promoting creative interdisciplinarity in a disciplinary world: part 2, human networks are crucial
DESCRIPTION
avid E. Goldberg explores how to promote interdisciplinary collaboration in universities that have strong disciplinary underpinnings. The second part considers the key human elements necessary for effective interdisciplinarity.TRANSCRIPT
Promoting Creative Promoting Creative Interdisciplinarity in a Interdisciplinarity in a Disciplinary World: Disciplinary World: Part 2: Human Networks are CrucialPart 2: Human Networks are CrucialDavid E. GoldbergIllinois Foundry for Innovation in Engineering EducationUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUrbana, IL 61801
[email protected]; www.Ifoundry.illinois.edu
Dueling Dueling Departments/DisciplinesDepartments/Disciplines Missed revolutions &
power of departments/disciplines.
University of Illinois as Italian renaissance experience.
Warring factions in Venice, Rome & Florence.
Fighting for treasure, loyalty, allegiance.
Machiavelli would have been at home.
Return to treasure at end.
Niccolò Machiavelli (1469 – 1527)
Promoting Creative Promoting Creative InterdisciplinarityInterdisciplinarityDifficult to overcome tyranny of
departments/disciplines.Human networks, not electronic
networks, as primary:◦Understand disciplines as religion.◦Linguistic naiveté and how to
overcome.◦Pairwork grows networks.◦Networks need mesolevel
institutional support.
Discipline as ReligionDiscipline as Religion Many disciplines privilege
their perspectives and methods.
Science wars as example. But smart people in
organized discipline probably doing something right.
First step: toleration of disciplinary difference.
Actively seeking interpretations that make sense.
Easy to say, but hard to do. Start with language. Toward discipline of
interdisciplinarity.
Overcoming Linguistic Overcoming Linguistic NaivetéNaivetéTolerance first step, but language
is still a barrier.Linguistic naiveté: (LN): belief that
words have single, fixed meaning.Disciplines become disciplines by
defining words in specific ways; encourage LN.
Must understand ways same word can be used in different disciplines.
From Pairwork to NetworkFrom Pairwork to Network Went from solo to teamwork in
the quality revolution. Skipped pairwork.
Georges Harik, early Google employee: pairs 20x more productive than singletons.
Get ◦ Large opportunity for
complementary skills.◦ Low coordination costs.◦ Maximal opportunity for
marginal creativity.◦ Effective emotional leveling.
Great pairwork yields great networks.
Wilbur Wright Orville Wright
Networks Need Mesolevel Networks Need Mesolevel SupportSupportDepartmental faculty have access
to◦Identity◦Space◦Communications◦Clerical support◦Funds
Mesolevel interdisciplinary entities need to provide some of these.
Don’t need new “dots” so much as we need dot connectors.
Example: Evolution of Example: Evolution of ETSIETSIETSI = Engineering & Technology
Studies at Illinois. http://www-illigal.ge.uiuc.edu/ETSI
Started as lecture series & website in 2006 following blog post.
Grew to grassroots network of faculty both sides of Green.
Continues to interact & fundamental to educational & research initiatives.
Need new institutional forms for minimal support of interdisciplinary initiatives.
Next part: From human to electronic networks.
Promoting Creative Promoting Creative Interdisciplinarity in a Interdisciplinarity in a Disciplinary World: Disciplinary World: Part 2: Human Networks as CrucialPart 2: Human Networks as CrucialDavid E. GoldbergIllinois Foundry for Innovation in Engineering EducationUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUrbana, IL 61801
[email protected]; www.Ifoundry.illinois.edu