Applying Research Thought Leader Wisdom (part 2)

The Collaborative’s Research Thought Leaders help provide the strong research foundation for the Collaborative’s work. Each Thought Leader is nationally and internationally recognized in their own field and brings an extensive depth of experience and expertise. They also are adept at working across disciplines.

In previous newsletters, we brought you interviews with each of our Thought Leaders. This new series, launched in the Winter 2021 newsletter, reflects on how you might apply some of their most important ideas in your STEAM work. To do so, we’re using examples of the Collaborative’s successful application of these ideas in K-12 classroom implementation and teacher professional development. The first article examined creative and innovative thinking. This second article examines STEAM and interdisciplinary learning. Future series articles will look at such topics as applications of these concepts to learning settings, STEAM educator training, and creating effective STEAM models. The information below is based on Thought Leaders’ interviews and an in-person convening in Washington, D.C. in 2016, that was supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Interdisciplinary Learning
Interdisciplinarity refers to knowledge that spans disciplines and fields. It is particularly relevant in the 21st century since many innovations occur at the intersections of various fields. Also, we live our fast-paced lives in an interdisciplinary manner, often experiencing science, art, and humanities phenomena simultaneously. 

Thought Leader Input

• Importance of processing information. All Thought Leaders agree that, in our era of standards-based learning, processing information is most important. This includes getting our students to effectively integrate science practices/processes, arts competencies/habits of mind, and humanities skills/habits of mind. In short, in addition to teaching the WHAT, we should teach the HOW. Creativity Thought Leader Bonnie Cramond, PhD, says that we should embed the higher-level thinking skills and processes throughout any lesson.
• Innovation. Neuroscience Thought Leader, Sandi Chapman, PhD, points out that students need to develop a broad-based perspective (a meta view) by integrating concepts across disciplines and then applying that integration to innovation. She adds that, based on their research at the UT Dallas Center for BrainHealth, when you change a classroom to be innovative, schools’ performance on standardized tests improves, among other things. “Our brain is an engine that can get excited about learning,” she says, adding that when students learn the facts they can apply them to innovative problem-solving. This, she says, applies to all ages to promote lifelong learning.
• Problem-solving. Dr. Cramond points out that we must emphasize the problem-solving process in learning. We also must improve the way that students refine and narrow the problem in their problem-solving process. Science Thought Leader Hubert Dyasi, PhD, agrees. He says that often problem-solving is a set of steps to follow and that we must move away from this formulaic approach. We must ask the students, he continues, what is the problem about, what knowledge do they have that can help solve the problem, and what knowledge can the student use from other fields to help solve the problem.
• Changing Perspectives. Dr. Dyasi also points out the importance of looking at problems from different perspectives, such as looking at a science problem from the art perspective. An example of this is looking at the behavior of materials, he adds. It is also important, he says, for students to bring the perspective of their everyday lives to the problem-solving experience.
• Arts and Science. Arts Thought Leader Rob Horowitz, PhD, states that it is important to look at how the cognitive, social, and personal competencies learned in the arts are applied in other disciplines and vice versa. Transfer, he discovered in his research, can benefit all disciplines. For example, arts skills of creativity, imagination, and the willingness to express oneself are also applied in STEM. We want to be sure, he emphasizes, that in these integrations, the arts experience has integrity as an arts experience, not as an afterthought. (See Fall, 2020 article on transfer).
• Visual Thinking. Dr. Chapman says that in addition to art for art’s sake, visual art is an important way to synthesize information. Students also should be encouraged to use visual thinking to better understand math, writing, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Dr. Dyasi agrees, saying that in science the representation is often visual and it’s important to be able to think visually.
• Integrating Disciplines. Our ultimate goal, Dr. Cramond says, is to have lessons and experiences that integrate the arts, STEM, and humanities where the boundaries are blurred and the disciplines fit together seamlessly. This includes, she says, having the higher-level thinking skills embedded throughout the experience. Dr. Dyasi adds that this type of learning is best addressed in units instead of in a single, short lesson.
• Imagination. Dr. Dyasi also stresses the importance of imagination. This, he says, is how scientists move from data to generalizations to modeling. These steps are important in helping students “see” science ideas, he adds.

Application

• The Collaborative’s National Endowment for the Arts-supported multi-year and multi-session teacher professional development (PD) effective practices project addresses these important Thought Leader concepts. It deeply trains teachers in the uses of interdisciplinarity. One science teacher graduate of the course said, “Before this course, I saw the arts as the icing on the cake; I now see them as a very important part of the batter. The cake, itself would not be complete without them.” 
• To provide this effective training, the Collaborative addresses the three most prominent forms of interdisciplinary learning: multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary. 

1. ​In multidisciplinary learning, students plan toward a common goal but work on different disciplines separately, combining them at the end. 
2. In interdisciplinary learning, there are opportunities for integration, but the experience is structured so that students work within separate disciplines. When combined, the disciplines enhance each other, but are not dependent on each other for success. 
3. In transdisciplinary learning, students work on different disciplines interdependently and simultaneously, seeing that one discipline cannot complete the task without the other. Students have a deeper understanding of each discipline and reach an overarching synthesis. This synthesis can help solve problems, explain phenomena, create a product, and more. 

• The Collaborative’s research found that, for teacher professional development: 
  • It is beneficial to make the training a multi-year process to promote deeper understanding and use of interdisciplinarity. 
  • The multi- to inter- to transdisciplinary continuum is essential. While many teachers are at the multi- or interdisciplinary stage, the ultimate goal is to integrate transdisciplinary experiences into their curriculum.
  • Integrating the habits of mind and process thinking skills across disciplines is very important. This helps students learn the facts, the standards-based content.
  • Qualitative assessment is needed to capture the depth and richness of the learning and thinking. 
  • This type of training has made a significant difference in students’ content engagement and learning, in addition to higher-level thinking.

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