Integrating Technology into Interdisciplinary Studies
Introduction
As a postgraduate teaching assistant at the Warwick Business School, Bo utilized innovative methods to teach design thinking modules within a “very disciplinary space”, completely unaware of the interdisciplinarity teaching she was doing. She believes that “a lot of the learning is kind of already within us, we just need to unlock it," and she focuses on “creating spaces in a classroom that allow teams to learn from each other, that allow students to learn from themselves as well.”
She poured her experience into the Chemistry Department, where she founded and ran the Innovation 101 module, which amalgamates innovation tools, entrepreneurship, and design thinking into a chemistry degree. She shared how she utilizes various technologies to keep students in the loop, methods to incentivize the students to partake in online forums, as well as the importance of laying down proper instructions for the tools used to level the platform for all students, regardless of how tech-savvy they are.
Since taking over as module lead from Bo in 2022, Dr Tom Ritchie has spearheaded the development of the module by introducing several innovative features. These include professional coaching sessions for students, aligning assessments more closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and incorporating content related to AI and entrepreneurship.
Dr Bo Kelestyn
Dr Tom Ritchie
Principles of Practice
Laying Down Proper Instructions
The sudden advent and sprout of technology has created an uneven platform for students unfamiliar with them, raising alas another barrier.
“... WBS students don't use Moodle. Moodle is a whole new world for them... So halfway through the module there are still students who are struggling because they've never used technology before, so even something like Moodle becomes a barrier to interdisciplinarity for some students”
Therefore, Bo emphasized the vitality of not taking technology for granted. A quick demonstration or a set of instructions can only do good.
Checking In
The move to an online-based education also added another layer of complexity for the convener as “you have to think about the content but also how you are delivering it.” Oftentimes, it is the teacher’s charisma and enthusiasm for the subject that is channelled through to the students, motivating them to delve into it further and fall in love with it. Unfortunately, personality and passion are tough to convey through cables, and it is harder to read students and figure out whether they are following or not, especially in a diverse class setting.
“Cause in a classroom, you can see someone's falling behind, or you can see someone needs a little bit more support, so it's harder work, but I think when you get it right, the payoff is also greater.”
For her module, Bo tackled this issue by dividing students into small, private learning circles in Teams to encourage discussions and reflections on the week’s content, which was further incentivized by assigning 15% of the final mark to weekly activity. She particularly focused on using OneNote as a pond for reflections, where the module leader can conveniently keep track of students’ understanding, progress and feedback.
Moving Forward
The module is currently delivered by Dr Tom Ritchie, who has introduced a few changes to further integrate information technology and feedback-focused teaching. Upon student requests, assessments are being done throughout the term rather than in the end.
Two new topics were introduced, including:
- Master innovation tools, which provide students with "a toolbox of techniques to leverage Design Thinking and Artificial Intelligence (AI)" and push their creativity to encourage "entrepreneurial ventures".
- Use innovation responsibly, which gives students an understanding of the trials and tribulations of technology as well as how to use it to "critically analyze and present your ideas".
Modules Masterclasses have also been introduced, co-delivered with Warwick Enterprise. A 15-minute coaching session has been made available to students, utilizing the GROW model "to build resilience and confidence in students".
