Background: Constructing shared understanding of complex interdisciplinary problems is one of the most challenging aspects of interdisciplinary teamwork. How this process unfolds is under-researched, making it esoteric and difficult to scaffold. This paper aims to provide an articulated and nuanced account of what is involved in student teams'…

Interdisciplinary engineering education (IEE) is gaining traction as engineering practices increasingly acknowledge the need to transcend traditional boundaries given the complexities of globalised systems. IEE, however, faces challenges that underscore uncertainties and different perceptions about what interdisciplinarity means for engineering…

In this paper, we draw on recent research on so-called Fermi problems and situate the fundamental principles underlying this type of tasks and their use from a task design perspective. We use the models and modelling perspective on teaching and learning to elaborate on aspects related to the design of single-use, as well as sequences of, Fermi…

Entrepreneurship is a key driver of economic growth, innovation, and societal change. Yet, encouraging entrepreneurial engagement among undergraduates is challenging. Despite numerous initiatives, few students translate their education into ventures, revealing shortcomings in traditional teaching. Moreover, a focus on disciplinary specialization…

Students' success in physics problem-solving extends beyond conceptual knowledge of physics, relying significantly on their mathematics skills. Understanding the specific contributions of different mathematics skills to physics problem-solving can offer valuable insights for enhancing physics education. Yet such studies are rare, particularly at…

Hackathon has been growing and taking various industries by storm thanks to its flexibility and ability to fit into them. It has been proven successful and helpful in solving different IT and non-IT challenges. They also serve as an intriguing educational and networking tool, encouraging people to pursue innovative studies and activities. However,…

Relations of reading and math skills are well-documented. Using open randomized reading intervention data, we examined a reading intervention's impact on math fluency and problem-solving as well as the mechanisms of reading intervention's relation to math fluency. Twenty-eight teachers and 511 first-grade students (82% White, 6% Hispanic, 53%…

This article discusses the latest developments of the Sucre4Stem tool, as part of the Sucre initiative, which aims to promote interest in computational thinking and programming skills in K-12 students. The tool follows the Internet of Things approach and consists of two prominent components: 1) SucreCore and 2) SucreCode. SucreCore incorporates an…

Common intellectual experiences (CIEs) are one of the lesser-known modalities that have been identified as a high impact practice (HIP) in higher education. This mixed-methods study assesses the outcomes of a short-term CIE, which took the form of a multi-disciplinary, multi-classroom case study focused on Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square…

Background: Based on the embodied cognition perspective, interdisciplinary hands-on learning combines several disciplines, such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), to improve students' capacity to solve real-world problems. Despite the popularity of interdisciplinary hands-on learning, particularly the six-phase 6E model,…

Teamwork and collaboration are twenty-first century skills valued by STEM employers for addressing the most urgent problems in society. To prepare undergraduate STEM students, they must graduate valuing teamwork and collaboration. The Integrated Concentration in STEM (iCons) program aims to meet this goal by utilizing interdisciplinary team-based…

Many teaching strategies exist to develop critical thinking with students. Art students engage with critical thinking in a "Connected Art" workshop, implemented in three diverse Higher Education (HE) learning environments. Participants are interdisciplinary adult learners in the UK, Germany and Spain. Using joint practice development,…

Background: Engineering problems are open-ended and complex, involving technical and social aspects, yet engineering education focuses on technical training and closed-ended problems. To prepare engineering students, curricula should foster sociotechnical thinking--the ability to consider the interplay of technical and social factors during…

Despite the recognized efficacy of project-based learning (PBL) in fostering students' conceptual understanding, there is a notable gap in comprehensive research on its cross-disciplinary aspects, especially within the Lebanese context. This study seeks to investigate the impact of the Cross-Disciplinary Project-Based Learning Approach (CDPBLA) on…

In today's global economy, the origin of the food we eat is becoming more and more difficult to identify. Verifying the authenticity of products to protect supply chains is a complicated problem that requires a multidisciplinary approach. Chemical authentication of foodstuffs often includes a mass spectrometer detector; however, they are costly…