Michelle Luce
Interdisciplinary studies programs are designed to provide students with a comprehensive and well-rounded education that combines knowledge and skills from various fields of study. In our recent class, we participated in an activity that required us to delve deeper into the content of the different fields within our interdisciplinary degree program. The exercise proved to be an engaging and enlightening experience that helped us better understand the relationship among the various fields in our IDS major. In this post, I will reflect on our readings and activities from today’s class and discuss how we can strengthen our understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of our program. I will also explore what we need to learn about or understand more deeply to achieve academic success in our chosen fields.
As a student of the Family Growth and Development interdisciplinary program, I am engaged in a comprehensive study of education, science/biology, and psychology. To gain a more profound understanding of each field, I have conducted extensive research to explore the content taught, the diverse methodologies used to study the subjects, and the epistemological approaches associated with each discipline. Through this process, I have gained a deeper appreciation of these fields’ intricate and complex nature and how they are interconnected to form a cohesive interdisciplinary program that can contribute to the growth and development of individuals and families.
As I delved deeper into the field of education, I gained a better understanding of the curriculum’s primary objective, which is to equip aspiring teachers with the necessary tools to effectively engage, inspire, and enlighten their students through personalized educational resources (Teaching Methods, teach.com, 27 Jul. 2023). In today’s constantly evolving educational landscape, content has moved beyond traditional methods and can now be customized to meet the diverse learning needs of each student (Teaching et al., 27 Jul., 2023). Whether teacher-centered or student-centered, high-tech or low-tech, the curriculum provides educators with the essential resources to engage their students with tailored educational materials that align with their educational philosophy, student demographics, and school mission (Teaching Methods, teach.com, 27 Jul. 2023). Education’s fundamental epistemic objective is knowledge, which includes truth and justification, which is the epistemology of schooling (Teaching Methods, teach.com, 27 Jul. 2023).
The second class that I reached was biology. Biology is the study of living organisms and their processes, including botany, ecology, genetics, microbiology, physiology, and zoology (The History of Biology.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 28 Sept. 2023).
Biological techniques refer to experimental and computational methods for studying living organisms (The History of Biology.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 28 Sept. 2023). There are four main types of biological research methods: observational, experimental, and theoretical (The History of Biology.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 28 Sept. 2023). Scientific epistemology recognizes that the truth of a universal statement, like a scientific law, can never be definitively demonstrated (Merritt, David. “The Epistemology of Science (Chapter 1) – a Philosophical Approach to Mond.” Cambridge Core, Cambridge University Press, 2023). Therefore, even if a hypothesis has been successful in the past, it can still make incorrect predictions when applied in a new context (Merritt, David. “The Epistemology of Science (Chapter 1) – a Philosophical Approach to Mond.” Cambridge Core, Cambridge University Press, 2023).
After researching, I have learned that psychology is a discipline that delves into the complexities of human behavior and cognition. It encompasses a range of fields, including cognitive, forensic, social, and developmental psychology. Regarding research methodology, psychologists may utilize quantitative or qualitative techniques, such as surveys, case studies, experiments, and observational studies (“Psychology: Definitions, Branches, History, and How to Become One.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International). Ultimately, psychology aims to gain insight into how people perceive and interact with the world around them by examining their behaviors and thought processes (Research et al. – Psy). Through this approach, psychologists aim to understand their participants’ subjective experiences and realities (Research et al. – Psy).
In conclusion, the activity we completed in class allowed us to understand better our program’s interdisciplinary nature and how the various fields relate to each other. Through my research into education, biology, and psychology, I have come to appreciate the complexity and intricacy of each field and how they work together to form a cohesive interdisciplinary program. By continuing to delve deeper into each discipline and understanding their epistemologies, I can strengthen my understanding of the relationship among the different fields in my IDS major. There is always more to learn and understand, but I can continue to broaden my knowledge and appreciation for the complexity of the world around us through interdisciplinary learning.
Sources:
- Merritt, David. “The Epistemology of Science (Chapter 1) – a Philosophical Approach to Mond.” Cambridge Core, Cambridge University Press, www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/philosophical-approach-to-mond/epistemology-of-science/065BF49E6DE64BA37364BA90542815D0. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.
- Research Philosophy and Assumptions – Psy, campustools.capella.edu/BBCourse_Production/PhD_Colloquia_CR3/Track_2/PSY/phd_t2_psy_u06s1_h04_assumptn.html#:~:text=Epistemological%20assumptions%20(knowledge)%3A%20Knowledge,realities%2C%20experiences%2C%20and%20understandings. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.
- “Psychology: Definitions, Branches, History, and How to Become One.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154874#history. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.
- “Teaching Methods.” Teaching Methods, teach.com, 27 Jul. 2023, teach.com/what/teachers-know/teaching-methods/.
- “The History of Biology.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 28 Sept. 2023, www.britannica.com/science/biology/The-history-of-biology.
