Hung, David

Interdisciplinary project work or interdisciplinary project-based learning places demands on learners and teachers that challenge the traditional practices and structures of modem day schooling. Learning from doing complex, challenging, and interdisciplinary authentic projects requires resourcefulness and planning by the student, tools that support knowledge construction and representation, mechanisms for collaboration and communication, and support for reflection and authentic assessment. This paper argues that activity theory provides an appropriate framework for interdisciplinary work, in particular, the emphasis on (a) intended goals to be achieved; (b) subjects involved; (c) the mediating artifacts; (d) the rules of accomplishing the activity; (e) the community (teachers, experts, and students); (f) and the division of work involved in the project. Computer-mediated supporting environments should attempt to model the activity structures, tools and sign systems, socio-cultural rules, and community expectations {which are commonly interdisciplinary) that subjects or learners must accommodate when acting on some object or goal of learning. After explicating assumptions of activity theory, we describe components of a computer-mediated environments for supporting interdisciplinary and authentic work. These components generally support planning, knowledge construction, collaboration, and assessment. The paper proposes a possible prototype design based on the activity theory framework and discusses the managerial and implementation functions of interdisciplinary work within the proposed system.

SUCCESS is a project that proposes an approach to improving the academic learning of secondary Normal Technical (NT) students in Singapore through the strategic use of computers in the school curriculum. Capitalising on the NT students' interest in using the computer, an inquiry is being carried out in participating neighbourhood schools to develop instructional strategies (Chen & Oei, 1996) enabling tools (Looi, et al, 1996) in English, Maths, Science and Computer Applications to bring about more effective learning and higher academic achievement. This paper describes a pilot project conducted in a school which involves students doing a survey-based project on some aspects of shopping and consumers' choice, and analysing and presenting their findings using the computer.