of the Environment," included in the curriculum of New York University, is described as an effort to tackle the issue of the environment at a holistic level. The content of the course covers cosmology, ecology, population, economics, government regulation, philosophy, etc. A reading list is provided. (MLW)

General education programs need not be circuitous or formless. They should: stress development of the intellect; focus on problem-solving skills; integrate general objectives and professional competencies; and foster interdisciplinary studies. (MSE)

Author states that: "What seems to be needed is an integrative, practible approach to both liberal learning and professional preparation" in order to educate people to participate in practical affairs in ways that will make a difference in the society around them. (Author/RW)

The importance of technological literacy in liberal arts education, and approaches to teaching the concepts behind systems analysis and artifacts in engineering, are outlined and discussed. (MSE)

The use of case studies as a teaching method--that is, presenting students with realistic problems to solve as part of the curriculum--is examined. Emphasis is on instructional materials, interdisciplinarity, and the complex relationships within the university and among faculty that help or hinder the method. (MSE)

The strategy used by St. Olaf College to integrate computing into a liberal arts curriculum is discussed. Faculty computer literacy was developed first, followed by the use of computing in a wide variety of courses. Computer science, problem analysis, symbol manipulation, and information processing are discussed. (Author/MLW)

Describes a modular, interdisciplinary curriculum offered by the City and East London Confederation. This curriculum aims to encourage more student responsibility for education, to create a problem solving approach to learning, to give early exposure to clinical elements, and to develop student communication skills. (DDR)

Outlines a pair of projects used in introductory calculus that are inspired by techniques archaeologists use in the analysis of pottery. These real-world application problems appeal to students who are not necessarily interested in the standard application of calculus. (Author/DDR)

A new liberal arts core curriculum for the twenty-first century is proposed, including four elements: global studies, self-reliance skills, interdisciplinary thinking skills, and selected traditional studies. The approach, being tried in a number of American colleges, addresses flaws in the existing liberal arts curriculum. (MSE)

Explains that European engineering students are not well prepared to integrate socio-economic and environmental issues efficiently into their future professional activities. Argues that necessary changes include a more interdisciplinary and systems-oriented approach to problems and better training in communication skills. Provides an example of an…