Exploring interdisciplinary academic development: the Change Laboratory as an approach to team-based practice

Abstract

Higher education institutions are under increasing pressure to offer interdisciplinary education programmes; however, their implementation is not uncomplicated. Particularly where parts of a programme are delivered by different departments, academic development activities to change practices and develop a coherent interdisciplinary programme are problematical. This paper describes a team-based academic development activity aimed at improving student experiences of an interdisciplinary programme by seeking to resolve pedagogical, organisational and structural tensions. The activity is in the form of a Change Laboratory, a formative intervention method that builds on the theoretical framework of Cultural–Historical Activity Theory. Using this approach, participants were able to analyse and discuss the programme in a neutral interdisciplinary forum not available in academic development initiatives at the micro level of the individual teacher.