Page 11 - Interdisciplinary Studies 11-12 (2002)

THE PROGRAM IN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 9
• Thetitleofeachhalf-creditcoursemustincludethedesignationPart1orPart2.Ahalf- credit (0.5) will be recorded in the credit-value column of both the report card and the Ontario StudentTranscript.
Boards will ensure that all half-credit courses comply with the conditions described above and will report all half-credit courses to the ministry annually in the School September Report.
Teaching Approaches
The nature of the interdisciplinary studies curriculum calls for a variety of teaching/learning strategies to help students find relationships among disciplines. Teachers will use their profes- sional judgement to decide which instructional methods will be most effective in promoting the learning of the knowledge and skills described in the expectations and in meeting the needs of students.
The interdisciplinary studies curriculum emphasizes active investigation of issues from diverse perspectives. Using a variety of research methods and a range of print, media, electronic, and human resources, students are encouraged to investigate the answers to essential questions, develop critical- and creative-thinking skills, synthesize methodologies and insights, and prac- tise what they have learned in familiar and unfamiliar contexts. It is therefore important for students to actively participate in and reflect on the diversity of teaching/learning approaches used in various disciplines: activity-based strategies, arts-based strategies, cooperative learning strategies, direct instruction strategies, independent learning strategies, inquiry and research models, strategies based on learning styles, technological applications, and thinking skills strate- gies. In combination, such approaches promote the acquisition of knowledge, foster positive attitudes towards learning, and encourage students to become lifelong learners.
Innovative approaches to teaching and learning will encourage students to create and commu- nicate new ideas, extend personal meaning, and develop innovative solutions. These approaches may involve collaborative planning and implementation by teachers and teacher- librarians; innovative leadership by administrators; cooperative models that link subjects in a structured way; team teaching, flexible scheduling, and creative timetabling; and planning, implementation, and assessment in a variety of settings (e.g., the classroom, school library, community, and workplace). Strong linkages to the communities inside and outside the school are also essential to an effective interdisciplinary curriculum. Such linkages can be accom- plished through cooperative education programs and/or work experience opportunities in the community and through connections with community services agencies, postsecondary insti- tutions, and members of the broader community who engage in interdisciplinary products and applications.
Curriculum Expectations
The expectations identified for interdisciplinary studies courses describe the knowledge and skills that students are expected to develop and demonstrate in their class work, on tests, and in various other activities on which their achievement is assessed and evaluated. The expectations focus on the development and application of the general skills of analysis, collaboration, syn- thesis, and application, as well as diverse research and information skills and methodologies that are used in all disciplines to solve problems and discover relationships. Themes, projects, or issues in specific areas or on specific topics can be developed from the expectations.