While the demand for interdisciplinary knowledge is undeniable, there are formidable
challenges when offering graduate education to Engineering students. To address that, we designed
an educational research project that delves into the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary National
Science Foundation (NSF) Research Trainee (NRT) program for engineering students studying
robotics and autonomous systems. This newly funded NRT program aims to train next-generation
scientists and engineers with professional skills through interdisciplinary courses such as
leadership, business, and psychology in addition to cutting-edge technical knowledge in the field.
We are using retrospective surveys and content analysis to identify student experience with
interdisciplinary training and education programs. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis
evidenced an increased level of confidence in soft skills such as interdisciplinary understanding,
communication, and collaboration skills throughout participating in the interdisciplinary NRT
program.
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Studying Interdisciplinary Collaboration as a Core Skill
At its core, collaboration is about bringing diverse perspectives together to create something new. Diversity may arise along a multiplicity of dimensions, leading to some very similar challenges, and other dimension-specific challenges, each of which require discrete skills to address. Interdisciplinary collaboration, while understudied, has particular workplace relevance. This research seeks to understand what is specific to interdisciplinary collaboration as part of a broader agenda to operationalize key underlying skills that enable interdisciplinary collaboration and subsequently assess and support interdisciplinary collaboration, both in the classroom and in the workplace. The aim of this poster presentation is to engage the community in an intellectual exchange about underlying questions to inform work in progress.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2100401
- PAR ID:
- 10435511
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- International Collaboration toward Educational Innovation for All: International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS) Annual Meeting 2023
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Abstract Within the broad field of plant sciences, what are the most pressing challenges and opportunities to advance? Answers to this question usually include food and nutritional security, climate change mitigation, adaptation of plants to changing climates, preservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services, production of plant‐based proteins and products, and growth of the bioeconomy. Genes and the processes their products carry out create differences in how plants grow, develop, and behave, and thus, the key solutions to these challenges lie squarely in the space where plant genomics and physiology intersect. Advancements in genomics, phenomics, and analysis tools have generated massive datasets, but these data are complex and have not always generated scientific insights at the anticipated pace. Further, new tools may need to be created or adapted, and field‐relevant applications tested, to advance scientific discovery derived from such datasets. Meaningful, relevant conclusions and connections from genomics and plant physiological and biochemical data require both subject matter expertise and the collaborative skills needed to work together outside of specific disciplines. Bringing the best expertise to bear on complex problems in plant sciences requires enhanced, inclusive, and sustained collaboration across disciplines. However, despite significant efforts to enable and sustain collaborative research, a variety of challenges persist. Here, we present the outcomes and conclusions of two workshops convened to address the need for collaboration between scientists engaged in plant physiology, genetics, and genomics and to discuss the approaches that will create the necessary environments to support successful collaboration. We conclude with approaches to share and reward collaboration and the need to train inclusive scientists that will have the skills to thrive in interdisciplinary contexts.
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null (Ed.)ABSTRACT The demonstrated gap between skills needed and skills learned within a college education places both undergraduates seeking gainful employment and the employers seeking highly skilled workers at a disadvantage. Recent and up-and-coming college graduates should possess 21st century skills (i.e., communication, collaboration, problem solving), skills that employers deem necessary for the workplace. Research shows that the development of this skillset can help narrow the gap in producing highly skilled graduates for the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. We propose the development of 21st century skills by utilizing the project-based learning (PjBL) framework and creating the inclusive biologist exploring active research with students (iBEARS) program, allowing undergraduate students to hone their 21st century skills and prepare for transition and success within the workplace.more » « less
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- Conference Paper:
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