Higher education is increasingly called upon to respond to complex, interconnected challenges that cannot be addressed through single disciplinary lenses. While transdisciplinary approaches to education offer promising pathways for engaging such complexity, many institutions struggle to design and sustain learning and research spaces that support this work in practice. This interactive 50-minute workshop supports educators and academic leaders in rapidly prototyping transdisciplinary learning and/or educational research spaces grounded in their own institutional contexts in higher education.
Drawing on case study research from collaborative transdisciplinary graduate programs at the University of British Columbia, the workshop introduces participants to key relational, structural, and institutional design considerations that shape the success and durability of transdisciplinary initiatives. Through a short case vignette, guided design prompts, and peer exchange, participants will identify one concrete focus for design (e.g., course module, cohort structure, or partnership interface) and develop a first-pass prototype tailored to their specific context.
The workshop emphasizes practical strategies for working within institutional constraints while also identifying opportunities to move beyond them, fostering collaboration across disciplines and between academia and external partners. Participants will be supported in articulating shared language for transdisciplinary learning, surfacing enabling conditions and barriers, and identifying one actionable next step for advancing their prototype after the session.
By the end of the workshop, participants will leave with an initial draft design, a clearer understanding of core principles for transdisciplinary learning spaces, and concrete strategies for strengthening or initiating transdisciplinary education and research initiatives within their institutions.

Authors:
Derek Gladwin, The University of British Columbia, Canada
Naoko Ellis, The University of British Columbia, Canada

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Derek Gladwin is an Associate Professor of Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia, where he is also a Faculty Associate with the Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekgladwin

See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule

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