Playing In The Fields

I recently attended a conference on integrated learning. One important aspect of integrated learning is to take a multidisciplinary approach to a subject. I enjoy applying different disciplines to my course subjects. This is not always easy to do. It requires the ability to make connections between subjects. Those connections are often not obvious. Synthesizing from various disciplines requires us to be familiar with different fields of study. We need to take time to explore subjects outside our area of expertise. We then need to play with those subjects to find how they may relate to our own specialty. This requires an attitude of experimentation. We must be secure enough in ourselves to admit what we don’t know. It is necessary to take on the role of the novice. We are to make new discoveries along with our students.

I experienced this last semester while teaching a course on leadership and teamwork. During one of the class meetings I held at the art museum on campus, I pointed out a piece of art that consisted of a black Plexiglas square mounted in the center of a larger white square. I asked the class what the piece communicated about leadership. Now, the artist did not create this work as a lesson about leadership. And I had no ready answer to my own question. Nonetheless, I received some insightful answers from the students. One student learned from the piece that answers to problems do not always need to be complex. Sometimes the most effective leader is the one who helps followers find the simple answer. Another student, as he studied the squares, was able to see his reflection in the center black square. That sparked the insight that leadership begins by looking within ourselves before taking outward action. The insights of my students helped me make new connections between art and leadership.

This takes me back to my previous post. We need to lighten up and at times take a playful approach to our subject. We then create a safe learning environment in which our students dare to play. Together we can discover that playing in academic fields can be great fun.