This assignment will demonstrate your ability to break down assumptions and values of at least two disciplinary arguments surrounding a problem. You should be able to recognize disciplinary approaches as well as perceptions of the processes as they are interpreted by you and your group mates.

Use the skills you learned in the lessons related to ethical consciousness and perspective taking to help you account for the process of identifying disciplinary and value laden perspectives on the problem.

In the exercise you will map the complexity of perspectives on the problem. You will align perspectives with at least two disciplinary approaches to research the problem and other factors that build perceptions of the problem.

You will describe how the integration of perspectives is possible through the identification of common and aligned perspectives represented by the disciplines in your Annotated Bibliography and Peer Review assignments.

Criteria for Success

This is it! This assignment is the culmination of all lessons and assignments of the course. It is the assignment that will demonstrate your mastery of the skills and values of interdisciplinarity. You should review the progress you have made related to the understanding and use of our core skills: Perspective taking, appreciation for diversity, intellectual dexterity, and critical thinking. Also be ready to unpack ALL of your cognitive tool kit. Skills such as ethical consciousness and metacognition will be called upon. Know what these skills are and articulate how you used them.

Use your skills for collaboration and appreciation for diversity to heighten your creativity. The diversity of perspectives can be found in the annotated bibliographies in the group site. The explanations in the annotations and your peer review will explain the various perspectives from the disciplines as well as the perspectives of your group mates. Use these as much as possible.
Reference the Annotated Bibliography discussion board. Use the annotated bibliographies and your peer review to support your work. You will reference the information on the group page, but the completion of this map is done individually. All of the following instructions will be done individually and turned in individually through the assignment portal.

1. Use Critical Thinking to describe the strengths and limitations of each disciplinary approach to the problem. (30 points)

• What is each discipline’s contribution to understanding the problem?
• What has each discipline missed?
• How does a purely disciplinary approach to the problem limit a holistic understanding of the problem? Be specific.

2. Map of Interdisciplinary Connections: (30 points)

• Map the disciplinary variables and interests related to the problem. (review lectures on mapping in the course site) A sample map is available via Canvas in this module.
• You must show at least 2 disciplinary connections to the problem in your map.
• You may include variables or issues, interests, etc. that are not aligned with a discipline. (What each discipline has missed). Indicate those clearly in the map through a distinct line style.

Formatting your map

• Formatting for the map can be done in MS Word, PowerPoint, or even drawn by hand.
• An image of the map can be uploaded separately as a jpeg or gif file. It can also be inserted into your paper.
• You may use colors or line styles to indicate disciplinary attachments to variables, issues, etc. For example, instead of colored lines representing disciplinary perspectives, you can use solid and dashed lines to differentiate one discipline from another.
• If there are variables, issues, etc., that are important but not attached to a disciplinary perspective please include them. Use a third color or line style to indicate connections that are not included in a disciplinary perspective.
• If you experience problems formatting the map you should let us know. But plan ahead. If your assignment is not turned in on time it will be considered late. If this assignment is not complete because of the image file, a deduction of 20 points will be applied.

1. Integrative Solutions (40 points)

• Explain where common ground exists and how a balance of perspectives is possible. Be descriptive. For example, you may find that many points on the map are common. You should write about the fact that many are common, pull out 2 to 3 important examples of common points of interest, variables followed in the research, etc and describe how the disciplines use them in similar ways. (30/40 points)
• Explore ways in which the common ground could present opportunities for solutions to the problem. (10/40 points)