There is a growing interest in cross-disciplinary education aimed at instilling an open mindset in students in order to help them navigate complex societal issues. Since this requires commitment to learning, self-reflection, and venturing out of the "known," it is essential to understand student motivation for this type of learning that…

This research assesses how interdisciplinary pedagogical interventions can prepare students to tackle complex problems, such as the refugee and migrant crisis. The co-authors created a six-week interdisciplinary module, introducing students to refugee and migrant rights, experiences, and challenges from two disciplinary pedagogical and substantive…

Society is in strong need to change the way in which energy is produced and consumed. To cope with this complex challenge, integration of knowledge from different disciplines is needed. This paper shows how an interdisciplinary educational approach called networked learning combined with sustainability transition theories can help groups of…

Background: Faculty in nursing and history at Creighton University directed two service-learning courses on the history and public health implications of lead (Pb) exposure in Omaha, NE. As part of their service requirements, students conducted or observed blood lead screenings in area schools and reflected on these shared experiences in…

This study examines the efficacy of a novel college sustainability course in promoting relevant environmental knowledge and interest in careers related to environmental aspects within the Taiwanese educational context. The core content of the course covers the essential concepts of sustainability and introduces students to environmental issues and…

South African education is in crisis, which also presents an opportunity for innovation and experimentation. This paper describes and analyses one such pedagogical experiment with a combined class of Architecture and Applied Theatre students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. Students were taken through a critical…

To meet the grand challenge of ending homelessness, social work education programs must prepare students to effectively collaborate with other health-related disciplines. This article presents social work and nursing student perceptions of an innovative interprofessional education activity conducted at a day shelter serving people experiencing…

Civic engagement and social justice have received heightened attention in music education in the decade since Jorgensen posed the question 'Why should music educators not be interested in justice?' To this end, a social-justice focused initiative was piloted with choral ensembles at two public universities in the Midwestern US using human…

This article reports on a study that investigated student perceptions of the effectiveness of collaborative mapping as a teaching strategy to facilitate interdisciplinary learning. Forty-five students enrolled in an introduction to interdisciplinary studies course participated in the study. Qualitative data, collaborative maps and student…

"Fashioning Circuits" is a humanities course designed to explore how fashion, electronics, social issues, and makerspaces interact with design and critical theory. Digital humanities scholars and practitioners have seen an emergence of public art and representation beyond the academy, specifically applying interdisciplinary university…

Purpose: Over the past few decades, universities have been recognized as ideal leaders for the development of policies and innovative solutions required to support the transition to sustainable societies. As a major stakeholder group, students play a significant role in moving this agenda forward; however, their actions remain understudied in the…

As the interconnectedness of the world grows, the need to prepare college students capable of addressing complexity likewise grows. In this context, the University of Dayton has developed and tested a transdisciplinary model for education. This model links multiple classes from different disciplines via a common theme and within a common space. It…

Stigma and prejudice are barriers to developing policies addressing homelessness. Awareness development, using civic hackathons, may be beneficial in reducing stigma and promoting policy while offering unique training to social work students. The current study explores the feasibility of hosting a university-based homelessness hackathon;…

This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of an interdisciplinary undergraduate course embedded within a campus-community partnership initiative involving McMaster University School of Nursing, and three urban priority neighborhoods in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Students worked together with community residents and…

This paper reports on a qualitative research synthesis that explored the intersections between art and social work. The scholarship notes a rise in interest in integrating creative arts practices in social work classrooms from assignment design to classroom activities. Also highlighted are the potential contributions of these artsinformed…