Summary
The paper describes the development of an interdisciplinary course called “The Chemistry of Poisons” with content drawn from three different disciplines: organic chemistry/biochemistry, pharmacology, and the humanities. Topics involving toxicology are proposed as inherently well suited for interdisciplinarity. The biological activity of toxic molecules and their impact on human experience are of professional interest to scientists and health care professionals and of general interest to undergraduate students studying everything from sciences to humanities.
The course explores the science of poisons at the molecular level and their impact on humanity, and it examines the relationship between poisonous molecules and medically important ones. The topics of the curriculum are focused on naturally occurring, nonpeptide organic poisons. The molecules discussed are primarily isolated from biological sources, including plants, fungi, animals, and microorganisms. Chemistry topics include chemical and biochemical mechanisms of toxicity (at the molecular level), as well as biosynthesis and chemical synthesis of the small molecules. Students are introduced to concepts in anatomy, physiology and pharmacology and to the use of biological systems to analyze the chemical effects of small molecules in a problem-based learning approach. The course also explores the historical and cultural influence of poisons through popular science texts, historical texts, literature, essays, and popular culture, including television, music, and film. Authors suggest diverse modes of instruction and assessment, that along with the feedback mechanisms, encourage creative analysis of media, active learning, and development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Practical challenges to the development and implementation of interdisciplinary courses and activities, such as which content to include and how it should be sequenced, are discussed. Authors argue that “The Chemistry of Poisons” is an excellent example of innovative, student-centered education that provides a strong foundation for new academic initiatives geared toward delivering chemical, pharmacological, and humanistic content in a manner that is enjoyable for students and clearly facilitates knowledge and application level learning.
Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
The paper deals with interdisciplinarity.
The paper refers to the term interdisciplinarity as a continuum of progressive content integration and interactivity: from integrated (multidisciplinary) to hybridized (interdisciplinary) and transformed (transdisciplinary). Authors give several examples of interdisciplinarity in science education that vary in scope, setting, content, and design. For example, they refer to the use of technology in secondary science education which, via the method of concept mapping, demonstrated a benefit for conceptual learning of biological and physical principles of hibernation and thermodynamics.
Authors also discuss the several challenges and limitations of interdisciplinarity. They suggest that educators, researchers, and administrators must define the integrated scope and maintain and evaluate working relationships throughout the interdisciplinary undertaking, while maintaining awareness of predisposition to work within the familiar confines of their respective disciplines. Furthermore, they point out that the probability of success decreases as the disciplinary content areas become more distal.
