Training students for the future workforce: the development of interdisciplinary skills in a science curriculum

Abstract

In the academic year 2022-2023, the Faculty of Sciences at Hasselt University introduced the new Master of Materiomics, aimed at students with a strong interest in the development of sustainable and innovative materials. The cultivation of interdisciplinary competences among students is imperative in response to the intricate interdisciplinary challenges that society faces today (e.g., the energy transition, evolving industrial processes, and limited resources). Additionally, it aligns with the needs of both local and global employers in this regard. Therefore, when designing our university's Master of Materiomics program in materials science, we adopted an interdisciplinary approach as the foundation for curriculum development. Students are trained to establish connections between the fields of chemistry and physics and apply experimental and computational methods. Throughout the curriculum, students are gradually exposed to various perspectives and methodologies, by means of the four learning mechanisms derived from boundary crossing theory: identification, coordination, reflection, and transformation (Kluijtmans, 2019, based on Akkerman & Bakker, 2011). The learning process begins by encouraging students to establish connections between different perspectives. Subsequently, they synthesize these perspectives through group work and assignments. Finally, they apply their knowledge to tackle novel and intricate material-related problems through a hands-on project, internship in a company, and their master's thesis. In order to maximize the development of interdisciplinary competences among students and to ‘connect the dots’, a learning portfolio is used, which is discussed three times a year with a mentor (professor of the master). In this learning portfolio the student reflects on their growth along the interdisciplinary learning line and is encouraged to give examples to support their reflections. By means of this mentoring program, the mentor supports the student in the development of their interdisciplinary competences and simultaneously these mentoring conversations can give the educational team insight in how the interdisciplinary learning line is implemented in practice and where adjustments might be required. For this latter, also focus groups within the educational teams were organized with a focus on interdisciplinary teaching. In addition the yearly educational day for lecturers associated with the Master of Materiomics also includes a discussion moment between the lectures on how the interdisciplinary learning line is implemented and here also good practices are shared with the goal to improve their courses with respect to interdisciplinarity. In this presentation, we discuss the development of the interdisciplinary curriculum and its interdisciplinary learning line, highlight the primary fostering and impeding factors encountered by students and the educational team with regards to interdisciplinary competences, and discuss possible improvements for the future.