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Interdisciplinary Science Education:
Institutional Examples, Lessons Learned, and Challenges

Host Institutions: St. Olaf College and Carleton College
Carleton: 1 N. College Street
St. Olaf: 1520 St. Olaf Avenue

Northfield, MN 55057

Dates: February 23-25, 2007

Hosts:
Mary Walczak, St. Olaf College, 507-646-3498, walczak@stolaf.edu
Tricia Ferrett, Carleton College, 507-646-4408, tferrett@carleton.edu
Joanne Stewart, Hope College, 616-395-7634, stewart@hope.edu

Workshop Abstract: This meeting will promote sharing strategies about what works (or doesn't work) in interdisciplinary science teaching, research, and faculty development. The host institutions are all implementing HHMI-supported interdisciplinary programs and collaborate at the leadership level on faculty development events. In the previous two years we have collaborated on organizing faculty development workshops on interdisciplinarity, which were held on our respective campuses. At this point, we are ready to come together with other interested faculty to discuss our experiences and learn from each other. Participants will learn about concrete examples of ongoing projects and lessons learned about promoting interdisciplinary science in undergraduate science education. Participants will also have a chance to raise and discuss key issues and challenges (such as assessment of student learning, building sustainable curricula, working within disciplinary structures, etc.) in small groups, including in institutional teams.

General Description of Workshop

As scientific research and societal problems becomes increasingly complex and interdisciplinary, college science and math faculty are struggling to better prepare all students to understand and apply science knowledge as scientists and citizens. While the benefits to students of interdisciplinary learning have been well documented, very little is known about how specific classroom practices leads to student learning gains, especially in science classes. Faculty are on a significant learning curve as they become familiar with and try various pedagogies for interdisciplinary science teaching. In addition, faculty across the country are only beginning to articulate student learning goals for interdisciplinary science education, and measures for them. Faculty at the lead institutions (funded by HHMI) and others are involved in testing a wide range of interdisciplinary teaching strategies in science and math classes (case studies, problem-based learning, thematic integrated seminars, labs, etc…) and in faculty-student research. This workshop, designed for 20-30 participants, will be a significant venue for exchange of models, practices, examples, and progress made on assessing student learning. The proposal for the collaboration between St. Olaf, Carleton, and Hope Colleges (which included this workshop) was highly praised by HHMI when the lead institutions were funded in spring 2004 (see HHMI award press release at http://www.hhmi.org/news/051804.html ).

Updated Workshop Schedule

Friday, February 23, 2007 - Alumni Guest House, Carleton College

4:30 pm Registration Opens
5:00 pm Beverages and Light Hors d’oeuvres
6:00 pm Dinner and Welcome from St. Olaf and Carleton Administrators/Workshop Coordinator(s)
7:15 pm Keynote Speaker - Whitney Schlegel, Director of the Human Biology Program, Indiana University (for more information on the Human Biology Program, see http://development.bio.indiana.edu/biospeak/humbio.htm)
8:00 pm Small Group Discussions … generate a poster addressing one of the following a) barriers to ID science at your institution; b) pros/cons of ID science approach; c) reaction to the speaker’s presentation. Report out at 8:30 pm
8:45 pm Poster Viewing/social hour

Saturday, February 24, 2007 – Science Center and Buntrock Commons, St. Olaf College

7:30 am Breakfast Stav Hall
8:30 am Welcome to St. Olaf College - Science Center 378
8:45 am Team Physics: Integrating Chemistry and Biology Examples into Introductory Physics, Jason Engbrecht, St. Olaf College - Science Center 378
9:30 am Computational Modeling across the Curriculum, Susan Singer, Carleton College - Science Center 378
10:15 am - Break / Refreshments
10:30 am Science Education Scholars – Joanne Stewart, Kathy Winnett-Murray, Stephanie Allen, Hope College - Science Center 378
St. Olaf Project B - Center for Interdisciplinary Research
Hope College Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning – Part I
11:15 am Reflection on the Morning Presentations….
12:00 pm Lunch / social time KDR –Troll-haugen
1:00 pm Biochemistry Lab – Joe Chihade, Carleton College and Greg Muth, St. Olaf College - Sunroom
1:45 pm Interdisciplinary Research across Biology, Mathematics and Computer Science: Genome-scale Metabolic Reconstruction and Modeling of Microbial Life – Aaron Best, Matthew DeJongh, and Nathan Tintle, Hope College - Sunroom
2:30 pm Break / Refreshments
2:45 pm Center for Interdisciplinary Research, Julie Legler, St. Olaf College - Sunroom
3:30 pm Reflection on the Afternoon Presentations…. Discussion of emerging themes
5:00 pm Free time for reflection and relaxation
6:30 pm Meet for Dinner (off-campus)

Sunday, February 25, 2007 – Buntrock Commons, St. Olaf College

8:00 am Breakfast Stav Hall
Morning Sessions in Sunroom with refreshments available
9:00 am What does a good novice interdisciplinary learner look like? This session will develop a list of skills we expect to see in students as they engage in interdisciplinary learning.
9:30 am Group Session: Challenges for Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning
10:00 am Institutional Teams meet: Development of an Action Agenda
11:00 am Reporting Out: Teams present action agendas
12:00 pm Box lunches available for participants as they leave

Deadline for Applications From Faculty Interested in Attending

Feb. 2, 2007

The Pew Midstates Science and Mathematics Consortium consists of 10 liberal arts colleges and 2 research universities. The Consortium seeks to promote effective collaboration among faculty at the member institutions; to improve undergraduate science and mathematics education; and to assist with the research efforts of the faculty at the undergraduate colleges and of the undergraduate students at all of the member institutions.

The Consortium coordinates activities including symposia on undergraduate research, faculty development workshops, and a speaker series through which individual faculty members visit other member schools to share information.