Research Mentor(s)
Drickey, Kirsten; Blick, Andrew
Description
As a university with an emphasis on the liberal arts, Western Washington University creates an interdisciplinary environment in which students, faculty, and staff can develop a diverse set of skills. Within this context, this project analyzes the relationship between well-rounded individuals and interdisciplinary experiences, as well as the measurable personal or professional benefits that come from this relationship. For the purposes of this analysis, a well-rounded individual is described as someone who can encounter many challenges not specifically related to their field of specialization and solve them efficiently using a diverse set of skills. Interdisciplinary experience is defined as the interaction of two or more formal academic disciplines, informal areas of interest, or personal experiences that differ in the way they interpret the world. An anonymous survey distributed to Western’s students, faculty, staff, and alumni was conducted in order to gather data necessary to support or refute our hypothesis. The survey focused on which factors influence a person’s decision of major or field of study and eventually their profession, as well as which specific skills they acquired through formal versus informal educational environments, for example, cultural background, participation in clubs or groups, or other kinds of interactions with people from diverse backgrounds.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
14-5-2015 10:00 AM
End Date
14-5-2015 2:00 PM
Department
Modern and Classical Languages
Genre/Form
student projects; posters
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Education--Research--Cross-cultural studies; Educational evaluation--Cross-cultural studies
Type
Image
Keywords
Interdisciplinary Experiences, Well-rounded Individuals, Survey, Analysis, Liberal arts
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this documentation for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
A survey analysis of the relationship between interdisciplinary experiences and well-rounded individuals
As a university with an emphasis on the liberal arts, Western Washington University creates an interdisciplinary environment in which students, faculty, and staff can develop a diverse set of skills. Within this context, this project analyzes the relationship between well-rounded individuals and interdisciplinary experiences, as well as the measurable personal or professional benefits that come from this relationship. For the purposes of this analysis, a well-rounded individual is described as someone who can encounter many challenges not specifically related to their field of specialization and solve them efficiently using a diverse set of skills. Interdisciplinary experience is defined as the interaction of two or more formal academic disciplines, informal areas of interest, or personal experiences that differ in the way they interpret the world. An anonymous survey distributed to Western’s students, faculty, staff, and alumni was conducted in order to gather data necessary to support or refute our hypothesis. The survey focused on which factors influence a person’s decision of major or field of study and eventually their profession, as well as which specific skills they acquired through formal versus informal educational environments, for example, cultural background, participation in clubs or groups, or other kinds of interactions with people from diverse backgrounds.