An interdisciplinary curriculum is a teaching method or course plan that combines the contributions of multiple disciplinary subjects on a single topic. The goal of most interdisciplinary curriculum programs is to give students a thorough understanding of not only the central topic, but also the relationships and context in which it exists. While proponents of an interdisciplinary curriculum emphasize the importance of contextualizing information to improve comprehension, critics argue that this approach can lead to ignorance of more important topics and the creation of excessive busy work to fill out an interdisciplinary unit.
In a high school or college setting, an interdisciplinary curriculum unit might connect several different classes. For example, reading Shakespeare in English class, studying the Tudor dynasty and the Reformation in world history class, and learning about Copernicus and the shift away from Geocentricism in science class could all be part of a Renaissance unit. Teachers can fully immerse students in the topic teaching it across all three classes, giving them opportunities to investigate the connections and relationships between various aspects. Teachers frequently collaborate to develop tests and term projects that combine elements from various disciplines, allowing students to demonstrate their understanding of the overall subject.
Interdisciplinary curriculum is frequently used to develop a broader approach to a subject, but it can also be used to narrow the examination field. Interdisciplinary courses, which combine a broad subject from one discipline with a more specific viewpoint from another, may be available at some universities. For example, a theater department might collaborate with an African-American studies department to offer an interdisciplinary course on the history and performance of African-American plays. These courses are typically offered to students majoring in either department and provide a unique opportunity for students with different approaches to a theme to interact on a common topic. Courses like this should ideally serve to broaden students’ understanding of both disciplines while also providing a deeper understanding of the core premise.
Those who oppose an interdisciplinary curriculum frequently raise a number of issues with this method of instruction. Time spent on an interdisciplinary approach high school students may detract from standardized test preparation, which is a major concern for students planning to attend college. Critics also worry that not all classes in an interdisciplinary unit will have the same amount of information to impart, resulting in an overload of information in content-heavy classes but a waste of time in content-light courses with meaningless busywork. This second issue, according to proponents of an interdisciplinary curriculum, can be addressed with proper planning and effort on the part of the faculty, including measures such as pilot programs and a review system before the program is fully integrated.