Theories and Methods for Researching Interdisciplinary Learning

Abstract

Interdisciplinary learning (IDL) has become widespread in schools, universities, workplaces and diverse R&D settings. However, it is a highly challenging, fragmented and underexplored domain. Research that examined it is dispersed across multiple theoretical and methodological traditions, and targets diverse research problems, yet generating little impact on practice. This workshop aims to create a more holistic understanding of this research field by enabling CSCL researchers to share their theoretical and methodological tools and practices. It further aims at outlining an agenda for synthesizing this work into an integrated theoretical and methodological toolkit that would allow researchers, designers and other practitioners in the IDL field to conceptualize their studies and design IDL environments more holistically and robustly. The workshop is co-organized by an international team of researchers with expertise in studying various aspects of interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge co-creation and learning, and who operate within diverse research traditions. Participants will be invited through an open call, highlighting the need for contributions of conceptual, methodological and empirical nature.