research project 001

Research on freshman learning communities focuses on the synergy effects of linking several seminar classes and lecture courses under one particular theme or topic so students will learn to transfer knowledge between those. These learning communities offer faculty involved in the organization and teaching of the communities the opportunity to design assignments and projects together which then become more authentic and more relevant for participating students. The goal is to link the syllabi and content of the various elements of a learning community to achieve a high saturation of theme-specific knowledge. As a result themes of learning communities tend to focus on one particular area of acquiring and applying knowledge while discounting others. For example, in the sciences skills of rational thinking and analyzing are favored over the emotional, creative side of the human brain as well as developing imagination.
As one on the forefront to combine the teaching and learning of knowledge that stimulates both sides of the brain, Sir Ken Robinson argues, for example, for engineering students to study art history and practice painting. Students in the humanities, however, should study math and engineering concepts. I call this truly interdisciplinary studies whereas both parts of the brain are being stimulated and the student is being offered another point of view when solving a problem or analyzing data.