Choose the Interdisciplinary unit type when you add or edit an MYP unit, then assess it with the interdisciplinary criteria in an ID project or the class Term Grades.
Plan interdisciplinary units (IDUs) shared by two or more subject classes, set up interdisciplinary (ID) projects, assess with the interdisciplinary criteria and show the results on report cards.
| Stage | Who | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Plan the IDU | Teachers | Choose the Interdisciplinary unit type, add subjects, aims, objectives and criteria |
| 2. Set up ID projects | Admins | Create a project template, enable it in the year group, assign advisors |
| 3. Assess | Teachers and advisors | Project assessment or class Term Grades |
| 4. Report | Admins | Show ID assessment on PDF or web-view report cards |
Latest update on interdisciplinary planning and assessment
Watch the accompanying webinar: Ambassador Spotlight: MYP Interdisciplinary Learning - Insights and Strategies for Educators.
1. Plan interdisciplinary units (IDUs)
Planning an IDU works like planning any MYP unit (see Creating IB MYP Unit Plans), with a few differences set out below.
Mark the unit as interdisciplinary
- Open the unitGo to Classes, choose the class and open the Units tab. Select Add Unit, or open an existing unit and select Edit Section on the Summary section.
- Choose the typeUnder Unit type, select Interdisciplinary (for planning multiple subjects with integration). Standard (Default) is for a single subject.
- Add subjectsIn Additional Subject(s), choose the subjects to share the unit with.
- Describe the integrationFill in Purpose of Integration. The interdisciplinary guidance icon shows the IB notes for this field.
- SaveSelect Add Unit (or Add and Set Up) for a new unit, or Save Changes when editing.
The unit is shared with the selected subjects and grade levels, so it appears in those classes too.
Interdisciplinary and subject aims, objectives and criteria
The Curriculum section of an IDU includes Interdisciplinary Aims and Interdisciplinary Objectives as well as the subject-specific MYP aims and objectives.
The Assessment section starts with Interdisciplinary Assessment, followed by formative and summative assessment and the MYP assessment criteria for the linked subjects.
2. Interdisciplinary projects
Configure ID project templates
Go to Settings > IB Middle Years > Project-based Learning. ID projects are listed under Interdisciplinary Templates.
- Add a templateSelect Add Template on the right of the Project-based Learning page.
- Enter the detailsAdd the Project Title, Abbreviation and Project Icon, and set Project Type to Interdisciplinary Project.
- Link the IDUChoose the unit from the Interdisciplinary Unit drop-down. Every ID project must be linked to an existing IDU.
- FinishAdd a Project Description if needed, tick Enable Project by Default if new year groups should get it, then select Add Template.
Select the template title on the Project-based Learning page to edit it. The Overview tab holds the details above, the linked unit and Archive Project Template.
Use the Framework tab to turn on and set up the project workspace sections, such as Proposal, Journal, Presentation and Reflections. ID projects come with Proposal and Journal set up by default. Use Add New Field to add your own fields.
The Assessment tab lists the interdisciplinary criteria under Project Assessment Rubrics (Criterion A: Evaluating, B: Synthesizing, C: Reflecting). You can also add Term Grades Rubrics and, if Presentation is turned on, Presentation Rubrics.
Use the Forms tab to turn on and map any forms you want to export for the project. Forms are used more often for the Personal Project and Community Project.
Use the Terminology tab to rename parts of the project, such as Worksheet, Journal, Assessment and Reflections, and the student progress indicators.
Enable ID project templates
Each ID project template must be turned on for the year group. Go to the year group, select Edit Year Group Settings, and choose the projects in the Interdisciplinary Templates section. This adds a tab for the project to the year group.
Access ID projects and assign advisors
Open the project from the year group (its own tab, for example PHE-History IDU) or from the IDU tab of a class where the unit is taught. Students are grouped by advisor. Only students in the classes where the IDU appears can open the ID project workspace.
To assign advisors in bulk, go to the year group's Members tab and open IDU Advisors. Students can also choose their advisor while editing their project proposal.
3. Assessment
Interdisciplinary project assessment
Advisors and teachers use the project's Assessment tab to see each student's interdisciplinary criteria and total, grouped by advisor.
Open a student and select Assessment to assess each interdisciplinary criterion against its descriptors. Changes save automatically, and you can leave an overall comment. Select Export to PDF to download the assessment.
Interdisciplinary Term Grades assessment
You can also assess the interdisciplinary criteria in the class Gradebook > Term Grades tab.
- Show ID assessmentUnder View Options, select ID Assessment.
- AssessAssess every interdisciplinary criterion to see the ID sum beside the student's sum. If any criterion is not assessed, the ID sum shows as N/A.
The same ID assessment follows the student to the gradebook of every class they belong to, so teachers of each subject can assess against the shared interdisciplinary criteria. A line under the criteria shows who last updated the ID assessment.
4. Show ID assessment on reports
Report templates are under Insights > Reporting > Templates.
ID Term Grades assessment on PDF report cards
Open the MYP PDF (legacy) template, go to the Summary tab and tick Interdisciplinary Criteria Assessment under Customise Summary Layout.
ID project assessments on PDF report cards
On the template's Overview tab, tick Project-based Learning, choose what to include (for example Project Assessment and Project Comments) and select the ID project templates in Projects.
ID Term Grades assessment on web-view report cards
Add the Assessment component to a section of the web-view template. Select Customisation at the top left to open the customisation menu, then tick Interdisciplinary Assessment under IB Middle Years. This uses the same data as PDF report cards, from all the MYP classes the student belongs to.
ID project assessments on web-view report cards
Add the Project-based Learning component to a section of the web-view template. In Customisation, choose the ID project templates from the Projects drop-down, turn on Project Assessment and choose the assessments to include.
Select Save Changes at the bottom right after each change in the customisation menu.
For more on MYP report templates, see IB MYP Reports: Editing Report Card Templates & Publishing.
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