Learning Communities as an Equitable Social Infrastructure to Promote Interdisciplinary Understanding in Higher Education

• In Event: 73.061 - Roundtable Session 32
  In Roundtable Session: 73.061-4 - Advanced Technologies for Learning Roundtable

Abstract

This study aims to contribute to the body of knowledge explaining the nature of interdisciplinary thinking and interdisciplinary understanding, and their relation to knowledge integration processes. In order to address the need for such learning in academic courses, a model was designed which takes advantage of the added-value of technology to support knowledge-building in learning communities. The model is implemented in different academic contexts as several iterations of a design-based research which is still in progress. This article focuses on the extent to which students acquire an interdisciplinary understanding of the content studied within an academic course that implements the generic model. Based on our current findings, we can argue that the students' interdisciplinary understanding has improved.

Authors

• Adi Kidron, University of Haifa

• Yael Kali, University of Haifa