BIS
301: Foundations of Interdisciplinary Studies
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Course Description
This course introduces interdisciplinary studies
core knowledge, skills, and integration in academic and applied settings.
Course Objectives and Expectations
IDS core knowledge
¨ Understand and explain the
following terms: academic disciplines /
disciplinary, crossdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and
transdisciplinary.
¨ Gain awareness of the history, background,
and context of interdisciplinary studies.
Concentration
area / knowledge of disciplines
¨ Identify and present key
characteristics of specific disciplines.
¨ Examine, apply, or compare key
insights, concepts or theories from each discipline to illustrate the
disciplinary perspective.
Integration
/ synthesis
¨
Draw
connections between multiple disciplines, including your own specific areas of
study.
¨
Provide
evidence of integrative thinking.
¨
Apply
at least one model/framework of integration.
Interdisciplinarity
in applied settings
¨
Understand
how disciplinarity and interdisciplinarity function outside the university.
¨
Understand
organizational trends as related to notions of interdisciplinarity.
Personal
/ career development
¨
Assess
individual strengths and opportunities for improvement with respect to future
success in increasingly interdisciplinary workplaces and social settings.
“L” Writing
Related
¨
Build
skills in organization, sentence structure, and evidence
¨
Build
skills in proper citation/attribution of sources
¨
Build
skills in oral presentation
Required Texts
Repko, Allen F. (2008),
Interdisciplinary Research: Process and Theory, ISBN: 9781412959155 (paperback),
Publisher: Sage. ($56 new, $42 used)
Hewett, Les, Andrew Hewett and
Luc d’Abadie (2005), The Power of Focus for College Students: How to Make
College the Best Investment of Your Life, (Paperback) ISBN: 0757302890
Publisher: HCI. ($15 new, $11.25 used)
Associated Web Sites: http://passionpuzzle.com and http://focusedstudent.com.
Additional
Web Enhancement
As part
of this course, you have been enrolled at the website http://myasucourses.asu.edu
(note: no www in web address). The web sites uses your ASURITE UserId and
password. The course will appear for you under the “courses” tab.
If you've forgotten your ASURITE ID, either call Computer Accounts at (480)
965-1211 or go to http://www.asu.edu/asurite. Numerous course documents will be posted at
the web site, including your assignments, grading rubrics, selected readings,
web links and selected lecture notes or other aids. You can also access your grade, send papers
to the instructor, participate in a discussion/bulletin board, as well as many
other things. Don’t forget to forward
email to the email address you use, as the web site sends email to your ASU
email account.
Technical
Support:
Technical
Support can be found at http://help.asu.edu/ or call the Help Desk (480)
965-6500 or email myasu-q@asu.edu.
MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS
Disciplinary Lexicon
List (in class use): due Aug. 26
Bring to
class 10 terms, categories, labels, or theories used in each of your
concentration areas (20 total). Be sure and clearly indicate the concentration
areas.—actually not a major assignment.
Disciplinary Map: due
Aug. 31
This
assignment takes you through the focus, questions asked, key contributors, key
terms, concepts, theories/analytical approaches, and embedded assumptions for
each concentration area as well as examining how your concentration areas
connect. Formatting document posted at
Blackboard.
Disciplinary Analysis:
due Sept. 4
Define
and use each concentration as a disciplinary lens to evaluate an issue/problem
(different issue or problem for each is fine).
You CAN use past papers/projects--but also feel free to improve them. If
you use a past assignment make sure you explain how it fulfills the goals of
the assignment (and likewise if you do your own). I’m looking for your ability to correctly APPLY
concepts or theories to provide an understanding through the lens of that discipline. So be sure that aspect is clear. In some cases you may need a paragraph
explaining how the assignment does this, if you think it might not be
sufficiently clear. Disciplinary analyses need to be equivalent of 300+ words
per concentration area (or the equivalent if not in paper form).
Integrated You: Passion
Puzzle Analysis with SMART Goal Plan: due Sept. 9
The cover of this
essay is your passion puzzle (you can type it by section if you can’t capture
the image—directions at Blackboard). In
this 1000-1500 word essay, you want to examine the choices you made. How do you justify them? What did you exclude? If you could only include three for each
category, what would they be and why? Explore interconnections and possible
disconnections between values, interests, skills and ambitions. Use the Passion Puzzle to come up with ways
to achieve integration (parts that do fit together). Use the Passion Puzzle to identify
challenges for integration (parts that really don't fit well together). Are there different "you's" that
emerge in different contexts? Use these
questions to pull together a coherent narrative (so don’t just answer it
sequentially, but use your theme to pull it together).
Based on your Passion Puzzle analysis, establish and lay out a
plan with benchmarks to achieve a SMART goal.
Justify that it is a SMART goal and connect it to your Passion
Puzzle. You must select a goal which you
can begin immediately and assess progress within a month. Make sure your essay has an introduction
that captures the essence of the Integrated You—or the not quite (or very
conflicted) Integrated You, and a conclusion that nicely wraps up the paper,
perhaps related to your SMART goal, without introducing new ideas.
Cross-Disciplinary Paper
and Presentation: due Sept. 14
With a
partner (and possibly one group of 3), develop and define the My Concentration
of Your Concentration (e.g., the business --or business-based analysis--of
education). Group of three rotating so all three people are covered. Identify a key question or focus and apply pertinent
concepts or theories from one of your concentrations to be applied TO one of
your partner’s concentrations (and vice versa for your partner). Justify your choice of focus, concepts or
theories. 200-300 word paper for each
partner. Presentation combines both and
is up to 5 minutes long plus discussion.
Multidisciplinary Paper
and Presentation: due Sept. 28
In a
group of four, use the concentration area NOT used in the Cross-Disciplinary
case. Based on those concentrations,
identify a question that fits well with them.
Each person uses their concentration area and finds research on it based
on a disciplinary perspective that relates to the question. Examine the disciplinary background of
authors or experts cited as you provide a synopsis of four of the best sources
related to your question. Then focus in
most detail on the two or three that stand out as most useful and
representative of the disciplinary perspective relative to your question. Include an introduction and conclusion.
Length of each written section should be 1000-1500 words plus a bibliography
and a System Map or Theory Map (or some variation on either) to help visually
capture your paper.
Papers
are compiled together with a brief introduction on the problem and what each
person did—but no conclusion.
The 8-12
minute presentation (2-3 minutes per person) includes an introduction to help
link everything together plus an ending summary of what your feel are the most
intriguing discoveries or findings or underlying challenges based on the
research done.
Confidential
Peer Evaluations will be used to ascertain relative contributions and will be
used as part of your overall score determination for the presentation
component.
Pluridisciplinary Paper
and Benchmark Evaluation of SMART Goal Progress: due Oct. 5
Look at
your group paper in the multidisciplinary project and compare and contrast how
the different disciplines approached the issue.
What did they have in common? How
did they differ? Approximately 500-600
words long with an introduction including a thesis that captures your argument,
a body with evidence and a conclusion that wraps the paper up well without
being a pure summary and not introducing new ideas not suggested or implied earlier
(assume the reader has read but not memorized the multidisciplinary paper).
For the
benchmark evaluation component (beyond the 500-600 words) evaluate your
progress based on a benchmark that occurs during the course. Be sure and have clear and detailed
documentation (which could be based on the chart posted on line) related to how
you’ve been tracking your performance.
Integration Paper: due
Oct. 14
Build
off your pluridisciplinary paper by identifying your concentration area and one
other concentration area in the project where you see tension or complementary
aspects. Apply an approach to Common
Ground (ch. 11) to create an interdisciplinary result. Use the multidisciplinary paper's research to
discuss the nature of the conflict/tension or complementary aspects and how you
might (or might not) work beyond the tension (it might be a fundamental
challenge) or come through with a solution.
Feel free to consult with that other person and do additional research. Approximately
500-700 words long focused entirely on the integration issue plus a
bibliography (be sure to cite sources in the text as well).
7 day return guarantee and 3 day early
review
If you submit your assignment on time, it will be graded
and returned within one week of the due date deadline (electronic documents or
web site links needs to be readable and posted properly at the web site). If I fail to post your evaluation within that
time period, then you'll receive a 5 percent bonus.
If you get me a draft of an assignment at least 3 days before it
is due, I’ll try and look it over and give you feedback on it. I can’t make a full guarantee here, as I have
nearly 200 students this semester and depending on what’s due in my POS 110 and
POS 310 classes I might not have time.
ASU Google
Documents:
For
some collaborative activities in the course you may wish to use Google
Documents. When working on Google
Documents use the "edit" tab and don't forget to click on
"save," so your changes are saved!
Google will tell you who else is on line and you'll be both writing
on the same "blackboard" so to speak—so you can interact with each
other, but don't have to worry that your work will somehow get lost. I think you'll find it a marvelous tool. You can email each other and even download
the document for your records! Check
them out at http://docs.asu.edu!
Electronic Assignments via myasu:
All
assignments will be handed out in class and/or available at the web site. If
you choose to submit an assignment electronically, please use the myasu web
site. If handing in via myasu click on
“assignments” and the “view/complete” on the bottom for assignment you wish to
hand in electronically. Please do not
email assignments. The instructor is not responsible for assignments if they
are sent via email.
Click on the assignment name
or “view/complete” on the bottom of the assignment you wish to hand in electronically. A dialogue box will open where you can attach
a file and write text. To assure I
can open your file, save your file either as a MS Word document (.doc) or in
rich text format (.rtf) and avoid using a “#” or any character that appears
above keyboard numbers (e.g., “!”, “@”,…) in the file name. Also, don't allow Word to default name your
document with the first line. When you submit under assignments, an icon
will appear under “grades” to show that you have submitted a file. If you’re concerned about your file, click on
the icon and you should be able to open the file you uploaded. When graded the icon
will change to your actual score and you’ll be able to click on the score to
access feedback.
For quizzes you can save your work and come back, but for me to
receive it you need to click on "submit." A lock appears under "grades" when
you have "saved" but not yet "submitted" an assignment
whether it's a paper or a quiz. If you
ever think you've submitted an assignment and go to "grades" and only
find a dash "-" then you haven't submitted properly and need to redo
it. You don't need to contact me to make
sure I got it, if you use the web site.
Please
do NOT email me assignments
unless you have a web site problem or accidentally send the wrong file at the
web site.
Paper Copy Assignments:
Paper copies received will be handed back in class, though grade sheets
may be posted on line.
TABLE OF ASSIGNMENTS AND DUE DATES
(late work accepted for
assignments worth 10 or more points)
|
Assignment |
Due |
Points |
|
Disciplinary Lexicon List |
Wed.,
Aug. 26 |
1 |
|
Blackboard IDS and Disciplinary Exercise |
Fri.,
Aug. 28 |
2 |
|
Disciplinary Map and Passion Puzzle |
Monday,
Aug. 31 |
25 2 |
|
Disciplinary Analysis and Blackboard Power of Focus Exercise |
Friday, Sept. 4 |
20 2 |
|
Integrated You:
Passion Puzzle Analysis with SMART Goal Plan |
Wednesday,
Sept. 9 |
25 |
|
Cross-Disciplinary
Paper and Presentation |
Monday,
Sept. 14 |
15 |
|
Blackboard Multidisciplinary
Exercise Blackboard Cite Master Quiz |
Friday,
Sept. 18 |
2 6 |
|
Resume(s) |
Wednesday,
Sept. 30–may be earlier if
Career Services wishes to review before class |
1 |
|
Multidisciplinary
Paper Advanced Draft and Comments on
Others’ sections |
Friday,
Sept. 25 Sunday,
Sept 27 |
2 2 |
|
Multidisciplinary
Papers and Presentation (with peer evaluation) |
Monday,
Sept. 28 |
40 |
|
Blackboard
Tension and Complementary Aspects Exercises |
Friday,
Oct. 2 |
2 |
|
Pluridisciplinary
Paper and Benchmark Evaluation of SMART Goal Progress |
Monday,
Oct 5 |
20 |
|
Blackboard
Integrative Idea Sharing |
Friday,
Oct. 9 |
1 |
|
Integrative
Draft |
Monday,
Oct. 12 |
2 |
|
Integration Paper |
Wednesday,
Oct. 14 |
20 |
|
Participation |
|
10 |
|
After Class Feedback Group |
1 pt. per time up to two points. |
2 max. (extra credit) |
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
|
200 |
LATE POLICY
Unless otherwise
specified, assignments are due at class time on the day due (and
midnight for internet activities for Friday or Sunday) which for those absent
will equate to 10 a.m. with web site links disappearing if the assignment is
not allowed to be submitted late. However, assignments worth at least 10 points you may submit
late. The late penalty is 2 percent for
assignments received through midnight on the day due and 10 percent if received
within 1 week of the due date. After 1 week, assignments receive no credit
unless you’ve worked with me before then
to explain circumstances and set up a submittal plan. I will place these nonsubmittals in a special
category for determining your final grade, provided your overall average is at
least 65 percent with the no credit included.
Due to end of term constraints, your Integration Paper must be submitted
no later than Friday, October 16 at Noon.
Extensions beyond what’s stated here will be made under documented
circumstances where I deem an extension appropriate.
GRADES
Are you interested in learning or achievement? As an instructor, I’m interested in your
learning—as I’m sure you are, too—there’s just a little problem called grades! Do you ever just skip the comments and look at
“what you got,” the letter or numerical grade—if so you’re looking at the
grade, not the learning. Try and read
the comments.
Still worried?
I have the three day early review (see above) and you’ll often be
working with others and getting their feedback.
I also try and create building blocks for assignments to assist you
toward the final work.
If I’ve worked it out well, then your grade should
match up with your demonstrated learning While I’ll follow convention in assigning +
and -, e.g., 90% guarantees an A-, I’ve left it more open, so I can use discretion
to evaluate students in the gray areas.
For students at risk of not receiving a “C”, their performance
on major assignments, especially those later in the term will be compared
relative to their overall point total in determining their final grade.
Here’s the criteria:
(your percent will NOT be rounded,
though the instructor will review anyone very close)
|
A+ |
98.5%+ |
|
A |
92-98.5% |
|
|
|
|
B |
82-87% |
|
|
|
|
C |
70-77% |
|
|
|
|
D |
55-67% |
|
E |
<55% |
Grade Disputes: On particular assignments, if you have a concern regarding my
evaluation of your work, contact me within one week of receiving your
assignment back to seek further explanation of the evaluation. Before meeting with me, document using the
criteria for the assignment with evidence from your assignment to show me what
you believe I overlooked when I evaluated your work.
Participation: Participation is partly based on being there. I will take attendance, and note those who
arrive late or leave early without permission.
Please contact me before class or as soon as possible after, if you are
absent, especially if it is for a reason for which you might be excused.
Documentation may be requested to excuse absences.
While you’re welcome to bring a cell phone, you shouldn’t be
checking text messages or email during class.
Likewise, laptops if brought to class are for class activities, not for
Facebook or surfing the internet. If I
observe inappropriate use, I will notify you.
Many assignments will require that you work with others. I may make student match ups prior to class
(e.g., the cross-disciplinary partner)-so if you’re absent that day, you’ll put
someone else at a disadvantage and also lose credit on the assignment (min. 1
pt. up to 10 percent deduction).
If you are absent half of the time, you will receive no credit for
participation. Credit will be based on
the degree you are present and engaged beyond that.
Participation records will be kept in an
excel file at the web site, so you can track of my records, where other
students in class will also see it. If
you’re working in a group on a particular day, the participation score may be
group-based rather than individual. If
you have concerns about how your participation is evaluated, see me as soon as
you see a discrepancy, not at the end of the term.
After Class Feedback Group
Each week I will conduct an After Class Feedback
Group. Participants will receive 1 point
of extra credit for doing so, up to a maximum of 2 points. After meeting with those students with
questions, I’ll convene the After Class Feedback Group. This group’s task will be to assess the class
that just concluded and give advice on future class meetings as well as provide
feedback on past and upcoming assignments.
Our meeting will last approximately 15 minutes and may relocate to
another room, if another class is entering our room. So the group is not too unwieldy,
participation will be limited to six students, and sign up sheets will be circulated
in class. If your schedule does not
allow participation, talk to me about times when class might end a bit early
and the After Class Feedback Group occurs earlier.
Academic
Integrity
When I
read your paper, I expect that it’s your work: the data is real; sources
are cited properly, and you don’t represent the work or ideas of others as your
own. The minimum penalty for plagiarism
in this course is the loss of 1 letter grade on the assignment, but the penalty
is often no credit on the assignment and
even failure in the course with a grade of “XE.” Most students don’t do this intentionally,
but intention doesn’t get you off! I’ve
included an avoiding plagiarism teaching module for you to make sure you
understand proper citation in class and have resources available to you. Please review the BIS program’s academic
integrity policy, if you haven’t done so before. Access it under “forms” at the BIS web site
or directly at http://sls.asu.edu/bis/docs/integrity.doc.
Students with
disabilities
ASU endeavors to make reasonable adjustments in its policies, practices, services and facilities to ensure equal education programs and activities.
·
Disability Accommodations: Qualified students with disabilities who require disability accommodations
in this class are encouraged to make their requests to me at the beginning of
the semester either during office hours or by appointment. Note: Prior
to receiving disability accommodations, verification of eligibility from the
·
Establishing Eligibility for Disability Accommodations: Students who feel they will need disability accommodations in this class
but have not registered with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) should
contact DRC immediately. Their office is located on the first floor of the
Final Thoughts
Let’s
have fun, respect each other by helping rather than interfering with classroom
learning, and do our best to recognize that everyone has a life outside of
class.
College
can be stressful---so if you’re facing challenges, please contact me earlier
rather than later about potential accommodations and/or see some of our
professionals who can be of assistance, such as Counseling and Consultation, http://students.asu.edu/counseling.
If religious observances or an official
ASU activity conflict with anything I’ve scheduled, please make me aware of
this as soon as possible, so we can make appropriate accommodations for you.
PLANNED
COURSE CALENDAR (subject to change)
*days when After Class Feedback
group meets.
|
Week |
Day |
Date |
Focus |
Due |
|
Day Plan |
|
Week 1 |
M* |
Aug. 24 |
Exploring Interdisciplinary Studies |
|
IR ch. 1 & 2 (Interdisciplinary Research
by Repko) |
Introducing Selves, Distinguishing and identifying disciplines,
characteristics of interdisciplinary studies and interdisciplinarians |
|
|
W |
Aug. 26 |
Disciplinary Focus |
Disciplinary Lexicon List (in class use) |
IR ch. 3 & 4 (assumptions, concepts and theory sections only) |
Disciplinary Activities: Overall Perspective, Approach,
Assumptions, Concepts, Theory—Identifying Disciplines |
|
|
Internet |
Aug. 28/30 |
Find IDS on the web, comment on someone else’s
post//Identify Disciplines |
|
POF ch. 2 (Power of Focus for College Students
by Hewitt et al.) |
Post by Aug. 28/Comment by Aug. 30 |
|
Week 2 |
M* |
Aug. 31 |
Integrated Disciplines & Integrated You |
Disciplinary Map (done) and Passion Puzzle (in
class use) |
IR ch. 5 |
Adjusted Bloom’s Taxonomy, Jigsaw
Metaphor-focus on inaccuracies—apply to Passion Puzzle |
|
|
W |
Sept. 2 |
SMART goals and Creating a Strategy |
|
POF ch. 4 & 5 |
Expertise Sharing Round Robin, Benchmark
Setting, Evaluating and Reassessing |
|
|
Internet |
Sept. 4 |
Discussions of your ideas and Power of Focus |
Disciplinary Analysis |
POF ch. 6 |
|
|
Week 3 |
M |
Sept. 7 |
LABOR DAY NO CLASS |
|
|
|
|
|
W* |
Sept. 9 |
Cross-Disciplinary Examples |
Integrated You: Passion Puzzle Analysis with
SMART Goal Plan |
|
|
|
|
Internet |
Sept. 11 |
Work with Cross-Disciplinary Partner |
|
|
|
|
Week 4 |
M* |
Sept. 14 |
Cross-Disciplinary Presentations & Research Questions for Multidisciplinary
Project |
Cross-Disciplinary Presentation and Paper |
IR ch. 6 & ch. 7 (through research map, p.
163-diagram p. 164) |
Students explore and develop a research map in
class for a possible project (in class).
In class sharing. |
|
|
W |
Sept. 16 |
Discussing the Multidisciplinary Project and
Getting the Most Out of Your Team |
|
IR ch. 6 &
7 and readings posted on web |
Groups formed. |
|
|
Internet |
Sept. 18 |
Multidisciplinary Exercises, Citation Quiz |
|
IR ch. 7 |
Each person develops concept/principle map
from their research. Post to group web
page and fill in perspective stated. |
|
Week 5 |
M |
Sept. 21 |
Progress Meetings on Multidisciplinary Project |
Bring research material synoposis |
IR ch. 9 (stop at p. 228 evaluating strengths
and weaknesses) |
Meet in class---instructor will visit group at
assigned time. See Blackboard. |
|
|
W* |
Sept. 23 |
Internship Search Workshop plus time for
Multidisciplinary Project |
|
|
Career Services Specialist Cindy Parnell |
|
|
Internet |
Sept. 25/27 |
Upload Multidisciplinary Papers |
Multidisciplinary Papers/Post comments on other’s
sections/Create Slides |
|
Papers are very advanced drafts expected to
comply with assignment. Final versions
due Sept. 28. Post advanced draft
paper by Sept. 25/Comments by Sept. 27 |
|
Week 6 |
M* |
Sept. 28 |
Multidisciplinary Presenations |
Multidisciplinary Papers and Presentation |
|
|
|
|
W |
Sept. 30 |
Resume Review Pluridisciplinary: Looking at Selected
Presentations |
Bring Resume(s) |
IR ch. 9 (pp. 228-236) |
Career Services Specialist Cindy Parnell |
|
|
Internet |
Oct. 2 |
Identifying tension and complementary aspects
exercises |
|
IR ch. 10 |
|
|
Week 7 |
M* |
Oct. 5 |
Focus on Integration—Approaches to Common
Ground |
Pluridisciplinary Paper and Benchmark Evaluation
of SMART Goal Progress |
IR ch. 11 |
|
|
|
W |
Oct. 7 |
Focus on Integration 2 |
|
IR ch. 12 |
|
|
|
Internet |
Oct. 9 |
Share integrative ideas related to your
pluridisciplinary paper |
|
|
|
|
Week 8 |
M |
Oct. 12 |
Bring Integrative Drafts |
Integrative Draft Paper |
|
|
|
|
W |
Oct. 14 |
NO CLASS submit paper |
Integration Paper |
|
|
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