Monitor on Psychology - September 2011 - (Page 34)

education speakIng oF Why it’s essential to work with other disciplines By Dr. CyNThIa BElar • aPa ExECuTIVE DIrECTOr FOr EDuCaTION This month’s APA Education Leadership Conference (ELC), Sept. 10–14, will address critically important issues for psychology’s future, namely, how we prepare our students for interdisciplinary and interprofessional research, teaching and practice. No one discipline has the key to solving major societal problems. However, at the core of many of the world’s problems is behavior. That’s why, if psychology is to remain relevant as a discipline and a profession, we must prepare a work force that can address society’s most pressing concerns, from health and education to the environment and world peace. We need strong interdisciplinary science and its application through interprofessional practice. Interdisciplinary teaching and learning are fundamental to the process. interdisciplinary team science Interdisciplinary science has grown substantially over the last two decades. The federal government, for example, has enhanced funding for interdisciplinary research, while the Internet has revolutionized access to knowledge and our ability to collaborate. Universities have built linkages across disciplinary departments by methods such as creating centers, indirect cost splitting, course credit sharing, curriculum and new degree programs. A 2005 report from the National Academy of Sciences, Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research (www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11153), provides numerous recommendations that will inform a new task force appointed by APA’s Board of Educational Affairs and Board of Scientific Affairs to address research training needs in psychology. Programming at ELC will highlight changes in the academy and advances in team science. interprofessional practice ELC participants will also review the recently released report Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (http://nnlm.gov/bhic/2011/05/26/core-competenciesinterprofessional). For several years, APA has worked with the Interprofessional Professionalism Collaborative to articulate specific behaviors in support of these competencies (http://interprofessionalprofessionalism.weebly.com/index. html). When we are able to agree on clear interprofessional 34 competencies expected for all health professionals, we will be able to devise appropriate curricula, including innovations in interprofessional education itself. A hallmark of the APAinitiated Graduate Psychology Education training program is interdisciplinary training. interdisciplinary teaching and learning ELC participants will also examine a Project Kaleidoscope initiative of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) titled What Works in Facilitating Interdisciplinary Learning (http://aacu.org/pkal/interdisciplinarylearning/ documents/KeckExecutiveSummary_001.pdf). The goal of this effort is to engage students as integrative learners who appreciate the complexity of nature and can draw on multiple bodies of knowledge to advance understanding and solve problems. APA is participating in a related AAC&U grant with other STEM disciplines to develop projects on sustainability for undergraduate education. Given psychology’s relevance to other disciplines and to complex societal problems, the introductory psychology course is a great opportunity for interdisciplinary learning and can help create the psychologically literate citizens promulgated by the 2008 APA National Conference on Undergraduate Education in Psychology. There is little doubt but that fostering interdisciplinary work is a 21st century imperative, that psychology has much to contribute, and that our education and training system must provide adequate preparation. But as we hear about “silo-smashing” initiatives in health, education and industry, we need to remember that silos are really a hallmark of agriculture, and although an entire farm or family of farms is necessary to produce a food supply, silos are integral parts of those farms. We now have multiple ways to foster interconnectivity. Psychology needs both depth and breadth in its future work force. n Monitor on psychology • septeMber 2011 http://www.aacu.org/pkal/interdisciplinarylearning/documents/KeckExecutiveSummary_001.pdf http://www.aacu.org/pkal/interdisciplinarylearning/documents/KeckExecutiveSummary_001.pdf http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11153 http://www.nnlm.gov/bhic/2011/05/26/core-competencies-interprofessionalhttp://www.nnlm.gov/bhic/2011/05/26/core-competencies-interprofessional http://www.nnlm.gov/bhic/2011/05/26/core-competencies-interprofessionalhttp://www.nnlm.gov/bhic/2011/05/26/core-competencies-interprofessional http://interprofessionalprofessionalism.weebly.com/index.html http://interprofessionalprofessionalism.weebly.com/index.html

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - September 2011

Monitor on Psychology - September 2011
Letters
President’s Column
Contents
From the CEO
Supreme Court hears psychologists on prison and video game cases
Antipsychotics are overprescribed in nursing homes
New MCAT likely to recognize the mind-body connection
A $2 million boost for military and families
In Brief
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS UPDATE
On Your Behalf
Judicial Notebook
Random Sample
TIME CAPSULE
QUESTIONNAIRE
Speaking of Education
SCIENCE WATCH
An uncertain future for American workers
Advocating for psychotherapy
PRACTICE PROFILE
ETHICALLY SPEAKING
Seared in our memories
Helping kids cope in an uncertain world
APA and Nickelodeon team up
Muslims in America, post 9/11
Bin Laden’s death
‘They expect us to be there’
Answering the call of public policy
Candidates answer final questions
APA News
Division Spotlight
New leaders
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATION
Disaster relief training
Honoring teaching excellence
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - September 2011