Towards Design-Driven Transdisciplinary Education: Navigating the Challenges and Envisioning the Role of Design as a Facilitator

Abstract

The contemporary society deals with challenges that are complex, dynamic and networked, which requires different knowledge domains to work together beyond their knowledge silos. Transdisciplinarity is one of the responses to this mandate, and universities are increasingly trying to implement transdisciplinary education. Transdisciplinarity, however, is seen disruptive to existing university structures, and there is a need to examine the challenges to inform future directions. This paper presents an exploratory study into the existing challenges towards implementing transdisciplinary education through action research in one graduate degree program. Through a series of interviews, observations and co-design workshops accompanied with frameworks and tools developed, we identify the existing challenges of the curriculum development and delivery. We also explore how design could play a facilitator role in unveiling assumptions and aligning different perspectives among multiple parties in the curriculum development.