Motivation
The current way of living is damaging the planet, leading to serious problems such as biodiversity loss and climate change. At the same time, the speed of knowledge development in society is increasing, which means that what students learn quickly becomes obsolete. At the same time, this accelerated development also offers opportunities in a society in which there is an urgent need for sustainable changes. To take advantage of these opportunities, professionals with different areas of expertise must work together. How can we use an interdisciplinary course to teach students to work together across different disciplines?
Hypothesis
The interdisciplinary programme will help students broaden their frames of reference and collaborate on complex societal problems, with a greater understanding of each other's disciplines. Through the hands-on approach, involving experts, students will gain insight into how knowledge is being applied in practical situations. As a result, they will be able to come up with more effective and sustainable solutions to ecological challenges, beyond the boundaries of their own discipline. The interdisciplinary programme will not only promote students' professional development but will also provide new insights for interdisciplinary education, with an emphasis on future collaboration in a rapidly changing society.
Desired solution
Simon and Constant are developing a ten-week interdisciplinary educational programme to allow students to look beyond their own discipline. In this course, they introduce innovative teaching methods in which students are trained in collaboration across disciplines. During the course, students will split up into interdisciplinary teams to come up with a solution to a specific problem related to nature conservation. Students decide for themselves how they approach this problem, and lecturers take on a coaching role.
Plan of action
Simon and Constant start their project with the development of the interdisciplinary educational programme. The programme consists of three phases:
- The students will first be introduced to different disciplines.
- The students are then split up into interdisciplinary teams, in which they work together on specific problems with the guidance of a lecturer.
- Finally, each team develops a practical solution to the problem.
The programme will be evaluated through a questionnaire that students fill in before and after the programme. It asks how students rate their skills and what they have specifically learned from the course.