Toolbox Workshop at Columbia University
The Toolbox Project conducted two workshops at Columbia University’s College of Nursing. The Project partnered with Columbia’s Elaine Larson and Melissa Begg to work with the doctoral students enrolled in the “Building Interdisciplinary Research Models” course. Two Toolbox representatives, Michael O’Rourke (Michigan State) and Brian Robinson (Michigan State), facilitated two sessions with the students using the Health Sciences Toolbox Instrument. Contributors to the discussions were reflective, insightful, and willing to engage when their views diverged. Both sessions highlighted concepts (e.g., disease, control) that are central to interdisciplinary practice in the health sciences and could divide collaborators.
In a new development for the Toolbox Project, the class will experience an extended deployment of the Health Sciences Toolbox Instrument. This instrument consist of six modules: Motivation, Values, Reductionism, Research Approaches, Methodology, and Confirmation. Prompts in these modules focuses on specific related issues in health sciences. For each of the next six weeks, the class will spend a portion of their class time in small group discussion on one module. Amanda Hessels (Columbia) will lead these sessions.