Branches from the same tree: The case for integration in higher education.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560

Published: February 2019

The nature of work is changing rapidly in the digital age, increasing the demand for skills in specific disciplines. Across the United States and beyond, this evolution has led to an increased emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at every level. Meanwhile, at US institutions of higher education, the proportion of undergraduate students who earn a degree in the humanities is declining. However, while the public discussion often pits the disciplines against one another, the sciences, arts, and humanities are-as Albert Einstein once wrote-"branches of the same tree" [(2006) ]. They are mutually reinforcing. Therefore, the best way to prepare the next generation for the future of work, life, and citizenship is to provide broad, holistic educational experiences that integrate the STEM disciplines with the arts and humanities. A new study from the Board on Higher Education and Workforce of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine bolsters the case for such an approach, finding considerable evidence that the mutual integration of disciplines leads to improved educational and career outcomes for undergraduate and graduate students.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6369771PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1807201115DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

higher education
12
arts humanities
8
branches tree
4
tree case
4
case integration
4
integration higher
4
education
4
education nature
4
nature work
4
work changing
4

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!