Collaborative Work –

Multimedia Inquiry
Presentation
Christina Dimitrijevic and
Chau Nguyen
Defining Experiential
Learning

“The application of theory and

academic content to real-world
experiences”

- Strategic Transformation Group on

Employability, Carleton University
How can experiential
learning experiences
support a
multidisciplinary
curriculum in the IB?
Defining Multidisciplinary
Curriculum

• A variation of curriculum integration

• Curriculum integration:

“a knowledge view and curriculum

approach that consciously applies
methodology and language from
more than one discipline to examine
a central theme, issue, problem,
topic, or experience” (Jacobs, 1989a
as cited by Mason, 1996)
Defining CAS
• One of three core
elements in the IB
Diploma Programme

• Creativity, Activity, and

Service
 “CAS was designed to help IBDP students in grades
11 and 12 to engage in civic responsibility,
leadership and non-academic service
projects.”(Martin et al., 2016)
Creativity,
CAS work is done in groups or individually
Activity, Students complete a CAS project which engages in
Service at least one CAS strand

CAS is a great opportunity for students to get

involved in their community
Experiential • CAS heightens attributes to the learner
profile
Learning • Students apply their skills to real world
through CAS situations
 Rooted in experiential
education, could be
considered a sub-category
Defining Service
Learning “Students learn while
pursuing solutions to
community challenges”
(Jacoby, 2003a as cited in
Lillo, 2019)
Service

"Through service, students develop and apply personal and social skills in real-life
situations involving decision-making, problem-solving, initiative, responsibility, and
accountability for their actions." (International Baccalaureate Organization [IBO], 2017)

"Service is often seen as one of the most transforming elements of CAS by promoting
students’ self-awareness, offering diverse occasions for interactions and experiences
and opportunities for international-mindedness.” (IBO, 2017)
Service Example • Increased rate of accidents
and deaths at a busy
intersection in the
Netherlands

Conventional Solution:
Increase signs and clearly
instruct everyone where to go

Solution Taken: Creating a

“shared space”, encouraging
human connection in a space
where disconnection existed
 →Beach Clean Up
CAS Project →Arts & Crafts Workshop for kids with autism
Examples →Organizing food drives
→Recycling Drive (example below)
Group 4 Project

• Students from 4 different subject areas

working together

Aim 10
“develop an understanding of the
relationships between scientific disciplines
and their influence on other areas of
knowledge”

The emphasis is on interdisciplinary

cooperation and the processes involved in
scientific investigation, rather than the
products of such investigation (International
Baccalaureate Organization [IBO], 2016)
Group 4 Project
Examples

• Pollution, Nutrition, Energy, Etc.

- Working together,
students will decide on a more
specific topic
- Analyze topic from
multiple perspectives- biology,
chemistry, physics

Example: Pollution in Windsor

Group 4 Project Stages

• Planning, Action,
Presentation, Evaluation

Action
• Students carry out any
necessary work for their
project
 Quick reminder:

How can experiential

learning experiences
support a
multidisciplinary
curriculum in the IB?
Rationale
• Use structured, purposeful reflection as a bridge between
frameworks
Real-life relevancy

Experiential Multidisciplinary
learning curriculum

Diagram inspired by Hensley Kasitz, 2009: 7, as cited in Hatziconstantis & Kolympari, 2016
Example: Beach Clean-up CAS
Project
• Students
• Study the geography of the area
• Examine the type of waste and its origin
• Collect information from public, environmental or economic
agencies
• Develop a plan to finance the collection of garbage

• Facilitators may ask:

• What gathering of experts is needed for this type of endeavor?
• What new terminology and methodology do you need to learn?

(Hensley Kasitz, 2009: 6 as cited in Hatziconstantis & Kolympari, 2016)

Considerations

What are some obstacles?

1. Comparing to other curricula
• There does not appear to be a direct link between experiential learning and a
multidisciplinary curriculum in the Ontario curriculum
• How about in other local or national curricula?

• “Our findings strongly suggest that CAS programme characteristics, the school
structures, the greater community and the educational system are interrelated”
(Martin et al., 2016)
• What will be the considerations for implementing experiential learning
experiences to accommodate two curricula that may not be multidisciplinary?
2. “You get what you give”
• Student perceptions of their experiential learning experiences will affect how
much those experiences will enrich a multidisciplinary curriculum

• “CAS… was perceived by most students and administrators, and by many

teachers, as extracurricular in nature and not integral to academic life” (Martin et
al., 2016)

(Hatziconstantis & Kolympari, 2016; Martin et al., 2016)

3. Gaps in knowledge, skills, or understandings

• Service learning facilitators are

challenged with having
multidisciplinary knowledge, skills,
and understandings
• A multidisciplinary curriculum or
understanding is an asset to support Real-life relevancy
experiential learning experiences in
the IB (Lillo, 2019)
Experiential Multidisciplinary
curriculum
learning
 Considerations

What can be explored further?

1. Existing • Group 4 project – IBDP Science

programme • How about other IBDP subject groups?

structure Other IB Programmes?
2. Building
on existing • IB interdisciplinary courses as starting points
• Environmental Systems and Societies
programme • Literature and Performance
structure
 • Structure reflection questions
3. Evolving • Increase discourse about CAS in the
practices classroom
• Collaborate with other teachers
"...experiential learning is an
important and essential element for
IB education because the contextual
richness and behavioral dimensions
of international business require IB
education to change mindsets and
extend beyond the simple
conveying of facts and concepts"
(Aggarwal, Wu, 2019)
References
Aggarwal, R., & Wu, Y. (2019). Challenges in Implementing Experiential Learning in IB Education. Journal of Teaching in International Business,
30(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1080/08975930.2019.1637807

Carleton University. What is Experiential Education? Carleton University. https://carleton.ca/experientialeducation/what-is-experiential-

education/
Hatziconstantis, C., & Kolympari, T. (2016). Student perceptions of Academic Service Learning: Using mixed content analysis to examine the
effectiveness of the International Baccalaureate Creativity, Action, Service programme. Journal of Research in International Education, 15(3),
181–195. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475240916668074

Hensley Kasitz, D. (2009). From the classroom to the community: designing a service-learning course in political science [Presented paper].
Annual meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, New Orleans, LA, 8–10 January.

International Baccalaureate Organization. Additional subjects. International Baccalaureate. https://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-

programme/curriculum/additional-subjects/

International Baccalaureate Organization. (2016). Biology Guide. https://blackboard.uwindsor.ca/bbcswebdav/pid-1423435-dt-content-rid-

2114039_1/courses/IEC000DPF16-02/Biology%20guide%20%282016%29.pdf

International Baccalaureate Organization. (2017). Creativity, activity, service guide. https://blackboard.uwindsor.ca/bbcswebdav/pid-1423418-

dt-content-rid-1954637_1/courses/IEC000DPF16-02/-
DP%20documents/IB.%20CAS%20Guide_graduating%20in%20and%20after%202017.pdf
References
Jacobs, H. H. (1989a). The growing need for interdisciplinary curriculum content, Interdisciplinary curriculum: Design and implementation (pp.
1-11). Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Jacoby, B. (2003a). Building partnerships for service-learning (1st ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Lillo, S. R. (2019). In pursuit of community engagement: Unpacking the knowledge and skills associated with service-learning efforts. Journal of
Research in International Education, 18(1), 3–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475240919829997

Martin, R. A., Tanyu, M., & Perry, S. (2016). Structures and programme supports for Creativity, Action, Service in the International
Baccalaureate Diploma Programme: An implementation study in Turkey. Journal of Research in International Education, 15(2), 120–136.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1475240916659722

Mason, T. C. (1996). Integrated Curricula: Potential and Problems. Journal of Teacher Education 47(4), 263-270.

Ontario Ministry of Education (2018). Cooperative Education [PDF]. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/cooperative-

education-2018.pdf
Study International Staff. (2018). Why solving the world’s problems needs to start a multi-disciplinary approach. Study International.
https://www.studyinternational.com/news/solving-worlds-problems-needs-multi-disciplinary-approach/