Defining interdisciplinary study - Extended Essay - LibGuides at United World College Changshu
Extended Essay: Defining interdisciplinary study
In interdisciplinary study, students integrate knowledge and modes of thinking from two or more disciplines to gain a deeper understanding of an issue. Crucially, they would have been unable to gain this understanding if they only looked at the issue from the perspective of one of the disciplines.
A strong interdisciplinary essay exhibits the following attributes.
The student seeks to describe, explain, compare or offer solutions to a problem that is best examined in an interdisciplinary way.
The student has a sense of the significance of the research.
The student draws on knowledge, theories, concepts, perspectives, methods, tools and forms of communication from two or more disciplines.
The student integrates disciplinary perspectives in ways that advance understanding.
The student understands the illuminating connections among/between disciplines.
The student reflects on the significance, power and limitations of his or her findings.
Interdisciplinary research in the IB is not “a-disciplinary” or “anti-disciplinary”. It draws rigorously on discipline-specific ways of knowing—established knowledge claims, methods, approaches to inquiry and forms of communication—to inform a new understanding.
In conducting independent interdisciplinary research, students will:
explore problems, ideas and issues from the perspective of two IB subject areas
build the inquiry skills necessary for conducting rigorous and age-appropriate research
exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize, frame and approach complex problems of global significance.
Interdisciplinary research values the process of learning, as well as its results. The process involves students in:
identifying a topic of personal, local* and global significance
framing a researchable question
identifying the sources of expertise and disciplinary perspectives to further their understanding of the topic
gathering relevant information, ideas and tools in such disciplines
defining a research approach or method
synthesizing the different perspectives to advance their own interpretation or explanation of, or solution to, the problem under study
crafting the essay and reflecting on their work, its significance, limitations and possibilities.
*Local is defined in its widest sense to mean specific examples or case studies and does not necessarily imply that the focus must be geographically local for the student.
Students begin the interdisciplinary research process with their initial beliefs about their chosen topics.
As they gather findings, consider theories and make connections, they revise and enrich their initial views. Students capture the process of building their understanding in the Researcher's reflection space and the Reflections on planning and progress Form. They receive informative feedback from their supervisors, which in turn deepens their understanding.
Examples of interdisciplinary research.
Interdisciplinary research projects range broadly in content and scope.
She developed a complex integration of some of the causes and effects of malnutrition in this Indian state, taking into account the interconnection between low maternal literacy levels, decreased government health spending and poor child nutrition when considering elevated levels of child malnutrition.
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