What is Interdisciplinary Research?

Interdisciplinary Research?


Interdisciplinary research (IDR) can be one of the most productive and inspiring of human pursuits one that provides a format for conversations and connections that lead to new knowledge. As a mode of discovery and education, it has delivered much already and promises more a sustainable environment, healthier and more prosperous lives, new discoveries and technologies to inspire young minds, and a deeper understanding of our place in space and time.
The history of science from the time of the earliest scholarship abounds with examples of the integration of knowledge from many research fields. The pre-Socratic philosopher Anaximander brought together his knowledge of geology, paleontology, and biology to discern that living beings develop from simpler to more complex forms. In the age of the great scientific revolutions of 17th century Europe, its towering geniuses Isaac Newton, Robert Hooke, Edmond Halley, Robert Boyle, and others brought their curiosity to bear not only on subjects that would lead to basic discoveries that bear their names but also on every kind of interdisciplinary challenge, including military and mining questions.

In the 19th century, Louis Pasteur became a model interdisciplinarian, responding to practical questions about diseases and wine spoilage with surprising answers that laid the foundations of microbiology and immunology. Today, the proliferation of new understanding about the molecular and genetic underpinnings of life demonstrates the power of combining disciplinary
knowledge in interdisciplinary ways.

In recent decades, the growth of scientific and technical knowledge has prompted scientists, engineers, social scientists, and humanists to join in addressing complex problems that must be attacked simultaneously with deep knowledge from
different perspectives. Students show increasing enthusiasm about problems of global importance that have practical consequences, such as disease prevention, economic development, social inequality, and global climate change all of which can best be addressed through IDR. A glance across the research landscape reveals how many of today’s “hot topics” are interdisciplinary: nanotechnology, genomics and proteomics, bioinformatics, neuroscience, conflict, and terrorism. All those invite and even demand interdisciplinary participation. Similarly, many of the great research triumphs are products of interdisciplinary inquiry and collaboration: discovery of the structure of DNA, magnetic resonance imaging, the Manhattan Project, laser eye surgery, radar, human genome sequencing, the “green revolution,” and manned space flight. There can be no question about the productivity and effectiveness of research teams formed of partners with diverse expertise.


    Reprinted from Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research, National Academies Press, 2005; a report authored by the Committee on Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research, and the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy, committees of the National Research Council. Support for the project was provided by the W. M. Keck Foundation. Grateful acknowledgment is made to the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth St., N.W., Washington, D.C., 20001, for permission to use these excerpts.

    1 Robert K. Merton’s classic Science, Technology and Society in Seventeenth Century England describes the work of the remarkable “natural philosophers” whose reach spanned many of today’s disciplines.
    2 Study of all the proteins encoded by an organism’s DNA.
    3 An editorial in Science noted, “The time is upon us to recognize that the new frontier is the interface, wherever it remains
    unexplored…. In the years to come, innovators will need to jettison the security of familiar tools, ideas, and specialties as they forge new partnerships.” Kafatos, F.C. and Eisner, T., “Unification in the Century of Biology.” Science, 303 (February 27):1257, 2004.
    4 Popper, K. R. Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge. New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1963, p. 88.

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“Skype in the classroom”

Conventional education is one of the most resistant to change.
The technological changes that reduce the distance education have been a constant cause of progress. The technological resources enable by supplying appropriate methodology, and even exceed, classroom education, with a use of audiovisual media and computer.
Professionally, executive education (professionals who work and study), time is extremely valuable, so that online education is gaining ground and new technologies are helping to increasingly remote transmit knowledge. However, many of the elements of the administration have to do with relationships, so the challenge ahead is to use advances in technology without losing the essence of classroom education.
Distance education offers the possibility to simultaneously train a large number of people, geographically dispersed, without unlink your region, nor of work duties or their families.
“Skype in the classroom ‘is an online directory designed as a social network focused on facilitating the interaction between teachers from around the world who want to use Skype to” convey experiences, education models or sensations experienced in education. ”
More than 4,000 teachers in 99 countries and can share resources and experiences, reporting on the details of the subject they teach, find users with similar interests and capable of talks in the halls.
La educación convencional es uno de los sistemas más resistentes a los cambios.
Las transformaciones tecnológicas que permiten reducir la distancia en la educación han sido una causa constante del avance. Los recursos tecnológicos posibilitan mediante la metodología adecuada suplir, e incluso superar, la educación presencial, con una utilización de los medios de comunicación audiovisual e informáticos.
En el ámbito profesional, La educación ejecutiva (Profesionales que trabajan y estudian), el tiempo es sumamente valioso, por lo que la educación online va ganando terreno y las nuevas tecnologías ayudan cada vez más a transmitir los conocimientos a distancia. Sin embargo, muchos de los elementos de la administración tienen que ver con las relaciones interpersonales, por lo que el desafío futuro es utilizar los avances tecnológicos sin perder la esencia de la educación presencial.
La educación a distancia ofrece la posibilidad de capacitar al mismo tiempo a un gran número de personas, dispersas geográficamente, sin desvincularlas de su región, ni tampoco de sus obligaciones laborales o de sus familias.
‘Skype in the classroom’ es un directorio online planteado como una red social enfocada a facilitar la interacción entre profesores de todo el mundo que quieran utilizar Skype para “transmitir experiencias, modelos de educación o sensaciones vividas en la educación”.
Más de 4.000 profesores en 99 países pueden compartir ya recursos y experiencias, informando sobre los detalles de la materia que enseñan, encontrar usuarios con intereses parecidos y que puedan realizar charlas en las salas. Evidentemente, una de las vías es usar la videoconferencia propia de Skype.
More information:
Skype crea una red social para profesores de todo el mundo
Cómo usar Skype en la educación

Group Learning

AA025293 Learning and group collaboration is a process in which team members support and trust each other to achieve a goal.
The successful outcome depends on the clarity of the objectives given by the instructors, so the signs of what are expected. The group’s challenge is to interpret these goals and then determine how to achieve them.
The process of group work is effective only if instructors lead the process. Students must realize and prepare for this process group. Group projects should be structured so that no individual can take advantage of the efforts of their peers.
While we teach others, we can learn more about it.
While we teach, even simple questions that the learner makes us examine the issue in a new way.
As we explain, we understand the issue better.
Studying in groups get more than one perspective on the topic being analyzed. Furthermore, different contents peers can collaborate explaining to them have been more clear that for us.
What if this concept is new to us?
To implement successfully is very important to make students aware of the new process to be followed to change traditional teaching to a new teaching.
Usually, some students are not used to openly discuss in groups a certain situation and hope that at the end of the discussion, the teacher give the correct answers to the problem.
An alternative to this is to provide induction courses for new students to live the richness of individual work, teamwork and group work.
Another way would be to start the semester giving inductions on technique and showing game´s rules, to dictate and set the contract teaching – learning.
To ensure that students have a vision of using problems as a source of knowledge and information for later use in your development as a student.
The classroom is an excellent place to develop teamwork skills that will be needed later in life.

Is technology driving a new social group?

We live in a globalized world, where technology has brought us closer but apart every minute at the same time.
I took the time to analyze and observe how my co-faculty at the last social meeting exchanged points of views on different topics using different languages, different political and cultural perspective with also years apart and everything was perfect until text massages start getting in.
Over 50% of them, I have to repeat 2 times the same question to get a clear response and 50% paid attention with one eye on their phone and one on you.
The weird thing was to see people from one side of the table to another texting instead of talking.
Are we getting mental laziness of looking up for a word in our minds and express it!
If this is happening among Grad student, what is expected of the new generation of students?
Can we be five minutes away from technology?
Can we return to the old life of looking you in the eyes and smile without having to speak, understand a personal gesture as a word?
Many of my friends complain because they tweete (new word in the dictionary), I object to do entering these social networks (until I finish college) to see what my friends and family are doing every 30 seconds.
There is a problem which does not distinguish social class, religion, language or gender,
The disconnection from real life through new technology.
Is technology driving a new social group? Realists and virtual or is becoming an addiction.
The more I investigate more question highlights
Vivimos en un mundo globalizado, donde la tecnología nos ha acercado mas pero también separado cada minuto.
Me tome la molestia de analizar como mis compañeros de facultad en la ultima reunión social intercambiábamos opiniones en diferentes lenguas, diferentes posiciones políticas y culturales y con años de diferencia todo estuvo perfecto hasta que los masajes de texto entraron, más del 50% de los presente se les tenía que hacer 2 veces la misma pregunta para que respondieran y el otro 50% ponía atención con un medio ojo en su celular.
Lo más curioso era ver personas de un lado de la mesa a otro enviándose mensajes de texto en vez de hablar.
Hasta donde nos está llevando la pereza mental de buscar una palabra de nuestras mentes y expresarla, que se nos haga entender.
Si esto está ocurriendo entre los estudiante de educación superior, que se espera de la nueva generación de estudiantes. ¿Podemos estar 5 minutos lejos de la tecnología? ¡Podremos regresar a la vida de mirarte a los ojos y sonreír sin tener que hablar, entender un gesto personal como una palabra.
Muchos de mis amigos me reprochan porque no tweeteo (nueva palabra en el diccionario), me opongo hasta el momento (mientras que termine la universidad) en entrar a esas redes sociales para saber lo que hacen mis amigos y familiares cada 30 segundos.
Existe un problema social el cual no distingue clase, religión, idioma o genero, el desconectarse de la vida real a través de de la nueva tecnología.
¿Está la tecnología impulsando una nuevo grupo social?, los realistas y los virtuales o se esta convirtiendo en una adicción.
Entre más investigo mas interrogante resaltan

Reason to study other language and study over sea

I know we have to write a blog every week but sometime the Ideas do not come like magic, some people like me, are so heavily occupied, like writing the dissertations, experiments, journal reviews, preparing presentations, meeting, abstract, family task, and TAXES…..some time I ask myself…
What I was thinking when I decided to go back to GRADUATE SCHOOL, was I drunk or what?.
And to make everything worse!!….learn and do everything if a foreign language.
These are some of questions some good North American (pay attention I did not said AMERICAN) ask me almost every time when we meet for fist time. How do you do it?
I have the privilege of study over sea, no because I am smart, because I believe that anyone can reach their goals as long as you dream high.
These are some of my answers:
Reason to study other language and study over sea
While learning and getting educated in a foreign language requires a lot of time and effort, it can also be a fulfillment of an achievement that expands our horizons and exposes us to new opportunities and cultures.
Due to cultural experiences that usually come with learning a foreign language, it is not uncommon for a newly bilingual like us to begin to feel how we see the world from two different perspectives at once.
For some this creates a new sense of identity, because we are able to feel at home in a new place and participate in activities that were unfamiliar.
After learning a foreign language we will be eligible for more jobs and we have a higher chance of getting hired because there will be fewer applicants who meet the requirement of knowing more than one language in particular.
After months of talking to people in a language newly learned, we begin to notice the unique aspects of their culture and ways of behaving, and how these relate to subtleties speaking habits and mannerisms.
If you are having a crisis in the middle of your life or simply looking for a change, learning another language is one of the best ways to see life from a new perspective.
I am also the role model from my all family, I am so close (5 moths) to reach the unthinkable on my 3 family generations, to become the first PhD, and do it in a foreign language.
My legacy for my nieces and nephews will be not just to reach my dreams, it will be for them …, to show them that the bigger the dreams the bigger the rewards.

We became Ph D. On sale and Rebate.

When starting Graduate School, we arrived with a huge attitude to eats the world, checked in many classes that nobody knows how to pronounce, but it sounds awesome in our curriculum (CV).
For those who continue from undergraduate, social gathering hours and party time does not end, what for? If they now get paid to party!
For those who make a pause in our profession, living with a minimum salary set, makes us appreciate more every penny we receive.
After a year, we became specialists in cutting and using coupons, we walked trying not to spend more gasoline money in our cars, we became specialists in rebates (sells) and when we buy food always pass by the suggestion manager (the small space where the cold meats at supermarkets).
Graduate school not only gives us a weapon to continue our professional life, also makes us executive household expenses, learn to value every cents won, we became Ph D. On sale and Rebate.
Al iniciar gradúate school, llegamos con una actitud de querernos come el mundo, nos registramos en muchas clases aunque no sepamos cómo se pronuncia, pero suena impresionante en nuestro currículo (CV).
Para aquellos que continúan desde licenciatura, las horas de fiesta y parranda no termina, para qué? Si ahora les pagan para fiestear.
Para los que hacemos un alto en nuestra profesión, el vivir con un sueldo ajustado, nos hace valorar más cada centavo que recibimos.
Después de un año, nos convertimos en especialistas en cortar y usar cupones, caminamos mas por no gastar gasolina en nuestros carros, nos convertimos en especialistas en rebajas (ventas de descuentos) y cuando estamos comprando comida siempre pasamos por “the manager suggestion” (el pequeño espacio en las carnes frías de los supermercados)
Graduate school no solo nos da una arma más para continuar nuestra vida profesional, también nos hace ejecutivos en gastos del hogar, aprendemos a valorar cada centésimo ganado, nos convertimos en Ph D. en rebajas.

From the Abaco to the Internet Era

For many kids, the words: intenet, surfing, google are very obvious, but for some; it has been a new revolution.

I grew up when I was taught to add and subtract with an abacus, writing with chalk on a black board, while writing; no taping was the easiest way to take notes in classroom with pen and paper and the coolest stuff in the class was an electronic calculator.

Many years have passed since I have to self educated on technology but also to educate others.

In the 1980s, technologies that recognize as the foundation of the modern Internet, began to expand worldwide.
By 1987 when entering my bachelor Science just 10,000 PCs were connected and I have not seen one then.
I did not got my first email until 1998

Globally, the growth of user numbers is staggering. According to world internet usage statistics, it is estimated that in 2012 the number of Internet users rises to 2.267 million, up from 599 million in 2002: an increase of approximately 378%.
The figure of 2012 represents 32.7% of the entire population of the planet.
Today one can travel to places that unfortunately have no running water but do have a computer connected to the Internet …

Young people now have taught me to live a cyber world, smart phones, messenger, skype, facebook and now blogging an online classes.
What is next?

We cannot run away of the new technology to educate the new generation, we cannot hide…Because sooner or later, it will cash us.
Returning to Graduate school has been an adventure of learning and teaching.
It has not stopped yet, it just started.
Don’t think I’m too old, on the contrary, I feel that I am still very young in the world of technology.

At the time past and technology evolutionate, we just have to remember Captain Spock phrase: if you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.