Introduction to Interdisciplinary Research

Course manual 2023/2024

Course content

Interdisciplinarity can be a hard thing to pull off. While it is easy to see the value of recombining knowledge, insights or methods from different fields, researchers from disparate backgrounds can find it hard to work with each other. Experts from different fields speak different languages, laden with hidden assumptions and jargon that oh-so-subtly varies per discipline. Within science, it is already hard to balance open-mindedness with critical thinking and in a multidisciplinary context this problem becomes even harder.

Still, if we are ever to gain an understanding of mind, brain and the way in which they relate to each other, it will depend on the recombination of insights from cognitive science, philosophy, neurobiology, linguistics, artificial intelligence and more. This is why researchers in brain and cognitive sciences need to learn what interdisciplinarity is -- and how to get there.

This course offers tools to integrate theories from different fields and to think about how this integrated knowledge can be put to use. It is a project-based course: you will be working on a single topic in a group of student for the duration of the first semester. To boost the value of an interdisciplinary approach, the topics you can work on are big and often touch on societal or commercial needs. In fact, for some topics we collaborate with clients who have a vested interest in your interdisciplinary analysis.

The structure of the course is a method in its own right: you will be using a process akin to Design Thinking to explore scientific literature, check your understanding of the topic with experts and ideate an intervention that solves a real problem while remaining substantiated by the scientific knowledge you obtained during your exploration. During the design thinking process you will visualize knowledge through causal maps, hold critical conversations with your peers, interview experts from the field and you will learn how to quickly ideate solvable problems (and potential solutions).

During this course, you may often be invested mostly in the topic that you're working on, but it's the skills -- many of them soft and implicit -- that you pick up during the process that are most important. At the end of the course, you will find you are more confident in your ability to investigate and analyse complex problems, that you have some tools in your toolbox to visualise your knowledge and think critically and that you can communicate effectively about your own ideas.

Objectives

• Integrate insights from distinct disciplines using multi-level explanations
• Find agreement with peers from different disciplinary backgrounds for effective project management and collaboration
• Use the Design Thinking approach to perform interdisciplinary research and valorise academic knowledge
• Design an integrated solution to a wicked problem in an oral presentation and written work
• Use effective science communication techniques in multiple formats, both across disciplines and towards society

Teaching methods

• Lecture
• Seminar
• Presentation/symposium
• Self-study
• Working independently on e.g. a project or thesis

The lectures in this course serve to explain the rationale behind the course and particular assignments. The seminars exist to have you practice the tools we offer, to discuss your progress with your tutor and also to just keep a cadence while you work on your project. The presentations are there to get feedback on your ideas from teachers and students alike. The self-study exists so that you can read up on the topic of your choosing. The project work is the core of this course and takes places both individually and in groups - it exists so that you experience all the challenges that come with interdisciplinary research.

Learning activities

Attendance

Requirements of the programme concerning attendance (OER-B):

1. In the case of practicals, the student must attend at least 80%. Should the student attend less than 80%, he/she must redo the practical, or the Examinations Board may have one or more supplementary assignments issued.
2. In the case of study-group sessions with assignments, the student must attend at least 80% of the study-group sessions. Should the student attend less than 80%, he/she must redo the study group, or the Examinations Board may have one or more supplementary assignments issued.

Assessment

The final grade for the course is calculated as the total points obtained throughout the assignments (0 - 100), divided by 10. For the blog post (0 - 10 points) and the final report (0-40 points), a minimum score is required. Missing assignments or not meeting the minimal scores leads to a non-pass mark at the end of the course.

Inspection of assessed work

Meetings with teaching staff can be scheduled to discuss submitted work and grading.

Assignments

A full overview of the assignments can be found on the course's Canvas page.

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Additional information

Discussion is one of the most effective ways to understand and think about new topics. At MBCS, we therefore believe in a vibrant learning environment in which teachers and students actively engage with each other and with course materials through conversation. This fosters deep understanding and also allows for interdisciplinary exchange. In addition, being able to formulate ideas or questions and accurately describing concepts and theories are important skills for researchers.

In addition, this course features assignments that are difficult to perform without supervision and that are key to reaching the objectives of the course. To maintain a smooth learning process, these assignments are therefore performed during tutorials with active supervision by teaching staff. This gives students the opportunity to ask questions or receive direct feedback -- in other words, it allows students to collaborate with the teaching staff. This way, student learning and performance is boosted, while the teaching staff can adapt to the problems that surface during the assignments.

We therefore encourage students to get the most out of this course by preparing for, attending and participating in all scheduled discussion and assignment activities. The mandatory tutorial attendance rate of 80% applies to this course.

Last year's student feedback

In order to provide students some insight how we use the feedback of student feedback to enhance the quality of education, we decided to include the table below in all course guides.

Contact information

Coordinator

• Vincent Tijms