Linda Logan INT470

January 29, 2015

Dr. K. Miller Instructor
Assignment: Week #4

Interdisciplinary Studies: Glossary List

1. Interdisciplnary Studies: a process of answering a question, solving a problem, or
addressing a topic that is too broad or complex to be dealt with adequately by a single
discipline or profession, and that draws on disciplinary perspectives and integrates
their insights through construction of a more comprehensive perspective.
2. Discipline: a branch of knowledge or teaching. In the university, examples include
history, psychology, law, etc..
3. Disciplinarity: the system of knowledge specialties called disciplines.
4. Interdisciplinary Research: to study a topic that is inherently complex and whose parts
are the focus of two or more disciplines, to integrate their insights, and to construct a
more comprehensive understanding of the topic or question.
5. Interdisciplinary Learning: when individuals demonstrate integration of two or more
disciplines or established fields of studies in order to create products raise questions;
solve problems; and offer explanation of the world around them in ways that would not
have been possible through single disciplinary mean.
6. Multidisciplanary: combing or involving several academic disciplines or professional
specializations in an approach to a topic or problem
7. Cross disciplinary: of, relating to, or involving two or more academic disciplines
8. Intradisciplinary: within a discipline
9. Metaphor: a figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates
one thing is used to designate another, thus making a symbolic comparison. Example:
Heaven on Earth.
10. Blooms taxonomy: a classification of the different objectives that educators set for
students; learning objectives. It divides educational objectives into three domains:
cognitive, affective, psychomotor; described as knowing/head, feeling/heart and
doing hands respectively
11. Integration: to unite or blend into a functioning whole. A synonym of integration is
the noun synthesis which means combining ideas to form a new whole. Integration is
the means by which we conduct interdisciplinary inquiry; the new whole is the goal of
the integrative process.

12. Epistemology: how we know something. The method of accumulating knowledge

and determining truth. Each discipline has its own notions of how to go about research
and proving that something is relevant, valid, or truthful. Example: Scientific Method.
13. Concept: something conceived in the mind, thought, notion; abstract or generic idea
generalized from particular instances.
14. Method: sometimes referred to as methodology. This is the way a particular
discipline or field of study gathers and applies knowledge.
15. Methodology: a body of rules and postulates employed by a discipline; a particular
procedure or set of procedures.
16. Theory: the analyses of an idea or set of ideas that is intended to explain the facts or
events; speculation; hypothetical
17. Curriculum: a course of study, usually in a specific field or discipline.
18. Perspective: relating to, employing, or seen in.
19. Insight: the ability to understand people and true nature of situations in a very clear way.
20. Ideas: thoughts, plans, or suggestion about what to do; an opinion or belief; something
that is imagined or pictured in your mind.
21. Philosophy: the study of, or particular ideas about knowledge, truth, the nature and
meaning of life.
22. Association of Integrative Studies (AIS): is an international interdisciplinary
professional organization founded in 1979 to promote the interchange of ideas among
scholars and administrators in all of the arts and sciences on intellectual and
organizational issues related to furthering integrative studies.
23. Knowledge: the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through
association; acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art or technique.
24. Knowledge formation construction: viewed collectively as an artifact that is socially
connected and constructed; is seen as an organizational/historical structure tied to
existential factors and particularized by different social/organizational groups

25. Social Science Research Council (SSRC): is an independent, nonprofit international

organization founded in 1923. Its mission is pursued by working with practitioners,
policymakers, and academic researchers in the social sciences, related professions, the
humanities and natural sciences to build interdisciplinary and international networks, link
research to practice and policy, strengthen individual and institutional capabilities for
learning, and enhance public access to information.
26. Heuristic: using experience to learn and improve; to study the practice of heuristic
procedures.
27. Ethnocentrism: having or based on the idea that your own group or culture is better or
more important than others.
28. Boundary crossing: is a deviation from standard activity between disciplines that are
non-exploitive and supports the interaction.
29. Domains: an area of knowledge or activity; land that a ruler or government controls
30. Knowledge Domains: the content of a particular field of knowledge
31. Mode(s) of thinking: a particular way, method, or manner of doing something
32. Critical thinking: the capacity to analyze critique and assess.
33. Hegemony: influence, control, dominance over another country; the social, cultural,
ideological, or economic influence exerted by a dominant group.
34. Dogmatic: characterized by or given to the expression of opinions very strongly or
positively as if they were facts.
35. Holistic: relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than the
analysis, treatment of, or dissection into parts.
36. Dichotomy: a difference between two opposite things; a division into two groups. Also,
the process of making such a division.
37. Iterative: expressing repetition of a verbal action; relating to or being iteration of an
operation or procedure.
38. Recursive: of, relating to, or constituting a procedure that can repeat itself indefinitely.
39. Communication: the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to
express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feeling., to someone
else.
40. Polemical: controversial; contentious; argumentative; quarrelsome

41. Idea dominance: a mutually agreed upon idea by all parties involved; considered
important; focus of investigation and learning.
42. Scope: refers to the parameters of what is included or excluded from the study.
43. Discourse: the use of words to exchange thoughts and ideas; a long talk or piece of
writing about a subject; conversation
44. Disciplinary Assumptions: