Anatomising transdisciplinary higher education through srategic design

Abstract

In an era of unprecedented interconnected systems, unpredicted disruption and ever-changing currents and trends; it is recognised that the interdependence between technologies, organisations and the economy will give rise to dynamic field forces whose complexity is beyond prediction and control of any single agent (Korhonen, 2016). Thus, the contemporary knowledge landscape sees an increasing demand from industry and society for holistic and cross-disciplinary understanding rather than focusing solely on the depth of individual disciplinary knowledge.

This outlook challenges the perceptions of the role of the university in contemporary society, as the disciplinary barriers that were consequentially created in the advancement of individual majors and specialisations; as responses to growing industry needs, have since proved limiting towards innovation. As an answer to this need, there has been a growing trend of Design (Management and Thinking) being taught in higher (and executive) education over the last decade; as design is seen as a catalytic tool in bridging different disciplines, especially when it comes to dealing with wicked problems and organisational change. Many cross-disciplinary courses have excelled in providing students with the experience of working with design methods in situated contexts, however, most degree programs still remain homogenous in their setup as well as curriculum design and development. The aspect of cross-disciplinarity appears to be challenging for implementation due to various systemic issues present.

Thus, through participatory action research conducted within the Aalto University’s International Design Business Management (IDBM) transdisciplinary graduate program, this study aims to uncover the complexities of cross-disciplinary curriculum design and development at a program level. Utilising strategic design methodology of going back and forth the macro and micro concerns on several levels (University, Program, Course) that create the contexts of study; this thesis explores how programs like IDBM work within and around existing systems, while still being flexible enough to constantly update content that is relevant to industry/ societal needs. It also considers curriculum resonance, a challenge presented by the diversity of student body that adds to the complexity of cross-disciplinary curriculum planning and development.

It moves us away from the idea of students having to navigate within an often complex and fragmented higher education system, towards the idea of the higher education considering resonance and aligned to deliver the best experience for its students, supporting and allowing them to co-create outcomes that will benefit them for life (Bitner et al., 2008).