Interdisciplinary Opportunity

With the recent addition of the interdisciplinary epistemology course, the Academy is beginning to incorporate classes collectively instructed by multiple departments. Although a rarity in the conventional curriculum, the new addition, along with future interdisciplinary courses, will present and provide students an opportunity to learn the course material through the lenses of multiple studies.One of the obvious benefits of interdisciplinary courses is the variety of perspectives it offers. Students are not forced to focus and discuss in one specific context, and the courses aid students to ultimately form multiple views on an area of study. This benefit of interdisciplinary courses will be an advantage for Exonians as we continue to pursue our academic careers and beyond—the ability to create and voice opinions is crucial, regardless of the field of study.Students will also recognize the relationships between the different views on one study. For example, specifically in the newly added religion course, because the religion, science and theater departments will collectively teach students about the study of knowledge, students will explore the different types of knowledge and recognize connections between them. In addition, many students often struggle to relate the information obtained in different courses and create real-life applications of the material learned, but with integrative courses, students will be able to accomplish these objectives with ease.The multiple perspectives offered in interdisciplinary courses will provide a fresh academic shock for students as well. They will not only present multiple perspectives on the material studied in the course, but also promote intellectual curiosity because the pedagogy has never been attempted before at the Academy. In fact, many students, after the news of the new epistemology course addition, expressed interest in the interdisciplinary aspect of the course.It is important to keep in mind that interdisciplinary courses fit the academic atmosphere of Exeter as well. In classrooms and around Harkness tables, students are encouraged to be impartial and consider different opinions of other students. With the new courses, students will need to recognize their peers’ opinions as well as the multiple perspectives provided by the instructors, increasing the knowledge of the material and allowing students to learn with depth.Perhaps the biggest benefit of the interdisciplinary courses is the exploration of multiple areas of study in a single course. While many Exonians generally tend to focus on one subject, interdisciplinary courses will allow students to explore what each department in these courses offers and also discover new areas of interest. Students will be able to broaden their passions in studies and in some cases, delve even further into the subject in which they are interested while learning different perspectives offered by courses in which they might not be interested.Overall, interdisciplinary courses are tremendous opportunities for students to explore. It will enhance the quality of learning and reinstate the often lost intellectual curiosity in students. It will present a myriad of interests and perspectives for students to absorb and will ultimately be an enjoyable and challenging experience for Exonians.