If you are tired of teaching the same OM topics every semester, here is a way to spice up your classes. You can pair with another professor from a different discipline to create an integrated interdisciplinary session. Here is what you need to do:
Pick a class that is offered at the same time as your class, so the students can work together. Look in the course schedule and find classes and professors that you can contact.
Talk with the other professor and identify common themes and overlaps between the two disciplines. Determine the topic of the interdisciplinary project.
Decide on the format of the presentation. You can choose a semester long project, one- or two-week project, or just one session. You can do a concert teaching, exchange classrooms, or invite a speaker.
Plan the project steps and class activities.
For example, last semester, we merged Operations Management and History of Art classes for one week to discuss the Dimensions of Quality of an Artwork. In the first session, I presented the dimensions of quality for products and services from an operations perspective and my art colleague presented how the perception of “good” art changed over time and presented to the students 25 pieces of artwork of different “quality”. Then we broke the students into interdisciplinary groups and asked each group to come up with three dimensions of quality with corresponding measures. After the first session completed, we analyzed the results and came up with seven dimensions that were derived from the student responses. In the second session, we presented the results and had an open discussion about the interdisciplinary nature of our classes. Here is the final definition of quality of art for our audience, arranged in the order of importance:
Quality art has meaning, provokes emotions, takes time to create, uses interesting colors and expensive materials, is unique and beautiful