Interdisciplinary Learning - A Conversation with Ed Fidoe
Feb 5, 2021
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Ed Fidoe, co-founder of the London Interdisciplinary School, discusses interdisciplinary learning and LIS's approach to education. They explore the value of diverse skills, unlocking collective intelligence, the concept of a polymath, and the challenges of achieving interdisciplinary learning.
The London Interdisciplinary School (LIS) offers a fully interdisciplinary undergraduate degree, focusing on studying complex problems rather than specific subjects, to provide students with a BASc in Interdisciplinary Problems and Methods.
LIS emphasizes interdisciplinary methods and encourages students to develop a toolkit of skills, including quantitative and qualitative analysis, data analysis, and visual representation of data, to equip them with a diverse skillset highly valued by employers.
Deep dives
The London Interdisciplinary School (LIS) and the Need for Interdisciplinary Thinking
The London Interdisciplinary School (LIS) offers a fully interdisciplinary undergraduate degree that focuses on studying complex problems rather than specific subjects. The goal is to equip students with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in interdisciplinary problems and methods. The school organizes its courses around complex problems rather than disciplines, recognizing that the challenges in the world today do not respect disciplinary boundaries. Students explore these problems through different disciplinary lenses to develop a broader perspective. Additionally, LIS emphasizes interdisciplinary methods, such as quantitative and qualitative analysis, data analysis, and ethnographic research, to provide students with a diverse set of skills that are in high demand by employers.
The Structure of LIS and Its Approach to Education
At LIS, about 50% of the curriculum is devoted to exploring and analyzing complex problems from different disciplinary perspectives. For example, students may examine mental health from anthropological, linguistic, and neurochemical angles. The remaining portion of the curriculum focuses on interdisciplinary methods, including quantitative and qualitative analysis, data analysis, and visual representation of data. This approach allows students to develop a toolkit of skills that are highly valued by employers. The LIS model challenges the traditional notion of depth by encouraging students to see the deep structure and patterns across different disciplines and apply their knowledge to real-world problems.
Unleashing Collective Intelligence and Overcoming Challenges
The concept of collective intelligence plays a vital role at LIS. By harnessing the collective intelligence of diverse individuals with different disciplinary backgrounds, LIS aims to tackle complex problems more effectively. Graduates of LIS are expected to be able to unlock and utilize collective intelligence by recognizing the value of interdisciplinary thinking. This shift requires a new breed of specialists, who are skilled at navigating the interdisciplinary space and connecting various fields of expertise. LIS believes that these graduates will be better equipped than current students to unlock the untapped collective intelligence in organizations. Despite challenges, such as the resistance to interdisciplinary education and the homogeneity of existing degree offerings, LIS remains committed to pushing boundaries and reimagining higher education.
In 2012, with Peter Hyman and Oli de Botton, Ed co-founded School 21, an innovative 4 – 18 school in Stratford, East London, designed for children from all starting points and backgrounds (achieved Outstanding Ofsted in 2014).
Ed has advised leaders at Cambridge University, the London School of Economics along with some of the UK’s most exciting schools that are exploring new ways of teaching students. He has also worked with organisations specialised in working directly with disadvantaged students such as ARK Schools and Teach First.
Ed was also the co-founder of EDSPACE, a co-working space for innovative education companies. Prior to founding School 21, Ed worked at McKinsey & Co and ran a theatre production company.