Session S-01 - Topics: Enriching Integrative Science Projects, Vanier; Science Integrative Project, Dawson; Interdisciplinary Co-Design

This winter semester Vanier College offered the Integrative Project Course to science students for the first time. 218 students were organized into over 60 groups to complete projects designed to give them an appreciation for the importance of interdisciplinary study, group work, and scientific rigor. Teachers and students of the course will be surveyed to assess how well we met the mandate of the course. This talk will share teacher and student experiences as we discuss ways to improve.

Like all cegep Science programs, Dawson is currently implementing the first iteration of the new Integrated Project course. This talk will share the Dawson experience in terms of pedagogical approaches, course designs, learning outcomes and the development of a Community of Practice in support of these new courses. It is intended as a complementary talk to similar talks proposed by other colleges and will serve as a conversation starter for a broader conversation across the cegep reseau.

This session describes the co‑designed, team‑taught interdisciplinary science project course piloted at our college. Across themed sections led by paired instructors from different disciplines, student teams designed and conducted inquiry-based projects. We will outline structural and pedagogical challenges—timetabling, workload, space, technology, and equity—and highlight solutions such as shared rubrics, scaffolded exercises, team‑formation tools, and coordinated leadership, along with lessons from student feedback.