One of the poems of the famous English poet John Donne is “No man is an island.” The poem discusses humanity's interconnectedness and the shared nature of human existence. Donne uses the metaphor of an island to emphasize that no person is completely independent or self-sufficient. Instead, each individual is part of a larger whole, like a piece of a continent. This concept can be applied to traditional pedagogical methods, which celebrate exclusivity and allow professors to confine themselves to their respective areas.
In an article that appeared in the Hindu’s Education Plus today, Dr Joseph Doriaraj, the Emeritus Professor at Gandhigram Rural Institute, Tamil Nadu, wrote about the need for academicians to break the silos and promote integrative and collaborative approaches to teaching and learning.
Today, an integrated approach to teaching and learning is essential as we face urgent challenges such as climate change, poverty, and migration. We must prioritize this strategy to address these pressing issues effectively. Educators must adopt interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary methods in our classrooms and seminar halls. It is time to overcome the silo mentality and explore ways to incorporate various disciplines into the curriculum.
For instance, it is highly beneficial for language departments—such as Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, English, and French—to collaborate and examine translation and comparative literature themes. Students’ assignments should not be limited to their syllabus topics but should be collaborative and inclusive. By training students in an innovative and holistic curriculum, we can help them develop into well-rounded individuals.
The departments should collaborate, innovate, and explore new areas of knowledge.
Let’s break our knowledge silos and shed academic tribalism, and foster interdisciplinarity in our classrooms and on our campus.
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