Page 5 - Interdisciplinary Studies 11-12 (2002)

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Introduction
The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Interdisciplinary Studies, 2002 will be implemented for students in Ontario secondary schools in September 2002.
This document is designed for use in conjunction with The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12: Program Planning and Assessment, 2000, which contains information relevant to all disciplines in the curriculum and is available both in print and on the ministry’s website at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca.
The Place of Interdisciplinary Studies in the Curriculum
Our world is increasingly interconnected and interdependent. Communications networks exchange information around the globe, creating new forms of collaboration and transforming the nature of work and learning. New areas of study develop to advance human knowledge and respond to the challenges of our changing world with insight and innovation. These include areas that often combine or cross subjects or disciplines, such as space science, information management systems, alternative energy technologies, and computer art and animation.
Students today face an unprecedented range of social, scientific, economic, cultural, environ- mental, political, and technological issues. To deal with these issues, they first need competencies derived from discrete disciplines. The following are some examples:
• An interdisciplinary studies course in hospitality management would integrate studies in marketing and hospitality to help students understand the relationship among marketing practices, the local economy, and standards and innovative practices of the hospitality indus- try. In such a course, students might prepare a research report comparing successful and unsuccessful ventures into regional, national, and international tourist ventures, and analyse the impact of quality improvement on the financial health of a hotel organization.
• An interdisciplinary studies course that introduces students to information studies would integrate studies in history, philosophy, and science to develop an understanding of the human need to use information to communicate knowledge, scholarship, and values in a global society. In such a course, students would use a variety of inquiry and research meth- ods to analyse the evolution and impact of information and information technologies on society, and to report on effective ways to use knowledge institutions such as libraries and postsecondary institutions to support community involvement, future employment, and lifelong learning.
• An interdisciplinary studies course that introduces students to biotechnology would inte- grate studies in biology and chemistry that are relevant to biotechnology to investigate biotechnology developments and careers in such diverse fields as health care, agriculture, forestry, and marine life. In such a course, students would research key trends and evaluate the economic, political, social, cultural, environmental, and ethical issues raised by biotech- nology. They would apply their findings to assess the impact of biotechnological products on their local community.