Transdisciplinary approaches

Jonassen’s (2000) definition appealed to me the most, because it reiterates the role of the teacher as the facilitator, and the students as the enablers of their own learning experiences. Student agency and collaborative constructivist experiences are at the core of his ideal classroom setting, and I tend to agree with that approach. He writes that, “[S]tudents learn from thinking in meaningful ways. Thinking is engaged by activities, which can be fostered by computers or teachers”. The conceptual knowledge facilitated by technology that would otherwise be unattainable or difficult to visualize is the catalyst for project-based inquiries to explore; thinking and learning from the modelling, processing, refining, and iteration involved in TELEs are what make the experience enriching.

Designers should create spaces with the idea of flexible learning spaces in mind. Though maths and science are typically thought of as specific subjects with specific content knowledge, flexible environments and transdisciplinary approaches (like STEM/STEAM) help students see connections across the curriculum and more importantly, as problems to solve in the real world. Change should always be anticipated, and opportunities to work across traditional ‘subjects’ should be welcomed as a transformation that allows students to see math and science as more than concepts in neat boxes, where they are applications to real world issues.