Citation

Bucci L, Trantham S. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 2014; 26(1): 122-131.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The integration of co-teaching across disciplines in higher education is an approach that enhances the learning experience for both students and faculty. The process of examining material from the perspective of two disciplines contributes to critical thinking skills beyond traditional pedagogical approaches. This article presents a model for interdisciplinary co-teaching based on the authors' experience with an undergraduate course titled Children and Violence. The course Children and Violence evolved out of the professors' shared interest and professional experiences working on issues of childhood violence. Children and Violence was designed to encourage students to grapple with the complex issues that contribute to children becoming victims of violence or perpetrators of violence (or in some cases, both). The course was created using the criminal justice and psychology disciplines because these fields naturally interface when addressing the subject of child maltreatment and youth violence. A major purpose of the course was to examine the societal problem of children and violence from a critical multidisciplinary perspective. This paper will review the development of this course, as well as present suggestions for best practices for interdisciplinary co-teaching.

Language: en