Abstract:
In today's university learning environment information and study are divided into discrete packages by discipline, while the problems our graduates confront are multi-faceted and complex. Universities are sometimes accused of producing narrowly focused technicians who are not prepared to deal with uncertainty, context specificity, changing demands, and farming systems. We have come from different directions to study agriculture and food systems, and find that an appreciation of systems can be generated from foundations in philosophy, engineering, international studies, environmental studies, and agricultural education. Divergent paths have led us to the conclusion that dealing with tomorrow's problems will require close collaboration and highly interactive communication across a range of disciplines. We need to recognize where and how integration can take place in the university, and strive to make this happen in as many levels as possible. Several models of action education are described, as well as ways that multiple majors and minors and individualized programs can help students meet goals of breadth and integration. Six specific case studies are described, along with a model for future university organization. We conclude that there are multiple paths to discovering the whole and ways in which university students can achieve interdisciplinary learning.
Keywords:
systems learning
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