Transdisciplinary Learning
Summary of Transdisciplinary Learning
Transdisciplinary learning is the exploration of a relevant concept, issue or problem that integrates the perspectives of multiple disciplines in order to connect new knowledge and deeper understanding to real life experiences.
Best practices in a transdisciplinary environment do not compartmentalize learning, but rather explore content within the context of inquiry.
Transdisciplinary learning requires that all teachers are involved and collaborate.
It is important to note that a major purpose of transdisciplinary learning is to understand the world around us, and that learning should be contextualized in and applied to real-life, far beyond the traditional notion of "school". Further quotes from "Learning and Teaching" include: "It has relevance across the subjects and transcends the confines of the subjects to connect to the real world" and “transdisciplinarity is... distinct from multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity because of its goal, the understanding of the present world." This approach is not exclusive to the PYP. Much of what children do naturally is transdisciplinary as they play, build, invent, create, question, design and explore to make sense of the people, places, things and events in their lives.
Source: Magellan International School | PYP in Practice | ibo.org
Multi-, Inter-, Trans- Disciplinary Starting Definitions
Approaches
Multidisciplinary approaches, where the disciplines remain intact but focus simultaneously on a common theme,
Interdisciplinary approaches where there is conjoining of the disciplines to develop a shared understanding of a theme or solution to a problem,
Transdisciplinary approaches where disciplinary distinctions are not evident
Curriculum
Multidisciplinary: Curriculum revolves around themes or problems that bring together a number of disciplines
Interdisciplinary: Curriculum revolves around themes or problems where the focus is on commonalities between disciplines
Transdisciplinary: Curriculum revolves around real-world experiences, without regard for discipline-specific understandings
Source: University of British Columbia
Multi-, Inter-, Trans Disciplinary Examples
Hierarchy of Disciplines
Transdisciplinary Learning - PYP
Transdisciplinary Learning - PYP
PYP Transdisciplinary Themes
Working together, the transdisciplinary themes and the transdisciplinary approach promote learning as outlined below:
Transdisciplinary Themes
Source: Cindy Blackburn - https://twitter.com/mscindypyp
Transdisciplinary Themes
Transdisciplinary Themes Infographic
Podcast: Interview Carolina Gianetto About Transdisciplinary Learning
Angeline Aow interviews Carolina Gianetto about transdisciplinary learning. Carolina has been a PYP educator since 2000 as a starting homeroom teacher in Brazil. Since then she has worked in international PYP schools in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Moscow, Russia where she has been a teacher, PYP coordinator, Assistant Principal and is now the Head of EYs and Primary at St. Francis College in Sao Paulo. Carolina has been a PYP workshop leader and site visitor for over 10 years as she worked in IB Americas and in Europe and the Middle East. You can follow Carolina on Twitter, or visit her website here.
Podcast - Transdisciplinary.mp3Articles About Multi-, Inter-, Trans- Disciplinary
Click/Tap top viewDesigning Interdisciplinary Units in Elementary School | Edutopia | May 17, 2023 | This eight-step framework can help teachers create units that integrate science and social studies with math and English language arts.
A Transdisciplinary Approach to a Grade 4 Unit of Inquiry [The Sharing PYP Blog] by Marijar - 28 April 2020
Transdisciplinarity: Thinking Inside and Outside the Box | Edutopia | 21 Jan 2016 | Students experience deeper learning and start thinking outside the box when their teachers collaborate to present different aspects of the same subject across various disciplines.