Globally, institutions are integrating interdisciplinarity to improve knowledge and creativity among their students. Researchers agree that interdisciplinarity in career courses is based on cognitive dynamics which diversify the cognitive capabilities of a student. Incorporating interdisciplinarity boosts designing of innovative schemes due to intersectoral collaboration. Although a group of academia disagrees with promoting interdisciplinarity in academic institutions, most of them conquer with the ideology due to rapid technological revolution which borrows aspects from different disciplines.
The metaphor 'Without science our livelihood is meaningless' describes how the entire livelihood of not only humans but also all the living organisms is dependent on different aspects of science such as food, clothing, education and medicine acquisition. Such a concept is relevant to interdisciplinary studies because it borrows ideas and researches from various disciplines. In turn, the learning experience of learners deepens since knowledge acquired from one discipline can be used in another (Schneider et al , 2018) . Just as innovation is dependent on interdisciplinary studies, the diagram below shows how the livelihood of a human being depends on science.
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Figure 1 : Relationship between science and human livelihood
Generally, interdisciplinary studies at MTSU have broadened my thinking capability in understanding how the technology works. The multidisciplinary approach of education has enabled me to gather vast information on different disciplines such as computer and information sciences, mathematical sciences, and environmental sciences which is paramount in technology. For instance, the robotics field of study requires an individual to have electrical, information, mechanical and environmental knowledge, thus the significance of interdisciplinary studies.
Undoubtedly, the acquisition of unique cognitive capabilities is essential to every student during their career journey. In this case, multidisciplinary studies play a crucial role in career preparation and during undergraduate education. These studies promote the cognitive performance of a student in knowledge development, problem-solving skills, creativity, critical thinking, and the ability to tolerate ambiguity (Bigideasfest, 2010). Since these cognitive skills are brain-based, it enables an individual to improve the mental capabilities essential for carrying out tasks. Boix et al (2016) affirms that these cognitive capabilities assist in developing structural knowledge (both procedural and declarative) paramount for complex problem-solving. Decision making is much more comfortable by maneuvering through different approaches learned from various disciplines in solving problems through the integration of ideas.
The six-word memoir 'Prioritize creativity, ethics, and critical thinking' reflect the key intellectual traits and values that will act as guidance on my journey towards achieving my goals as an interdisciplinary student (SixWords, 2010). Due to the rapid technological revolution, uniqueness is essential for an idea to succeed. In the light of the new inventions we have today we can see that the successful ones consider the ethical values of their customers, as well as, friendly consumer interaction (Schneider et al , 2018) . Consequently, the products and services offered ought to be unique depending on the level of creativity of the manufacturer.
In conclusion, although interdisciplinary studies expose a student to vast fields of education, some of the intellectual skills, traits, and capacities seem challenging to develop, for instance, perspective integration and ethical considerations. According to Repko et al (2016) a barrier such as lack of collaboration of tutors in different disciplines minimizes the acquisition of perspective integration of ideologies from various disciplines. As the constructivist paradigm theory explains, knowledge construction and understanding are based on an individuals' life experiences. For instance, due to lack of interaction with multiple people from different cultures, being conversant with their ethical values will be difficult. Indeed, interdisciplinarity is the root of innovation. Notably, interdisciplinarity career courses based on cognitive dynamics that differentiate the cognitive capabilities of a student. Therefore, incorporating interdisciplinarity boosts designing of innovative schemes because of intersectoral collaboration.
References
Bigideasfest. (2010, March 1). Myra Strober: Interdisciplinarity: The Four-Wheel Drive Approach to Complex Problems [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/Yd0QIFBuZxk
Boix Mansilla, V., Lamont, M., & Sato, K. (2016). Shared cognitive–emotional–interactional platforms: markers and conditions for successful interdisciplinary collaborations. Science, Technology, & Human Values , 41 (4), 571-612.
Repko, A. F., Szostak, R., & Buchberger, M. P. (2016). Introduction to interdisciplinary studies . Sage Publications.
Schneider, P., Folkens, L., & Busch, M. (2018). The teaching-research-practice nexus as framework for the implementation of sustainability in curricula in higher education. In Implementing Sustainability in the Curriculum of Universities (pp. 113-136). Springer, Cham.
SixWords. (2010, September 8). Six Tips for Writing Six-Word Memoirs [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/nCJyUMHaL_g
