Table of Contents

Abstract Executive Summary Foreword Overview Defining Interdisciplinarity The Disciplines, Interdisciplinarity, and the University Interdisciplinarity, Learning, and Cognition Interdisciplinarity and the Practice of Research Faculty and Institutional Structure: The Conflict of Interdisciplinarity Best Practices Related to Interdisciplinary Education Implications for Practice and the Future of Interdisciplinarity Defining Interdisciplinarity Conceptualizing the Disciplines Conceptualizing Interdisciplinary Knowledge Conclusion The Disciplines, Interdisciplinarity, and the University The Historical Influence of the Disciplines on Teaching and Learning Interdisciplinary Initiatives in Twentieth‐Century American Higher Education Conclusion Interdisciplinarity, Learning, and Cognition The Disciplinary Basis of College Student Learning Defining Interdisciplinary Curricula in Higher Education Conclusion Interdisciplinarity and the Practice of Research Challenges to the Practice of Interdisciplinary Research Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research in Higher Education Conclusion Faculty and Institutional Structure: The Conflict of Interdisciplinarity Interdisciplinarity, Faculty, and Change in Higher Education Achieving Institutional Goals and Interdisciplinary Faculty Engagement Fostering Faculty Connections Across Institutional Boundaries Modifying Activity Systems to Encourage Interdisciplinarity Conclusion Best Practices Related to Interdisciplinary Education Dedicated Organizational and Physical Space Student‐Centered Pedagogy Focus on Problem‐ or Theme‐Based Learning Curriculum Shaped Through a Variety of Interdisciplinary Learning Experiences Culminating Capstone Project or Student Portfolio Focus on Collaborative Learning Rather Than Mastery of a Particular Content Use of Independent Study, Internships, and Experiential Learning Goal of Preparing Students for a Complex, Modern Interdisciplinary Future Conclusion References Name Index Subject Index About the Author