Media share findings of Kimball-led study on college student engagement with interdisciplinary learning
Scienmag, Phys.org, Science Daily, Bioengineer.org and other outlets featured a study on how undergraduate students engage with interdisciplinary learning throughout their college careers and beyond — and how universities should respond to support such learning. Ezekiel Kimball, senior author of the study and professor of higher education and associate dean for Undergraduate and Teacher Education at the University of Maine, was quoted discussing how the “navigating stage” can cause discord between disciplinary and interdisciplinary studies, including scheduling conflicts and cultural clashes. “The ‘navigating’ stage teaches us that strong advising is critical for the success of an interdisciplinary program. And the ‘integrating’ stage shows that these students realize the full benefits of interdisciplinary training only after they’ve left college, indicating that keeping in touch with alumni is critical for assessing the broad impacts of interdisciplinary programs.”