Policy Press

Key Texts on Interdisciplinary Higher Education

Edited by Iris van der Tuin

Created to support course developers, this reader offers essential guidance for designing interdisciplinary higher education courses. It offers foundational extracts and practical advice to save time, gain expert insights and create impactful courses that meet today's challenges.

Higher education is changing rapidly in response to the global challenges of the twenty-first century, but for disciplinarily-trained lecturers interdisciplinary curriculum and course design is a time-consuming process fraught with difficult pedagogical choices.

This reader is the first book to bring together key texts on interdisciplinary teaching and learning, all drawn from a growing literature of peer-reviewed academic books and journals. As well as presenting excerpts from these foundational texts, commentaries provide essential guidance on the relevant themes, helping lecturers to reflect on this fast-moving landscape.

This is an essential resource for those designing and teaching interdisciplinary courses.

“This thoughtfully curated collection is a long-awaited guide for students and faculty navigating through interdisciplinary higher education.” Katrine Ellemose Lindvig, University of Copenhagen

“There is no book like it! I applaud the editor for an excellent choice of key texts on interdisciplinary higher education. Seasoned instructors provide commentaries on each of the key texts. The book should be of great value both to newcomers to interdisciplinary teaching and seasoned veterans.” Rick Szostak, University of Alberta

“This is a must-read for educators, offering innovative insights and tools for impactful interdisciplinary education.” Yuzhuo Cai, Tampere University

“Interdisciplinary research will never be mainstream until university educational structures recognise its worth. This volume provides valuable stepping stones towards that goal.” Catherine Lyall, Emerita Professor, The University of Edinburgh

Iris van der Tuin is Professor of Theory of Cultural Inquiry and Dean of Interdisciplinary Education at Utrecht University.

Introduction: Working from an integrationist vision - Iris van der Tuin

1. Students learning from interdisciplinary higher education

Unravelling (un)intended interdisciplinary learning outcomes - Jessica Oudenampsen and Jael Draijer

2. Designing interdisciplinary higher education

Strategies for supporting teachers in outcome-based design of interdisciplinary higher education - Esther Slot

3. Ten integrative research methodologies

Ten conceptions of knowledge - Simon Gusman and Sjang ten Hagen

4. Support and challenges of interdisciplinary higher education

Frameworks for teaching metacognition and reflection - Rianne van Lambalgen and Anastasia Hacopian

5. Teachers learning from interdisciplinary higher education

Engaging in dialogues - Lars Heuver and Sabine Uijl

6. Institutionalisation and governance of interdisciplinary higher education

Addressing the function of academic education by cultivating communities from the interstices - Zowi Vermeire and Joki van de Poel

7. Research of interdisciplinary higher education

A case for plural scholarship of interdisciplinarity - Annemarie Horn and Frank Hakemulder

8. Overview of online resources - Timothy Bland and Caspar Schoevaars