As I wrote about the new general education program, I kept thinking how I wished I could come to Goshen College again and take the interdisciplinary courses.
Maybe it’s just me, but the prospect of classes that examine current events from an academic framework seems great. I’m guessing that most Goshen students would also appreciate a well-rounded education, otherwise they wouldn’t be at a liberal arts school.Since taking these courses won’t be a possibility for any current students, I started to think about ways to try interdisciplinary learning on our own. Real-world issues are complex and require knowledge of multiple disciplines to understand the problem.
For example, the current Wall Street protests aren’t just about young people disappointed in the economy and business, but can be studied from a sociological, political or communication perspective. It could be interesting to find out more about youth protests around the world this year including those in London, Spain and the Middle East. Or you could read up on the impact of social media on facilitating youth protests.
Researching may be the wrong word, because of its negative academic connotations, but investigating, reading or searching out information is how we can practice interdisciplinary thought outside of the classroom.
There’s no need to be jealous about next year’s first-years because we can do our own interdisciplinary thinking about things.
