Moving from Interdisciplinary Science to Interdisciplinary Learning
Date Posted: December 4, 2019
Posted In: Discussion,
From CannonDesign: There is no doubt interdisciplinary science is becoming more popular throughout academia. With new technologies, greater interconnectedness, and incentive grants, there has been no better time to take our established notions of interdisciplinary science and advance the concept even further.
Moving beyond the inclusion of only basic science curriculums in a building by integrating other non-science academic fields within the same building, we encourage students to learn at an entirely new level. By embracing a truly interdisciplinary environment, we can spur collaborative learning and research across non-traditional disciplines and departments.
What Interdisciplinary Science Is Now
Today, designing for interdisciplinary science is often thought of as an integration of the traditional science disciplines — biology, chemistry and physics — within one building through shared and flexible spaces.
Many universities have tried to better integrate non-science fields into academic science facilities through strategies such as including flexible classrooms that any professor at the university can use. While this approach is a good first step, we need to think beyond this baseline to a more advanced interdisciplinary learning environment schematic.
The future of true interdisciplinary learning environments is one that not only invites other departments to share spaces, but also has a deep commitment to integration at every step of the process, from visioning to strategic planning to curriculum.
Integrated Learning Is Evolving. Buildings Need to Do the Same
We know today that students are learning differently than they did even five or 10 years ago. Gen Z, now in colleges and universities, never knew life without social media or immediate access to ubiquitous information. Whether sitting at a café, relaxing on the campus quad, or studying in a classroom, they constantly interact with information, building their knowledge base and honing skills and abilities to become well-rounded individuals able to respond to multiple streams of information in thoughtful ways. After academia, employers are looking for candidates with many different skills and assets and the flexibility to adapt.
Designing buildings for true interdisciplinary learning encourages the exploration of broad challenges and concepts that span past the basic sciences. Why not teach students in environments that best encourage this type of learning?