Interdisciplinarity Studies

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In recent years, interdisciplinarity studies have gained increasing popularity, to the point that many students now pursue a degree in such studies, aiming to integrate different disciplines into their curriculum. Interdisciplinary can be defined as spanning multiple disciplines, combining elements, methods, or perspectives from each. Then, what is a discipline? The word ‘discipline’ is generally used in the context of education and can be considered as established individual academic subjects. For instance, while science is too broad to be a discipline, chemistry, physics, biology, etc. are individual disciplines. However, interdisciplinarity is not a new method of problem-solving or learning; in fact, several of the disciplines that exist …show more content…

how closely each discipline connect to each other and whether that connection will result in the achievement of a goal. For instance, consider Beak of the Finch written by Jonathan Weiner, which follows two evolutionary biologists as they track changes in body traits of finches. The scientists collect large amounts of quantitative data regarding beak size, wing size, etc. and use it to track the effects of natural selection (Weiner, 2014). Experimentation is a fundamental method of obtaining information in biology—and sciences in general. On the other hand, data analysis is related to mathematics, more specifically statistics. This analysis is used to determine whether the data supports the hypothesis, and thus determines the significance of the results. Statistical analysis is also shared knowledge, in that it is widely accepted as a fundamental way of determining the significance of a data set. As a result, an interdisciplinary approach is used here, combining experimentation and statistical analysis to produce evidence for natural selection and evolution. The relevance of biology and statistical analysis is established by reason: Experiments produce data, which generally are quantitative values, which are further linked to mathematics. Therefore, the individual disciplines should be expected to combine in some logical way to ensure …show more content…

One of such arguments is the fact that a thorough understanding of the disciplines involved in an interdisciplinary approach is not always needed. M.C. Escher and his artwork support this argument, by demonstrating that a complete knowledge of a subject is not necessary. M.C. Escher was critically lauded by scientists and mathematicians for his use of tessellations and mathematical patterns, since most of his artwork centered on the concepts of “geometry, logic, space, and infinity” (M.C. Escher, 2014). However, despite being able to effectively use mathematics in art, M.C. Escher had little education in it; Rather, he was inspired by architecture in Spain. Thus, M.C. Escher’s mathematical ability was intuitive, and demonstrates how an interdisciplinary approach may not require an in-depth understanding of the subjects involved, or a formal

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