interdisciplinary learning

Enhancing Interdisciplinary Learning: The Impact Of Jigsaw-based Pedagogy In Integrative Health Education

cdtlsd Paper Presentations , , , , ,

Amanda Huee-Ping WONG*, Swapna Haresh Teckwani, and Ivan Cherh Chiet LOW* 

Department of Physiology
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSOM), NUS  

*phswhpa@nus.edu.sg; phsilcc@nus.edu.sg 

Wong, A., Teckwani, S. H., & Low, I. C. C. (2024). Enhancing interdisciplinary learning: The impact of Jigsaw-based pedagogy in integrative health education [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-ahpwong-et-al/

SUB-THEME

Others 

KEYWORDS

Interdisciplinary learning, jigsaw method, collaborative learning, soft skills, integrative health. 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation 

INTRODUCTION

Addressing the multifaceted challenges in the modern workforce, including silo-thinking and integrating diverse disciplines (Smye & Frangi, 2021), requires educational strategies that emphasise interdisciplinary learning. A prime opportunity to implement innovative approaches is the course MIH1101 “What Impacts Health?”, part of the new Minor in Integrative Health Programme. This programme provides students from diverse backgrounds a foundation in integrating discipline-specific expertise to address various health-related challenges. The course employs a webbed curriculum framework with multidisciplinary, health-centric lectures and small-group tutorials that immerse students in real-world cases. This approach fosters a collaborative and conducive environment for open discussions to evaluate health determinants and conceptualise solutions. Effective group learning must navigate the complexities of collaboration and conflict management while fostering a balance of sharing and co-construction to integrate diverse perspectives (Decuyper et al., 2010). Therefore, the jigsaw method, known for fostering responsibility, collaboration, and teamwork skills (Shaaban, 2006), was introduced alongside conventional tutorials in this study. We compared the effectiveness of the jigsaw method with conventional tutorials in promoting interdisciplinary learning and collaboration, aiming to enhance understanding of complex health issues and to prepare them for contemporary healthcare challenges.  

METHODS

This study employed a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the effectiveness of the jigsaw compared to conventional tutorials in enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration and learning. In the jigsaw-based tutorial, students were initially grouped by discipline for the first task, then reshuffled into interdisciplinary groups for the second task. Conventional tutorials involved groups of similar-disciplined students for both tasks. Data was collected from a survey adapted from the Interdisciplinary Understanding Questionnaire (IUQ) (Schijf et al., 2023), assignment scoring based on the rubric developed according to the Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) Taxonomy (Biggs & Collis, 2014), and semi-structured interviews developed from the Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (McFadyen et al., 2007). 

RESULTS

Quantitative analysis of questionnaire responses (n=16) revealed an improvement in students’ perceived achievement of learning outcomes for the jigsaw tutorial (4.06±0.86) compared to the conventional tutorial (4.02±0.86, p=0.018), with knowledge of interdisciplinarity significantly enhanced (p=0.003). The jigsaw tutorial also demonstrated slight improvements in the multidisciplinary (Figure 1) and interdisciplinary (Figure 2) learning domains, albeit not statistically significant, and was comparable in transdisciplinary learning (n=17-18).  

Figure 1. Distribution curve comparing student assignment scores from conventional and jigsaw tutorials for the multidisciplinary learning domain.

 

Figure 2. Distribution curve comparing student assignment scores from conventional and jigsaw tutorials for the interdisciplinary learning domain.

 

The most frequent theme identified from the semi-structured interviews (n=10) with regards to strengths of the jigsaw tutorial was enhanced soft skills. This comprised the sub-themes of ‘confidence’, ‘communication’, ‘conflict management’ and ‘collaboration’. This was closely followed by hones analytical thinking skills, which comprised the sub-themes of ‘creativity’, ‘critical thinking’ and ‘problem-solving’. For themes related to negative experiences, the most frequent emerging theme for jigsaw was ‘lacking depth in content’ and ‘experienced discomfort during collaboration’, while for the conventional tutorial, it was ‘restrictive in creating new ideas’ (Figure 3). 

Figure 3. Themes identified from the semi-structured interviews on the positive (black text) and negative (red text) experiences for the jigsaw and conventional tutorials respectively.

CONCLUSION

The jigsaw method demonstrated improvements in students’ perceived achievement of learning outcomes, particularly in interdisciplinarity, compared to conventional learning models. Thematic analysis of the semi-structured interviews highlighted that the jigsaw method enhanced soft skills such as confidence, communication, conflict management, and collaboration. Despite some negative feedback regarding content depth and discomfort during collaboration, the overall positive impact underscores the potential of the jigsaw method as a valuable pedagogical tool, preparing students to navigate the complexities of their future collaborative endeavours. 

REFERENCES

Biggs, J. B., & Collis, K. F. (2014). Evaluating the quality of learning: The SOLO taxonomy (Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome). Academic Press.  

Decuyper, S., Dochy, F., & Van den Bossche, P. (2010). Grasping the dynamic complexity of team learning: An integrative model for effective team learning in organisations. Educational Research Review, 5(2), 111-133. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2010.02.002  

McFadyen, A. K., Maclaren, W. M., & Webster, V. S. (2007). The interdisciplinary education perception scale (IEPS): an alternative remodelled sub-scale structure and its reliability. J Interprof Care, 21(4), 433-443. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820701352531  

Schijf, J. E., van der Werf, G. P. C., & Jansen, E. P. W. A. (2023). Measuring interdisciplinary understanding in higher education. European Journal of Higher Education, 13(4), 429-447. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2022.2058045  

Shaaban, K. (2006). An initial study of the effects of cooperative learning on reading comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and motivation to read. Reading Psychology, 27(5), 377-403. https://doi.org/10.1080/02702710600846613  

Smye, S. W., & Frangi, A. F. (2021). Interdisciplinary research: shaping the healthcare of the future. Future Healthcare Journal, 8(2), e218-e223. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.7861/fhj.2021-0025  

 

Harnessing Generative AI As A Personalised Tutor: Enhancing Interdisciplinary Learning Outcomes For Biotechnology Graduate Students

cdtlsd Lighting Talks , , , , ,

Xin Xiang LIM 

Department of Biological Sciences,
Faculty of Science, NUS 

xinxiang@nus.edu.sg 

Lim, X. X. (2024). Harnessing generative AI as a personalised tutor: Enhancing interdisciplinary learning outcomes for biotechnology graduate students [Lightning talk]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-xxlim/

SUB-THEME

Opportunities from Generative AI 

KEYWORDS

ChatGPT, Student’s Prompt Analysis, Interdisciplinary learning, Generative AI, Personalised Tutor

CATEGORY

Lightning Talk

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

The escalating complexity of societal issues necessitates that graduates from higher educational institutions engage in problem-solving endeavours that transcend singular disciplines (Mansilla & Duraising, 2007; Repko., 2007). When students grasp and interconnect a diverse array of knowledge and skills, their educational experiences become more fulfilling, and their employment prospects broaden (Ivanitskaya & Montgomery., 2002). This phenomenon is particularly pertinent in biotechnology, where innovation is paramount in transforming laboratory discoveries into marketable products that address societal challenges. The innovation process extends beyond biology, requiring an understanding of market needs, funding sources, business models, risk management, and competitor analysis—critical real-world considerations. Thus, fostering innovation demands collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches to facilitate the cross-pollination of ideas and the integration of multiple perspectives. Equipping students with the skills to identify problems, develop prototypes, and conduct market research can provide a robust framework for innovation (Boms et al., 2022). 

 

Pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, and biotechnology, typically have limited exposure to essential business considerations necessary for evaluating product market viability. This gap underscores the need for substantial scaffolding in business and innovation concepts to enable students to integrate their biotechnological expertise with business innovation, ultimately facilitating product creation. 

 

Generative AI offers significant potential to enrich learning experiences, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and motivation among students. ChatGPT, for instance, has demonstrated efficacy in enhancing interactive learning and personalised tutoring (Baidoo-Anu & Ansah., 2023). Leveraging ChatGPT promotes inquiry-based learning and student-centric approaches, both of which are effective in enhancing learning outcomes. Previous studies indicate that generative AI tools increase intrinsic motivation, conversational engagement, and continuous idea expression among students (Ryan & Deci., 2020) This context presents two educational opportunities: 1) inquiry-based active learning through prompt generation (prompt engineering), and 2) learning from generative AI responses. Developing writing prompts and prompting strategies has become a critical skill in handling generative AI. Prompt datasets collected from generative AI, including log data, can capture students’ learning processes in non-invasive ways. Prompt analysis thus provides an opportunity for educators to gain insights into students’ perceptions, motivations, and behaviors concerning interdisciplinary learning. 

 

Evaluation of students’ interdisciplinary learning outcomes will be conducted through three primary methods: 1) pre- and post-course surveys to capture students’ self-perceptions of their interdisciplinary skills and knowledge, providing insights into their metacognition and epistemology (Lattuca et al., 2012); 2) Assessment of student assignments and presentations using published, peer-reviewed rubrics for interdisciplinarity; and 3) Analysis of student prompts generated with ChatGPT. The student prompts will be analysed using natural language processing techniques, as outlined in recent studies, to gain insights into students’ cognitive processes and modes of thinking (Lee et al., 2023). Through this triangulated approach, the overall aim of the study is to comprehensively and rigorously evaluate the cognitive processes underpinning interdisciplinary learning. 

 

This lightning talk will specifically describe the insights gleaned from the analysis of students’ prompts so as to identify and evaluate possible learning barriers faced by students in the process of interdisciplinary learning. 

 

Figure 1. Interdisciplinary approach to biotechnology innovation. 

REFERENCES

Baidoo-Anu, D., & Ansah, L. O. (2023). Education in the era of generative artificial intelligence (AI): Understanding the potential benefits of ChatGPT in promoting teaching and learning. Journal of AI, 7(1), 52-62. psychology, 61, 101860. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-022-01253-x

Boms, O., Shi, Z., Mallipeddi, N., Chung, J. J., Marks, W. H., Whitehead, D. C., & Succi, M. D. (2022). Integrating innovation as a core objective in medical training. Nature Biotechnology, 40(3), 434-437. 

Boix Mansilla, V., & Dawes Duraising, E. (2007). Targeted assessment of students’ interdisciplinary work: An empirically grounded framework proposed. Journal of Higher Education, 78(2), 215-237. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2007.11780874

Ivanitskaya, L., Clark, D., Montgomery, G. et al. (2002). Interdisciplinary Learning: Process and Outcomes. Innovative Higher Education 27, 95–111. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021105309984 

Lattuca, L. R., & Knight, D. B., & Bergom, I. M. (2012, June), Developing a Measure of Interdisciplinary Competence for Engineers. Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. https://dx.doi.org/10.18260/1-2—21173 

Lee, U., Han, A., Lee, J., Lee, E., Kim, J., Kim, H., & Lim, C. (2023). Prompt Aloud!: Incorporating image-generative AI into STEAM class with learning analytics using prompt data. Education and Information Technologies, 1-31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12150-4

Repko, A. F. (2007). Integrating interdisciplinarity: How the theories of common ground and cognitive interdisciplinarity are informing the debate on interdisciplinary integration. Issues in Integrative Studies, 25, 1-31. http://hdl.handle.net/10323/4501

Interdisciplinary Education In NUS: A Scan Of Current Courses And Development Of An Evaluation Framework

cdtlsd Paper Presentations , , , ,

Olivier LEFEBVRE1,*, Alex MITCHELL2, Marissa Kwan Lin E3, Stephen En Rong TAY4, Li Neng LEE5 

1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Design and Engineering (CDE), NUS
2Department of Communications and New Media, College of Humanities and Sciences, NUS
3Centre for English Language Communication, NUS
4Department of the Built Environment, CDE, NUS
5Department of Psychology, College of Humanities and Sciences, NUS 

*ceelop@nus.edu.sg

Lefebvre, O. P., Mitchell, A., E, M. K. L., Tay, S. E. R., & Lee, L. N. (2024). Interdisciplinary education in NUS: A scan of current courses and development of an evaluation framework [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/olefebvre-et-al/

SUB-THEME

Others – Interdisciplinary Education 

KEYWORDS

Interdisciplinary learning, course design, course evaluation, community engagement  

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation

 

CONTEXT

The establishment of the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS) in 2020 and the College of Design and Engineering (CDE) in 2022 exemplifies the efforts towards interdisciplinary education in the National University of Singapore (NUS) in response to current problems that require various disciplines to work together (National University of Singapore, 2021). These efforts have produced courses that look beyond the classroom to engage with the wider community.  

 

For example, in the CHS, the course HS2911 “Social Media and Mental Health” provides students with interdisciplinary training to analyse the impact of social media in real-world scenarios. Similarly, in the CDE, the course CDE2501 “Liveable Cities” provides students the opportunity to approach community development through the lens of urban policymakers, planners, architects, engineers, real estate consultants and managers. 

 

While these efforts provide students with an interdisciplinary learning experience, the diverse nature of the courses, along with the lack of a common yardstick in evaluating interdisciplinary education makes it challenging to determine if these efforts have been fruitful, especially in terms of real-world applicability that impacts our communities. Hence, the NUS Teaching Academy (NUSTA) has developed the following research questions: 

  1. What is the current state of interdisciplinary studies at NUS?  
  2. What evaluation metrics could be used to support interdisciplinary courses? 
  3. How can interdisciplinary education in NUS be refined? 

 

METHODOLOGY

An interdisciplinary team within the NUSTA was formed to include views from CHS and CDE. In this study, the operational definition of interdisciplinary learning from the NUS Board of Undergraduate Studies (BUS) was adopted:  

Interdisciplinary courses integrate perspectives, theoretic frameworks, concepts, tools, and techniques and approaches from two or more conventional disciplines to understand the chosen theme, its challenges, and potential solutions. 

A scan of interdisciplinary courses in both colleges was conducted. Subsequently, the NUS Futures Office was engaged to better develop the study, from which the findings were presented to the NUSTA for feedback and refinement. In developing an evaluation framework, the Accreditation Manual from the Institution of Engineers Singapore was referenced (Institution of Engineers Singapore, n.d.). 

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The scan reveals that interdisciplinary courses can be predominantly categorised as either knowledge-/application-focused and adjacent/orthogonal (refer to Figure 1).

Figure 1. Dimensions describing interdisciplinary courses in NUS. 

 

Subsequently, an evaluation framework inspired by the engineering accreditation board (EAB) was developed. The proposed framework consists of 1) interdisciplinary educational objectives (IEOs), and 2) interdisciplinary learning outcomes (ILOs). The former describes the objectives at the programme level, while the latter describes attributes that students should achieve. A total of six ILOs were developed, which are presented in Table 1. Note that courses need not fulfil all the ILOs as courses within the same programme can complement each other to cover the ILOs. 

 

Next, the Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) in the proposed framework would describe how the specific course maps to the ILOs. An example for CDE2501 “Liveable Cities” is presented in Table 2 as an example. 

 Table 1 
List of interdisciplinary learning outcomes developed in the study 

 

Table 2 
List of interdisciplinary learning outcomes developed in the study 

 

CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE

With these findings, a suggestion towards more application-focused courses is made to provide students to create and test solutions for the community at large. In addition, the proposed framework could be used by faculty members to develop interdisciplinary courses and education programmes, and provide a tool for reflection on current interdisciplinary courses. Finally, the framework could be utilised at the programme level, coupled with alumni and employer surveys and engagements, to assess if the ILOs have been achieved. These suggestions are provided to enhance the interdisciplinary education within NUS on community impact. 

 

REFERENCES

Institution of Engineers Singapore. (n.d) Engineering Accreditation Board Accreditation Manual. https://www.ies.org.sg/Accreditation/EAB10249  

National University of Singapore (2021, 27 August). Two new colleges at NUS to deliver flexible, interdisciplinary education more accessibly, and at greater scale https://news.nus.edu.sg/two-new-colleges-at-nus-to-deliver-flexible-interdisciplinary-education-more-accessibly-and-at-greater-scale/ 

Community Engagement in Higher Music Education

cdtlsd Paper Presentations , , ,

Xavier TAN, HO Chee Kong, CHAN Tze Law, and NG Wei Jie, Benedict* 

Career Orientation and Community Engagement, YST Conservatory of Music (YSTCOM)

* ngwjben@nus.edu.sg

Tan, X., Ho, C. K., Chan, T. L., & Ng, B. (2024). Community engagement in higher music education [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-tanx-et-al/

SUB-THEME

Opportunities from Engaging Communities 

KEYWORDS

Community Engagement, Music, Interdisciplinary Learning 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation

 

INTRODUCTION 

In the National Arts Council’s SG Arts Plan 2.0 (2023-2027), a key strategic thrust lies in creating strong community bonds through the arts (National Arts Council, 2023). While it is well-noted that music has the power to build and foster wellness within communities (Rodwin et al., 2023, Paolantonio, 2023), it is notable that higher music education institutes are also harnessing their substantial influence to promote artistic citizenship and engaging with the community (Tregear, et al. 2016, Turino, 2016, Gaunt et al., 2020). 

 

As one of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCOM)’s curricular ethos includes community engagement, this paper seeks to share the pedagogical approaches that scaffold the learning of social responsibility among students as well as opportunities for community engagement through higher music education, particularly within the context of the Bachelor of Music (BMus) in Music & Society, and Music Collaboration & Production (MS/MCP) programmes.  

 

MS/MCP CURRICULUM 

Introduced in 2018, the BMus in MS/MCP is an innovative programme designed to enable aspiring artists to ‘realise their leadership potential in a range of different emerging contexts’ (Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, n.d.). In these majors, higher music education is redefined from one that focuses on discrete musical skills to emphasising the practical application of music, aiming to achieve significant societal impact. This necessitated a change in pedagogy to focus on the impact of musical practices within its surrounding context.  

 

Firstly, the curriculum incorporates seminar-style learning, introducing various literature and encouraging students to think critically about issues in music and society. Space is also created for collaborative learning, where students work on projects together to use music to explore societal issues. These provide the academic framing for them to have a stronger concept on the impact of their projects on the community. 

 

Alongside other courses offered at the conservatory such as MUA2163 “Leading and Guiding through Music”, which develops facilitation skills for community engagement projects, the curriculum prepares students both conceptually and technically to implement their individual projects successfully. These self-directed projects give students hands-on practice in developing projects that are centered around societal impact.  The focus on self-directed projects encourages to students take ownership over their projects, fostering social responsibility in them. 

 

Such projects include Tan Wei Yang’s (MCP 2025) 3rd Year Project ‘Strategies for Creative Placemaking Efforts in Singapore: Case Study of Joo Chiat’, which produced an art and music jam session in Joo Chiat, highlighting the effectiveness of music in supporting placemaking efforts through engaging the community. Benjamin Harris’ (MS 2023) capstone project ‘Phenomenologies of Transient Migrant Music-Making in Singapore’ also captured the community-building experiences through music among transient migrant workers. 

 

Inculcating social responsibility among musicians is an ongoing process and the curricular aims of the conservatory play a significant role in shifting mindsets towards community-centric musical practices in the industry through programmes such as the BMus in MS and MCP. Beyond this, musicians also further hone their leadership potential in driving change in society through the Master of Music Leadership (MMusL) programme.  

 

While relatively new, the MMusL programme has demonstrated its impact on the wider music ecosystem with its community-centric focus. Joseph Teo’s (MMusL 2024) capstone project, the ASEAN Tuba and Euphonium Conference brought together the community of practitioners around the region for a session of learning. Additionally, to provide opportunities for Chinese music enthusiasts to stay engaged with their musical interests beyond their formal education, Jonathan Ngeow (MMusL 2024) set up the MoJo orchestra as part of his capstone project. 

 

Amongst the faculty, these new pedagogical structures are strengthened through continuous professional development. This included a staff exchange opportunity with Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music to observe community engagement projects, supported by Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning Teaching Enhancement Grant in 2023. We are also expanding the possibilities to create impact through music and networks through interdisciplinary collaboration with other faculties and partners. 

 

REFERENCES

Elliott, D. J., Silverman, M., & Bowman, W. D. (2016). Artistic citizenship: Artistry, social responsibility, and ethical praxis. Oxford University Press. 

Gaunt, H., Duffy, C., Coric, A., González Delgado, I. R., Messas, L., Pryimenko, O., & Sveidahl, H. (2021). Musicians as “makers in society”: A conceptual foundation for contemporary professional higher music education. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 713648. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.713648 

National Arts Council. (2023-2027). Our SG Arts Plan 2.0 (2023-2027). https://www.nac.gov.sg/docs/default-source/our-sg-arts-plan-(2023—2027)/our-sg-arts-plan-2023—2027—executive-summary.pdf 

Paolantonio, P., Cavalli, S., Biasutti, M., Eiholzer, H., & Williamon, A. (2023). Building community through higher music education: A training program for facilitating musical engagement among older adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1102446. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1102446 

Rodwin, A. H., Shimizu, R., Travis, R., James, K. J., Banya, M., & Munson, M. R. (2023). A systematic review of music-based interventions to improve treatment engagement and mental health outcomes for adolescents and young adults. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 40(4), 537-566. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-022-00893-x 

Tregear, P., Johansen, G., Jørgensen, H., Sloboda, J., Tulve, H., & Wistreich, R. (2016). Conservatoires in society: Institutional challenges and possibilities for change. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 15(3–4), 276-292. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474022216647379 

Turino, T. (2016). Music, social change, and alternative forms of citizenship. In D. J. Elliott, M. Silverman, & W. Bowman (Eds.), Artistic citizenship: Artistry, social responsibility, and ethical praxis (pp. 297–311). Oxford University Press. 

Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. (n.d.). Majors. National University of Singapore. Retrieved July 3, 2024, from https://www.ystmusic.nus.edu.sg/majors-msmcp/s 

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