Making (and Measuring) Connections: Adventures in Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning

Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Chris Addison, Department of Chemistry, Science One Program
James Charbonneau, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Science One Program
Encompassing first year physics, mathematics, biology and chemistry, Science One is a team-taught program that provides a unique educational experience by presenting scientific topics in an integrated format. While one of the goals of an interdisciplinary program like Science One is to break down the pre-existing silos of knowledge that students may possess, few tools exist to assess development of such interdisciplinary thinking. Card sorting, in which participants sort cards (containing representative textbook problems) into groups based on their identified characteristics, has previously been used to distinguish expert-like versus novice-like thinking within disciplines, including physics, biology and chemistry. We have developed a card-sorting tool that allows us to differentiate between disciplinary and interdisciplinary thinking based on the manner in which the problem cards are sorted. In this session, we will discuss the theoretical basis for our work, outline major steps in the development process, and discuss results from initial offerings of the instrument to students in traditional and interdisciplinary science courses. Please bring your laptop/tablet to the session for an opportunity to try out the activity.
skylight@science.ubc.ca