An interdisciplinary approach to learning is meant to dissolve the boundaries of areas of study and encourage learning across the curriculum.
Teaching in an interdisciplinary education system, whether in a traditional setting with classrooms and school furniture or online, can be quite challenging. The benefits, however, are endless. Instructional Strategies Online offers three tips for teachers based on the Interdisciplinary Concept Model (Jacobs and Borland 1986):
- Choose a topic-concepts such as observations, patterns, light, revolution, humor, flight, pioneers, the future, and world hunger have proven highly effective (Jacobs).
- Brainstorm for ideas that can be organized onto an interdisciplinary concept model. This model has the theme in the center and the subject areas are explored in relation to the theme.
- Guiding questions are developed to serve as scope and sequence. The questions are general and should transcend discipline lines (Jacobs p.60).