The Interdisciplinary Learning (IDL) Network.
The IDL Network provides an integrated website for professional dialogue and learning where teachers and educators are able to:
discuss, debate, question and learn about IDL within and across the Curriculum for Excellence
promote and gain an understanding of IDL through the exemplification, sharing and curating of practical, high-quality interdisciplinary resources, ideas and approaches
contribute narratives about experiences of developing and delivering IDL
receive and provide topical news, information and literature about recent developments in IDL
The Network, which is open to all, aims to support collaboration amongst educators of children and young people from 3 to 18 and beyond, including tertiary education. It will be particularly relevant for teachers, teacher educators, trainee teachers and probationers, school leaders, educators in further and higher education, and policymakers.
What will the Network do in practice?
The Network will provide a platform for addressing everyday questions and lively discussions amongst forum members, such as:
How do I….?
Is this interdisciplinary or…..?
Why does it matter?
What is the best way to…….?
What works or doesn’t work?
Where will I find some resources/ideas on…….?
Here is a…(learning idea, resource, question, problem, challenge, comment, opinion etc)
Why have we developed an IDL Network?
The Network is one of several outcomes of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s (RSE) 2019 conference on “Interdisciplinary Learning: Creative Thinking for a Complex World”. At the conference, a questionnaire was circulated to around 160 delegates, respondents to which (practitioners, school leaders and teacher educators) supported the establishment of a teacher forum, which the RSE has co-ordinated.
An overarching challenge to the implementation of IDL is the lack of a common understanding and clarity about what constitutes IDL. Improving our understanding of IDL and related approaches to connecting subject learning across the education community is therefore a priority.
Network Development and Management
In order to grow and thrive, the Network needs to attract the active support and contributions of a ‘critical mass’ of teachers, teacher educators, educators in further and higher education, school leaders, policymakers and other interested contributors. It aims to build a collaborative, participatory, open and forward-looking community of practice that includes members willing to:
share ideas and resources
ask and respond to questions
contribute to discussions
contribute to developing and managing the Network.
The Network has been established as an integrated website with the aim of forming and building a broad, outward-looking community of practice around IDL.
Why subscribe?
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and website. Never miss an update.
Featured image: Hunters in the Snow (1565). Peter Bruegel. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Public domain.
