Embracing interdisciplinary learning

 

Most majors have underlying principles from other disciplines. While education can be narrow and concentrated on one aspect of your life, some argue that education should be entirely interdisciplinary, reflecting our multidisciplinary nature.

Friday, Feb. 9, Professor Nahnhy Hyong exhibited this philosophy by exploring public speaking and the connection it has to theater. Students in the CARD 102 Public Speaking course had no idea what to expect for this day. Hyong only told them to “arrive at the theater” and “look nice for photos.”

Hyong frequently integrates real-world applications in her teachings. In fall 2023, she encouraged students in her communications course to speak on-air at the college radio station. Students additionally did a presentation on various media conglomerates rather than writing an essay. The speeches helped students understand and articulate the various divisions in a conglomerate.

Real-world application

Hyong, in conjunction with Amy Keca, ‘24, let the class know what was happening as they all sat down. At first, students showed hesitation at the idea of partnering with a theater student to practice public speaking. However, the tone shifted when groups of students went on stage and practiced voice projection using premade cards. The other students in the class sat in the back row and signaled whether they could hear the individual or not.

“This helped us all get to a comfort level where we’ll be better for our speeches,” said Mia Cassin, ‘27.

Students moved to the balcony after all the groups had gone. Keca then showcased everything she had learned through the theater department in the field of projection. Keca has been in theater since the fourth grade. On stage, she emphasized the importance of tone, volume, self-assuredness and facial expressions for students. 

“I love working with Professor Hyong. I was more or less honored by her contacting me, and it is really cool to bring something new to first-year students. People often don’t realize how much of speech is theatrical,” said Keca, ’24.

Hyong then asked students to give their prepared personal stories with a partner. The idea was to harness the comfortable energy the students had with a partner and integrate it into their speeches. After the personal stories, students shared their takeaways and how perspectives had changed.

“Everything taught to us today, if you were on a musical theater or theater track, you would’ve learned already, so it was really interesting to see that connection of it to normal speeches and academic faces for speeches. Because if you’re not really a theater kid, sometimes people really don’t care about that stuff. But when you think about it, not even as a performance major, performance matters in your academic life,” said Samantha Doyle, ‘27.

The National Council for Teachers of English states that “educational experiences are more authentic and of greater value to students when the curricula reflect real life, which is multi-faceted rather than being compartmentalized into neat subject-matter packages.” This underscores the idea that principles throughout all forms of study have an underlying effect on diverse academic fields. Therefore, there is a takeaway in expanding your horizons.

Brendan Bartlett, ‘27, identified a connection between theater and his major in mechanical engineering.

“It’s a lot different looking onto the audience rather than be where I normally am, in the audience. There’s a lot of added pressure seeing everybody looking and watching you, so applying that to my major career, I think it’s always important to always speak at a volume and address the entire audience,” said Bartlett.

Connecting the majors

“I believe that learning is interdisciplinary. For instance, I am also teaching Group Interaction right now and I pull in neuroscience, psychology, business and communications. And in reverse, is there any field or career that doesn’t need the ability to communicate as a fundamental success factor?  I’ve found that it doesn’t matter how good you are at your job if you can’t lead people or work well with others; that requires self-awareness coupled with strong EQ and communication skills,” said Hyong.

The increasing interconnectedness of diverse majors exemplifies the necessity of understanding topics applicable across various specializations. For instance, when crafting a math thesis, one must possess not only mathematical skills but also the ability to write effectively. This synergy between mathematical expertise and effective written communication emphasizes the significance of an interdisciplinary skill set and education that exceeds specific disciplines. 

Life has many lanes. By failing to explore interdisciplinary opportunities, how much undiscovered potential remains within, hindering a student from emerging beyond their boundaries? How far might that student lag in the end, in comparison to their peers? Suddenly, meeting with a success coach gains new purpose for a college career.