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Kiva Microloans in a Learning Community: An Assignment for Interdisciplinary Synthesis |
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| Authors: | Susan Staats Alfonso Sintjago Renata Fitzpatrick |
| Institution: | 1. Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA 2. Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA 3. Academic Support Center, Carleton College, Northfield, MN, 55057, USA |
| Abstract: | Learning communities can strengthen early undergraduates’ learning, but planning them can be daunting for instructors. Learning communities usually rely on integrative assignments that encourage interdisciplinary analysis. This article reports on our experiences using microloans as an interdisciplinary assignment in a learning community that united algebra with world literature. Students used the microfinance website www.kiva.org to make small loans of real money to entrepreneurs in low-income countries. Four themes emerged from student reaction to the assignment: awareness of Africa, community impact, mathematical consciousness, and productive collaboration among students. Our reflections suggest that microfinance assignments may support integrative learning across many other disciplines. |
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