‘Transdisciplinarity in the Curriculum’ Scholarship 

While ‘Transdisciplinarity’ may be a new term for some, it is a practice that has been around for a long time, and it has been studied and refined through arduous academic critique over several decades.

The University of Auckland’s commitment to transdisciplinary learning reflects international scholarship where transdisciplinary approaches are regarded as critical for addressing complex societal issues. 

The literature on the benefits of transdisciplinary educational experiences acting as a complement to, not a replacement for strong disciplinary education is long and deep. Furthermore, the literature on the use of transdisciplinarity as an approach to responding to complex societal problems is equally robust.  

The Transdisciplinary Leadership Team has begun a systematic process to keep track of this growing body of literature on tertiary-level transdisciplinarity and develop a resource base to guide and support our curriculum transformation journey. 

We have listed some of these resources within six broad themes and provided brief remarks on their relevance. The purpose of these resources is to offer you an overview to help your exploration of transdisciplinary pedagogies. We will update this page with new themes, resources, and links to additional materials, so please watch this space. 

1. Differences between multi/inter/transdisciplinarity

While there is no consensus about what transdisciplinary pedagogy means, it is easiest understood by considering its depth and scope of the integration of disciplines – which places it at the highest level compared to interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, or crossdisciplinary instruction. In “comprehensive transdisciplinarity”, there is both strong disciplinary integration and extensive collaboration. The following articles add to this conceptualisation by distinguishing the features of transdisciplinarity and clarifying what transdisciplinary learning means.  

  • Choi, B. C., & Pak, A. W. (2006). Multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity in health research, services, education and policy: 1. Definitions, objectives, and evidence of effectiveness. Clinical and Investigative Medicine, 29(6), 351-364.
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  • Nicolescu, B. (2014). Multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, indisciplinarity, and transdisciplinarity similarities and differences. In R. Emmett & F. Zelko (Eds.), Minding the Gap: Working Across Disciplines in Environmental Studies. (RCC Perspectives 2014, no. 2.) (pp. 19-26). Rachel Carson Center. https://doi.org/10.5282/rcc/6313 

2. Reviews, including systematic reviews of transdisciplinarity in the tertiary curriculum

Based on the 12 most informative scholarly publications on transdisciplinary sustainability education programmes at undergraduate and graduate levels, Horn and colleagues provide insights into the design elements and strategies used in these programmes. 

In this article, the authors draw on 41 scientific papers on education, the arts, and transdisciplinarity to clarify how the Arts are part of transdisciplinary educational compositions and “the very canvas on which … collaboration is played out”. The authors urge scholars, artists, and educators alike to use their findings to begin considering and experimenting with the positions and timings that are suited for the collaborations they want to enable. 

  • van Baalen, W. M., de Groot, T., & Noordegraaf-Eelens, L. (2021). Higher education, the arts, and transdisciplinarity: A systematic review of the literature. Research in Education, 111(1), 24-45. https://doi.org/10.1177/00345237211005799 

This comprehensive scoping review of 69 articles (36 on transdisciplinary education and 33 on transdisciplinary sustainability education, including tertiary-level education) includes a synthesis of pragmatic teaching approaches and implications for future research into planning and implementing transdisciplinary education.

3. Pedagogical approaches – Teaching resources and practical advice

 This newly published open-access handbook, a collaborative effort of 113 authors and 39 reviewers, advocates for and demonstrates the potential of transdisciplinary learning in tertiary education. It is an encyclopaedic reference guide that clarifies fundamental transdisciplinary pedagogical approaches such as real-world labs, student-organised teaching, embodied learning, and cooperative education in an easily understandable manner. 

 Published by the University of Bern, this handbook focuses on incorporating sustainable development into university courses and curricula. It offers valuable insights into course design, learning outcomes and evaluations using informative (and funny!) illustrations. 

  • Herweg, K. G., Tribelhorn, T., Lewis, A. L., Providoli, I., Trechsel, L. J., & Steinböck, C. M. (2021). Transdisciplinary Learning for Sustainable Development. Sharing Experience in Course and Curriculum Design. Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) and  Educational Development Unit, University of Bern. https://boris.unibe.ch/157343/8/150dpi_online_E_tdLearnSD.pdf 

Set out in 15 chapters by different authors, this book focuses on transdisciplinarity within tertiary education. The authors discuss the various forms and expressions of transdisciplinarity at personal and institutional levels, articulate the benefits of transdisciplinary approaches and consider possible unforeseen challenges. 

4. Transdisciplinary Approaches and Complex Societal Issues

Unlike traditional mono-disciplinary educational processes, transdisciplinary approaches equip students with the skills and knowledge to contribute to problem-solving strategies that address complex social and environmental issues. Scholars have raised the importance of this aspect in transdisciplinary pedagogy and have described ways in which complex problems have informed curriculum development. 

  • Coleman, M. C., Santos, S. C., Cypher, J. M., Krummenacher, C., & Fleming, R. (2021). Lessons from the pandemic: Engaging wicked problems with transdisciplinary deliberation. Journal of Communication Pedagogy, 5, 164-174. https://doi.org/10.31446/JCP.2021.2.17 
  • Lenhart, C., & Bouwma-Gearhart, J. (2022). Engaging students around the complex socioscientific issue of sustainability: Affordances and tensions of faculty working across disciplines to develop transdisciplinary curricula. CBE Life Sciences Education, 21(2), Article ar21. https://doi.org/10.1187/CBE.21-03-0075
  • McCrory, G., Holmén, J., Holmberg, J., & Adawi, T. (2021). Learning to frame complex sustainability challenges in place: Explorations into a transdisciplinary “challenge lab” curriculum. Frontiers in Sustainability, 2. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2021.714193 
  • Pearce, B. J. (2020). Learning to fail forward–operationalizing productive failure for tackling complex environmental problems. In D. Fam & M. O’Rourke (Eds.), Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Failures: Lessons learned from cautionary tales (1 ed., pp. 217-236). Routledge.
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  • Gulbulak, U., Ertas, A., & Cordell, M. (2020). The impact of transdisciplinarity on solving complex engineering problems in an ethnically diverse classroom. International Journal of Engineering Education, 36(6), 1976-1987. https://www.ijee.ie/1atestissues/Vol36-6/22_ijee4002.pdf 
  • Gibbs, P. (2017). Transdisciplinary thinking: Pedagogy for complexity. In P. Gibbs (Ed.), Transdisciplinary Higher Education: A Theoretical Basis Revealed in Practice (pp. 45-56). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56185-1_4 

5. Actual and expected outcomes and benefits for students 

While evaluations of learning outcomes from transdisciplinary outcomes are underway, academics engaged in these courses have shared observed and anticipated benefits for students. Students are expected to move away from the tendency to compartmentalise taught concepts and develop an ability to recognise inexplicit or indirect links between different disciplines. Transdisciplinary instructions not only help enhance learning outcomes such as problem-solving abilities, creativity, critical thinking skills, and practical communication skills but also supports the development of traits sought after by employers such as civic-mindedness, integrity, openness to uncertainty, collaborations when working in teams, and capacity to build and sustain meaningful relationships. Because of its emphasis on real-world issues and lived experiences, transdisciplinary studies provide students with the venue to develop a broad and applicable range of skills, cognitive abilities, and personal attributes required for growth in both professional and civic life. Some studies have also reported improved student confidence, grades, and even retention rates. 

  • Allen, B., Crosky, A., Yench, E., Lutze-Mann, L., Blennerhassett, P., Lebard, R., Thordarson, P., & Wilk, K. (2010). A model for transformation: A transdisciplinary approach to disseminating good practice in blended learning in a science faculty. Proceedings of ASCILITE – Australian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education Annual Conference 2010, Australia. https://www.learntechlib.org/p/45364/
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  • Brammar, L. (2023). A three lenses approach to employability: Transdisciplinary approaches to TNE students’ careers education. Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-11-2022-0251 
  • Evans, T. L. (2019). Transdisciplinary engagement with enforced dependency: A platform for higher education to address crises in employment, sustainability, and democracy in technological society. In M. A. Peters, P. Jandrić, & A. J. Means (Eds.), Education and Technological Unemployment (pp. 61-77). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6225-5_5 
  • Gallagher, H., Liang, J., Torrisi-Steele, G., & Ramsay, S. (2023). A pilot study of transdisciplinary graduate capabilities, interpersonal communication, and technical competence: Bachelor of Applied Information Technology and Master of Social Work student partnership. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 20(5). https://doi.org/10.53761/1.20.5.10
  • Lam, L., Cochrane, T., Davey, C., John, S., Shaktivesh, S., Ganesan, S., & Rajagopal, V. (2021). Improving student outcomes through transdisciplinary curriculum design in biomedical engineering. 9th Research in Engineering Education Symposium and 32nd Australasian Association for Engineering Education Conference, REES AAEE 2021: Engineering Education Research Capability Development, Perth, WA. https://search.informit.org/doi/pdf/10.3316/informit.354113951198409 
  • Marcos, E., De Castro, V., Martín-Peña, M. L., & Vara, J. M. (2020). Training new professionals in service engineering: Towards a transdisciplinary curriculum for sustainable businesses. Sustainability, 12(19), https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198289

 

6. Lessons learned and challenges of implementing transdisciplinarity in the curriculum.

This curriculum transformation is not going to be without its trials. We will likely face institutional and interpersonal barriers and challenges at multiple levels – from design to implementation and evaluating success. However, we could learn from others who have shared their experiences and understandings. 

  • Choi, B. C., & Pak, A. W. (2007). Multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, and transdisciplinarity in health research, services, education and policy: 2. Promotors, barriers, and strategies of enhancement. Clinical and Investigative Medicine, 30(6), E224-232. https://doi.org/10.25011/cim.v30i6.2950
  • Beecroft, R. (2018). Embedding higher education into a real-world lab: A process-oriented analysis of six transdisciplinary project courses. Sustainability, 10(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103798 
  • Evans, T. L. (2015). Transdisciplinary collaborations for sustainability education: Institutional and intragroup challenges and opportunities. Policy Futures in Education, 13(1), 70-96. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210314566731
  • Imbruce, V., & Prazak, M. (2020). The challenges of studying place: Learning from the failures of an experimental, interdisciplinary and community-engaged environmental studies course. In D. Fam & M. O’Rourke (Eds.), Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Failures: Lessons Learned from Cautionary Tales (1 ed., pp. 181-197). Routledge.
  • Access full text through UoA library:  
  • Lenhart, C., & Bouwma-Gearhart, J. (2022). Engaging students around the complex socioscientific issue of sustainability: Affordances and tensions of faculty working across disciplines to develop transdisciplinary curricula. CBE Life Sciences Education, 21(2), Article ar21. https://doi.org/10.1187/CBE.21-03-0075 
  • Riveros, P. S., Meriño, J., Crespo, F., & Vienni Baptista, B. (2022). Situated transdisciplinarity in university policy: Lessons for its institutionalization. Higher Education, 84(5), 1003-1025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-021-00812-6 
  • Vanasupa, L., McCormick, K. E., Stefanco, C. J., Herter, R. J., & McDonald, M. (2012). Challenges in transdisciplinary, integrated projects: Reflections on the case of faculty members’ failure to collaborate. Innovative Higher Education, 37(3), 171-184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-011-9199-3 

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