ASKING SEVERAL KEY QUESTIONS

When we think about integrative learning at Portland State University, we often are reminded of the old saying that “a camel is a horse designed by a committee.” This is partly because at PSU we are typically talking about how to accomplish integrative learning through an entire general education program spanning a student’s entire undergraduate career; partly because most of our students transfer into the program at various points in their careers; and partly because committees DO design our curriculum!

From its inception, the University Studies program has emerged as a scholarly endeavor through examination of the research and literature on student learning. But what do we mean when we say “integrative learning?” We can talk about integrative learning as a beautifully, formally designed curriculum; as the ability of faculty to think and to perform in an integrative manner; or as students’ actually learning to integrate various concepts, contents and theories. So, we have tried to begin our programmatic examinations by posing guiding questions. Our current project has followed this approach.

The middle part of University Studies has been criticized for lacking coherence and integration because of the diversity of sophomore inquiry course topics and the array of upper division cluster courses linked to the sophomore courses. The immediate response is to ask: Is this critique valid? Is there evidence to support this claim? What data or information would inform us? We present two examples of gathering foundational information from students and from faculty about aspects of the integration we are seeking.

What does integration really look like? How do we effectively ask students to integrate knowledge and thinking if our faculty is not well prepared to actually teach integrative learning? What might proper preparation look like? One example of faculty engaging to enhance their own integrative thinking and knowledge is presented as a case study in the challenges of integrative learning in the area of science literacy.

Finally, how do we know when integrative learning occurs? How can students demonstrate integrative learning? How can we see deeper, elegant integrative learning as we touch our students through the curriculum and co-curriculum? The use of actual assignments and the accumulation and presentation of those assignments over time and terrain through the use of an e-portfolio is one approach for demonstrating integrated learning.

These multi-faceted approaches and the answers they produce result in more questions. Which is what we are really looking for.