Fo Guang University Department of Psychology and Department of Communication Faculty Collaborate to Promote "Psychology and Communication Theory Interdisciplinary Course Teaching Practice"

Professors Zhou Weilun from the Department of Psychology and Zhang Yulin from the Department of Communication once again teamed up to implement an innovative interdisciplinary teaching practice, focusing on the theme of "Psychology and Communication Theory Interdisciplinary Course Teaching Practice." The students from both departments worked together to create digital psychology science animation, with over 100 students divided into 8 groups to produce their projects. The results were showcased at a presentation on December 30, 2024, demonstrating the fruitful outcomes of interdisciplinary collaboration.

Both Professors Zhou Weilun and Zhang Yulin have received multiple grants from the Ministry of Education for teaching practice research projects in recent years. Prof. Zhou recently received recognition for outstanding performance in the 112th academic year’s teaching practice research plan, while Prof. Zhang was awarded excellence in teaching practice for two consecutive years in the 110th and 111th academic years. Both professors have long been dedicated to innovative teaching practices.

In this collaborative teaching model, students from the Department of Psychology were responsible for gathering and consolidating research data and content, while students from the Department of Communication focused on digital recording, scriptwriting, and animation production. Using the Videoscribe digital whiteboard animation tool, they transformed complex psychological concepts into engaging and accessible short videos, producing 8 interdisciplinary psychology science works. This innovative teaching experience has directly led to the professors jointly applying for an educational practice research project from the Ministry of Education.

Prof. Zhou Weilun from the Department of Psychology shared that the process of students from both departments collaborating on creating psychology science videos was a challenging yet rewarding learning experience. The students had to not only cooperate and discuss psychological knowledge content but also tackle animation design issues. The experience helped them understand how to translate academic psychological knowledge into content that is easy for the public to understand. Prof. Zhang Yulin from the Department of Communication emphasized that this teaching design broke through the limitations of a single course, utilizing a dual-course, interdisciplinary group model, enriching the students' learning experience and providing new inspiration for interdisciplinary teaching research.

During the presentation, Communication student Lü Jiaen shared, "This collaboration deepened our understanding of psychology and the requirements for creating a complete science video. Most importantly, smooth teamwork and communication were key to success. Without mutual understanding and collaboration, the project could not have been completed." Psychology student You Wanying also mentioned, "The new experience of cross-department collaboration was rewarding, seeing students from different fields work together to transform professional knowledge into clear and engaging animation videos."

This collaborative interdisciplinary course between the Department of Psychology and the Department of Communication not only provided students with valuable learning opportunities but also sparked innovative potential in teaching practices. Through the continued collaboration of Professors Zhou Weilun and Zhang Yulin, it is expected that this interdisciplinary course model will continue to inspire more innovative teaching practices at Fo Guang University.

Work Sharing:
Fo Guang University Psychology and Communication Theory Interdisciplinary Course Teaching Practice – Psychology Science Animation Project.
Topic: "Does a painful breakup really hurt?"
Link: Watch on YouTube

1. Group photo from the final presentation of the interdisciplinary course teaching practice.


2. Communication student Lü Jiaen sharing insights from the production process.


3.   Showcase of psychology science animation project results.


4. Groups presenting their psychology science animation project outcomes.


5.   Students from both departments watching the final projects in class.