Interdisciplinary learning is a form of an educational process that enables teachers and learners to make connections across learning via the exploration of clear and relevant links across curricula.
It reinforces the use and application of what has been taught and learned in new and different ways and provides opportunities for deeper learning.
Interdisciplinary learning can take the form of individual one-off projects or longer courses of study which can be planned around clear purposes, are based upon experiences and outcomes drawn from different curriculum areas or subjects within them, ensures progression in skills and in knowledge and understanding, and can provide opportunities for mixed stage learning which is interest-based.
Teachers in different subjects can collaborate on smaller subjects to support what they teach and help students see how the subjects connect in the real world.
Below are 3 ways Teachers can promote interdisciplinary learning:
Take advantage of overlaps
Teachers can begin with smaller subjects which can be a series of two to four subjects of combined learning — which can exist as stand-alone units or fit into a larger series of units.
After doing that, they can then create parallels between classes or share these series of units with one another and look for places where they overlap, whether in content or skill.
Consciously looking for connections between classes makes teachers more likely to model interdisciplinary learning to students.
Select a topic and share a summative assessment
Although curriculum overlap as a result of interdisciplinary learning may result in pushing topic selection, teachers must bear in mind that the issues and interests of students can be used to target a shared skill in multiple classes.
After selecting a topic, the next step is collaborating on a shared summative assessment will serve as a summative grade in the combined classes. This will encourage students to participate.
Teachers can put discussion questions together for students to answer in writing using an assessment structure that will allow teachers to assess skills that were taught in the combined classes.
Build knowledge and inquiry per discipline
Building knowledge and engaging in inquiry from each of the disciplines is very crucial especially when you consider shared summative assessment.
Teachers can reference one another’s materials and lesson plans to have a clear view of the knowledge and skills that students would bring to the summative discussion.
Each teacher will be responsible for planning the individual classes, selecting resources with specific content that are related to the topic, and conducting the formative assessment.
These lesson plans will set up corresponding experiences of related learning that will intersect in the summative assessment thereby allowing each teacher to bring their expertise to the bigger topic.
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