Page 14 - Teaching and learning of interdisciplinary thinking in higher education in engineering

Chapter 1
In the education literature, the term ‘knowledge integration’ refers to the integration of new knowledge to existing knowledge structures in the minds of individuals. This integration does not necessarily refer to the integration of disciplinary knowledge (e.g., Linn, Lee, Tinker, Husic, & Chiu, 2006). Additionally, in the education literature the terms ‘integrated curricula’ and ‘course integration’ (e.g., Van Boxtel, 2009) refer to the coherence of courses in a curriculum design or to the coherence between courses. Confusingly, this coherence is also called ‘interdisciplinary’ or ‘alignment’ in education. In literature as well as in practice, it is always a matter of clarifying what is meant with the term ‘integration’, whether it refers to the integration of knowledge, the integration of disciplinary knowledge, the alignment of disciplinary courses, and the application of multiple disciplines.
The present thesis research demarcated the terms ‘interdisciplinary’ and ‘integrated/integrative approach’ to individuals being capable of integrating the disciplinary knowledge. The terms ‘interdisciplinary thinking’, ‘disciplinary knowledge integration’, and ‘integration of disciplinary knowledge’ used in the report of this research referred to this demarcation. Accordingly, this research is based upon scientific publications with a focus on the teaching and learning of the disciplinary knowledge integration, regardless whether or not the term IDT is explicitly mentioned in these publications. The aforementioned definition of IDT was taken as the intended learning outcome of interdisciplinary higher education. Furthermore, the thesis research demarcated the terms ‘constructive alignment’ or ‘alignment’ to the alignment of education that aims to achieving the intended learning outcome of IDT.
1.3 Research on teaching and learning of interdisciplinary thinking
Research on teaching and learning of IDT in higher education is proliferating, because of the increased awareness that students need to be taught in this complex cognitive skill. The
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