Mapping as a Way of Understanding Complexity

• Published in: Issues in integrative studies Vol. 40; no. 1; pp. 27 - 40
• Main Author: Davis, Rhonda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Association for Interdisciplinary Studies 2022
• Subjects: Concept Mapping; Interdisciplinary Approach; Outcomes of Education; Problem Solving; Skill Development; Systems Approach; Textbooks; Undergraduate Students
• ISSN: 1081-4760

This article describes the use of mapping strategies in an interdisciplinary course using "Interdisciplinary Research: Process and Theory" (Repko & Szostak, 2021). The use of interdisciplinary mapping took place in a 300-level undergraduate course and focused on maps presented in the textbook, including the system map (and systems thinking), the research map, the concept or principle map, and the theory map. Mapping strategies guided students in developing a specific complex problem for the senior research project. This article emphasizes systems thinking and system mapping as a strategy to better understand qualitatively oriented complex problems. This discussion also includes examples of student work and an analysis of the impact of the mapping experience on students' experience of interdisciplinary learning.