Understanding Interdisciplinarity: Curricular and Organizational Features of Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Programs
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Understanding Interdisciplinarity: Curricular and Organizational Features of Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Programs David B. Knight & Lisa R. Lattuca & Ezekiel W. Kimball & Robert D. Reason
Published online: 22 August 2012 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012
Abstract Though the number of interdisciplinary undergraduate programs has increased rapidly over the past several decades, little empirical research has characterized such programs. In this article we report on our investigation of the characteristics of interdisciplinary programs and develop typologies to describe the multiple ways in which such programs are structured with respect to curricular and organizational features. Using cluster analysis, we show differences in both curricular structures and organizational features across programs, irrespective of the program’s content focus. This typology will guide future research to explore differences in student learning outcomes across the interdisciplinary program types. Keywords Interdisciplinarity . Curricular typology . Organizational features David Knight is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Queensland. He earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Pennsylvania State University. Lisa Lattuca is Professor of Education at the University of Michigan. She earned a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan’s Center for Higher and Postsecondary Education. Ezekiel Kimball is the Director of Institutional Research at Curry College. He earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Pennsylvania State University. Robert Reason is Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Iowa State University. He earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Iowa State University. D. B. Knight (*) University of Queensland, Hawken Engineering Building, Level 3, C301, Queensland 4072, Australia e-mail: [email protected] L. R. Lattuca Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1259, USA E. W. Kimball Institutional Research, Curry College, 1071 Blue Hill Avenue, Milton, MA 02186, USA R. D. Reason Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Iowa State University, Kooser Dr, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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Innov High Educ (2013) 38:143–158
A review of recent policy documents from the U.S. government reveals a consistent call for greater investment in interdisciplinary education (e.g. National Academy of Sciences 2004; National Institutes of Health 2006). These calls are based on the assumption that interdisciplinary educational approaches foster innovation more effectively than do discipline-based educational programs (National Academy of Engineering 2004; U.S. Department of Education 2006). This shift toward interdisciplinary education is presumed to promote global competitiveness, national security, and economic prosperity (National Academy of Engineering 2004; National Science Board 2010; U.S. Department of Education 2006). Substantial growth in interdisciplinary undergraduate programs suggests considerable confidence in th
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