Multidisciplinary Teaching: Definitions and Applications
Hey GTCers!
To those of you who are joining us for the first time this
quarter: welcome! And a warm welcome back to all our returning members as well.
During our first meeting this past Wednesday, we discussed
both the main ideas of this quarter’s theme, “Multidisciplinary Teaching,” as
well as some of the topics we think would be fruitful areas to further explore
as we move through the quarter.
Some of the first questions we addressed were the most
obvious: What is multidisciplinary
teaching? Does this differ from interdisciplinary
teaching? If so, how?
After consulting several dictionaries (and several
smartphones), we determined that the difference is one of integration.
Multidisciplinary teaching (MDT) involves a non-integrated
mixture of disciplines. The methodologies of each discipline remain intact,
offering students the opportunity to work in the ‘theoretical space’ of either
parent discipline in order to explore the research questions that have been put
to them. Interdisciplinary teaching (IDT), however, is teaching that crosses
disciplines, blends methodologies, and creates altogether new theoretical
spaces for academic exploration. Some great analogies were offered to help
distinguish the two: MDT is a colloid, whereas IDT is a solution; MDT is a
chorus, whereas IDT is a mashup; MDT is a margarita on the rocks, whereas IDT
is a blended one!
There are already some excellent examples of MDT and IDT
courses at UC Davis, with titles like “Singing about Science,” “The Physics of
Music,” “Molecular Dynamics,” and many others. And some departments are, by
their very nature, MDT or IDT disciplines. Ecology, Ethnomusicology, and the
‘Studies’ disciplines (Women’s Studies, African-American Studies, Gender
Studies, etc.) were offered as just a few examples. Many participants found
themselves looking at their own disciplines in new ways, discovering MD/ID
influences in almost every department.
These discoveries led us nicely into the brainstorming phase
of the meeting. Among the topics offered for the quarter were:
Technological aids for MDT/IDT
Diversity in MDT/IDT
Designing and Structuring MDT/IDT Courses
MDT/IDT and the Traditional Track
Blancing Theory and Practice in the MD/ID Classroom
We were also able to brainstorm suggestions for possible
guest speakers, including a Q&A with professors who currently teach MD/ID
classes and a presentation by the Career Services Center on how to use MD/ID
experience to enhance your career portfolio.
By the time we’d finished our brainstorming session, our meeting
time had come to a close. But armed with a litany of topics to explore, we felt
very excited about the weeks to come!
This next phase is where YOU come in. Now that workshop
topics have been created, we need facilitators! If you intend to complete the
certificate program, you are required to facilitate at least one workshop this
quarter. But anyone who is interested may offer up their services, and you are
of course more than welcome to present on a topic of interest not seen here.
Below you’ll find a link to a google spreadsheet with all of
our meeting dates for the quarter - simply find a week that works for you, and
insert your name along with your topic of interest. Is your topic already up
there? No worries! Workshops by groups of two or three are encouraged.
Don’t know how to facilitate a workshop? No problem!
Presenters can format workshops however they like - the more interactive, the
better! For one example of how to structure your own presentation, come to our
GTC meeting THIS Wednesday for a talk about tailoring your lessons to suit your
audience, presented by Donnelly West (see the flyer, below). As always, our
meetings take place from 12-1pm in room 2004 of the Plant and Environmental
Sciences (PES) building. Bring a lunch (or a friend) if you like, and come
prepared for some insightful information on this critical and basic component
of effective teaching!
We have an exciting quarter ahead of us, and we greatly look
forward to all of the insights and explorations yet to come. Be sure to sign up
for your workshop of choice, check out this week’s meeting flyer, and be sure
to get in touch if you have any questions. Thanks again for your interest in
the GTC - we hope to see you there!
All the best,
Sarah and Donnelly
2012-2013 GTC Coordinators
Contact Information:
Sarah Messbauer: smessbauer@ucdavis.edu
Donnelly West: donwest@ucdavis.edu
GTC main website: http://cetl.ucdavis.edu/gtc-fall2012/
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