737322 Inter- and transdisciplinary approaches and processes

Type
Lecture and exercise
Semester hours
4
Lecturer (assistant)
Smetschka, Barbara , Dörler, Daniel , Heigl, Florian , Bohunovsky, Lisa , Mayer, Monika , Penker, Marianne , Plank, Christina , Lemke, Stefanie , Radinger-Peer, Verena , Reinwald, Florian
Organisation
Offered in
Sommersemester 2025
Languages of instruction
Englisch
Content

Inter-and transdisciplinary approaches are of high importance in climate and sustainability sciences. and gain knowledge about different inter- and transdisciplinary approaches, including collaborative and transformative, co-conceptualizing and co-creating research and methods.
Students will learn about their own discipline and the diversity of disciplinary approaches regarding climate change and social-ecological transformation present in the group of students and lecturers. Understanding and reflecting communalities and differences in disciplinary cultures concerning theories, methods, “doing” research and quality criteria is key to be able to identify the opportunities and limitations of different disciplinary approaches. This is an important prerequisite for inter- and transdisciplinary research. Students will further understand different expectations in science-society interaction concerning the problem definition (societal and scientific problems) and the relevant outcomes (solutions and new knowledge).
Students will have developed skills to apply different interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary methods to integrate different types of knowledge adequately and to reflect on the limitations of these methods.
Students will acquire competencies which enable them to design cooperative research elements and set-up, implement and reflect on a transformation process. They will have gained experience in dealing with uncertainty, unknown situations, heterogeneous groups and conflicting interests and expectations of different actors involved. They will have acquired the basics of communication and conflict management. Additionally, they have learned to reflect on power and intersecting inequalities in transformative processes.
Social and personal competences result from reflecting on experiences in transformative learning on different levels (self, group, organization, society) and on their own role in transformative processes
Previous knowledge expected

Basic knowledge of interdisciplinary research is of advantage; we expect a commitment to reflect one’s own experience in studying and a strong interest in wanting to learn from other disciplines and on interdisciplinary cooperation.
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

Students learn about the significance of inter-and transdisciplinary approaches in climate and sustainability science and gain knowledge about different inter- and transdisciplinary approaches, including collaborative and transformative, co-conceptualizing and co-creating research and methods. The interdisciplinary team of lecturers will offer insights into an array of methods and introduce different examples of transdisciplinary case studies. The lecturers will guide student groups in problem-based learning while pursuing a small project including participative elements with practice and stakeholders. Students will learn about their own discipline and the diversity of disciplinary approaches regarding climate change and socio-ecological transformation present in the group of students and lecturers. Understanding and reflecting communalities and differences in disciplinary cultures concerning theories, methods, “doing” research and quality criteria is key to be able to identify the opportunities and limitations of different disciplinary approaches. This is an important prerequisite for inter- and transdisciplinary research. Students will further understand different expectations in science-society interaction concerning the problem definition (societal and scientific problems) and the relevant outcomes (solutions and new knowledge).

Students will have developed skills to apply different interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary methods to integrate different types of knowledge adequately and to reflect on the limitations of these methods.

Students will acquire competencies which enable them to design cooperative research elements and set-up, implement and reflect on a transformation process. They will have gained experience in dealing with uncertainty, unknown situations, heterogeneous groups and conflicting interests and expectations of different actors involved. They will have acquired the basics of communication and conflict management. Additionally, they have learned to reflect on power and intersecting inequalities in transformative processes.

Social and personal competences result from reflecting on experiences in transformative learning on different levels (self, group, organization, society) and on their own role in transformative processes.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.