Implementing interdisciplinary learning in the right way

Our school curriculum is divided into various subjects and disciplines. While this structure might help students understand them in isolation, it doesn’t paint a wholesome picture where all the different disciplines are intrinsically connected to one another. So, it is imperative for schools to establish connections between different subjects in order to ensure holistic knowledge for students, enabling them to corelate topics from different disciplines or streams. This is what is known as interdisciplinary education. 

For the success of interdisciplinary learning, educators to become more deeply involved in planning and implementation of lesson structures, leaving enough room for dynamism. Here are some tips for teachers for the successful implementation of this pedagogy. 

Look for overlapping points in the curriculum 
As teachers, you need to look for easy and effective ways for the implementation of interdisciplinary learning. Finding micro-units that can connect two disciplines together can be a good option. Planning out this micro-unit from the beginning of the year will make it easier to draw and maintain parallels between the classes. It is important to demonstrate interdisciplinary learning structures for the students so they don’t find themselves lost from the very beginning. 

Encourage cross-discipline inquiry 
Co-teaching lessons for two subjects is impractical and ineffective. Referencing materials from various disciplines to explain concepts and their relativity can trigger students’ interest in both the fields. Encourage them to through an issue from the perspective of one discipline and then through the knowledge of another discipline. This will help them corelate and imbibe  the teachings of both.  

Opt for summative Assessments 
Create a summative assessment that gauges students’ understanding of all the disciplines combined together in the micro-unit. It will incentivise them to participate and pay attention to the lessons. Present them with assignments that require them to answer in three parts: a claim, the evidence behind the claim, and a reasoning structure. This will help teachers evaluate the students’ understanding of the interdisciplinary curriculum and demonstrate how they integrate and apply the knowledge from different classes. Planning these assessments on the basis of a theme relevant to the course work of the disciplines will help provide structure to the micro-unit so the students have a better understanding of the teachers’ expectations rather than getting lost in the ambiguity of interdisciplinary teaching.