How Linked Interdisciplinary CUREs Impact Student Social Networks and Thinking About the Value of Other Disciplines

To address global environmental and health problems, scientists must work across disciplinary boundaries. The Science of Team Science is a field of study that examines the processes by which effective scientific teams operate across disciplines. We incorporated strategies from team science into undergraduate courses to help students develop an appreciation of other disciplines and to learn how to create productive science research teams. We then explored student team interactions and interdisciplinary thinking in three course-based undergraduate research experiences (CURE) in three different disciplines that were linked by complementary research questions in the same system. Through writing prompts scored with the Interdisciplinary Science Rubric, students demonstrated an intermediate level of understanding of the importance of interdisciplinary teams. Social network analysis revealed evidence of students learning from and building trust with students in the other CUREs. This study highlights the benefits of integrating concepts across disciplines in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education to better prepare undergraduates for modern STEM careers.