Luminous Science: An Investigation of Transdisciplinary Education

Luminous Science: An Investigation of Transdisciplinary EducationIn most public education in the United States, we organize teaching and learning around siloed disciplines. Most educational research has focused on improving learning outcomes within those disciplines. However, this disciplinary focus creates dividing lines that limit the ideas, practices, representations and identities that might be applied or acceptable in the classroom. My research investigates how to reimagine learning environments to be

In most public education in the United States, we organize teaching and learning around siloed disciplines. Most educational research has focused on improving learning outcomes within those disciplines. However, this disciplinary focus creates dividing lines that limit the ideas, practices, representations and identities that might be applied or acceptable in the classroom. My research investigates how to reimagine learning environments to be transdisciplinary in ways that bring together the arts, sciences and computing in school-based education. This work begins with an overview of a pedagogical meta-design, called Luminous Science, and a concrete design instantiation of that meta-design, co-developed with teachers. The resulting classroom implementations are described, including the characteristics of studentsÕ projects and facilitation of those projects by teachers associated with greater transdisciplinarity.