University of Technology Sydney

94754 Transdisciplinary Interventions and Initiatives: Beyond Impact

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Transdisciplinary Innovation
Credit points: 3 cp
Result type: Grade, no marks

There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

What gets valued in different collectives, and why?

In this subject, participants engage with understanding learning from a systems perspective. As participants consider initiatives that could have educational and societal impact, they explore and identify where interventions might be best leveraged. In the process of examining and proposing transdisciplinary learning interventions and associated initiatives, participants probe into the ethical considerations and challenges that arise. They critically examine measures of quality and questions about legacy against which initiatives and outcomes might be evaluated. As participants make sense of the complex and messy dynamics of transdisciplinary learning practices, they generate new questions for inquiry in their professional fields.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. Critically examine and analyse transdisciplinary initiatives for different stakeholder-learners
2. Make educational decisions that advocate for engaging ethically to the values of particular groups, communities, organisations or cultures and promoting agency
3. Appreciate the value of transdisciplinary initiatives for different stakeholder-learners

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject contributes specifically to the development of the following course intended learning outcomes:

  • Critically examine, test, analyse and appreciate the value of transdisciplinary initiatives for different stakeholder-learners, whether at a societal, organisational, community or individual level (1.3)
  • Make educational decisions that advocate for engaging ethically and sensitively to the values of particular groups, communities, organisations or cultures and promoting agency (3.3)

Teaching and learning strategies

Self-paced, mentored online learning

In the core learning subjects, participants undertake self-paced, mentored study online where they are introduced to seminal transdisciplinary learning concepts, theories, methods and case studies, coupled with putting into practice complex problem-solving, inquiry approaches and imaginative, ethical leadership. This subject opens up two weeks prior to its official commencement enabling participants to explore the Subject Outline, engage with the subject material and prepare a study plan based on their priorities. Week 1 begins with a face-to-face online seminar, leading into self-paced asynchronous learning experiences that run over the five weeks. Weekly online Informal Conversation sessions on Zoom enable all participants to come together, share and discuss key ideas, questions or possibilities emerging from their studies and extending their professional practice.

Professional practice integration

Participants explore the diverese ideas, approaches, perspectives and knowledge from different fields and trial them in their professional practice or other situations. As they test the relevance and worth of these practice-based possibilities, participants are tasked with generating transdisciplinary learning opportunities within their particular setting. Core subjects also provide opportunities for participants to review and adjust their learning goals, to shape their individual inquiry, to chart their individual learning pathways through the program and to ensure continued relevance of their learning. When coupled with the related Studio subjects, participants dive deeply into and experience transdisciplinary learning, designing and inquiry in action.

Content (topics)

  • Systems thinking methods and approaches
  • Leverage points in learning systems
  • Agency in learning
  • Sense-making and complexity
  • Measures of value or quality
  • Questions about impact and legacy
  • Making sense of complex, messy dynamics of transdisciplinary learning

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Gauging leverage points in learning systems

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1

This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s):

1.3

Type: Case study
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 30%

Assessment task 2: An intervention and initiative proposal: Considering values, agency and legacy

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

2 and 3

This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s):

1.3 and 3.3

Type: Journal
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 70%

Minimum requirements

Students must make a reasonable attempt to meet the expectations outlined for each assessment task and achieve an overall pass grade in order to pass this subject.