Interdisciplinary learning of electronic circuits: faculty members’ perspective

Abstract

Recently, the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel, developed an interdisciplinary course on electronic circuits. This undergraduate-level course combines the analogue and digital viewpoints that are traditionally taught separately in higher education. The present study aimed to characterise faculty members’ attitudes towards interdisciplinary learning of electronic circuits, whether they are based on experience or on belief. As part of the research, 11 in-depth interviews were held with faculty members who have taught electronic circuits at three leading Israeli universities. According to the findings, instructors who have experienced interdisciplinary teaching argue that interdisciplinarity promotes understanding, improves students’ training in general and their ability to see the overall picture in particular, but is also characterised by a heavy cognitive load and a tendency to superficiality. Instructors who have experienced disciplinary teaching think that interdisciplinarity provides a comprehensive view, places a high load and tends to be superficial. However, they also believe that it is unnatural and impairs understanding. The article offers a possible explanation for these partially contradictory positions.