Transdisciplinary learning and teaching as answers to urban sustainability challenges

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to explain the relevance of science-society interfaces and their potential for higher education institutions to engage stakeholders in supporting sustainable change in cities, via the transdisciplinary learning and teaching approach of the Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development Vienna. Design/methodology/approach This case study stresses new forms of transdisciplinary learning and teaching as essential drivers of a sustainable urban development. The inter- and transdisciplinary teaching course “Sustainability Challenge”, which has been offered since 2010 as a collaborative project by the four largest universities of Vienna, highlights the value of experienced-based learning approaches and the method of service learning. Special attention is devoted to the opportunities and challenges of the setting provided by the applied science-society interface and the particular method of service learning with its concrete benefits for the city of Vienna. Findings In analyzing the conceptual framework of the teaching course as well as conducted service learning projects, the authors prove potential benefits of transdisciplinary learning and teaching for real answers to urban sustainability challenges. Portraits of the most successful service learning projects are presented, with partners such as the City of Vienna, an organization and one enterprise. Lessons learned from the case study and key elements of the institutionalized umbrella function of science-society interfaces that provide prerequisites for applying transdisciplinary learning and teaching are shown. Originality/value Finally, main requirements, challenges and necessary institutional settings for transdisciplinary learning and teaching are summarized.

High Performance Education Fails in Sustainability? —A Reflection on Finnish Primary Teacher Education

“…Transdisciplinary processes encourage collaboration between science and society, and thus emphasize joint undertakings and learning [17], and diversity means that various views are appreciated. There is a growing interest in transdisciplinary approaches to the sustainability challenge, approaches that can handle complex authentic problems and create practice-oriented learning situations [17].…”

Modelling Organisational Factors Influencing Sustainable Development Implementation Performance in Higher Education Institutions: An Interpretative Structural Modelling (ISM) Approach

“…Salient amongst these attributes is the HEIs' renowned resistance to change and innovation [6,49] and the discipline-centric nature of these institutions, which leads to knowledge compartmentalisation. Compartmentalisation is considered hostile to the creation of relevant knowledge for resolving SDrelated challenges, hence the recent agitation surrounding the adoption of inter-and transdisciplinary research approaches [23,50]. The inability of HEIs to deliver on the expectations of society on sustainability and SD has been attributed to a plethora of factors [16,22,51].…”

Managing Diversity: The Challenges of Inter-University Cooperation in Sustainability Education

“…The description of the multiplicity of such variations of 'cross-disciplinarity' and their organization into a coherent framework has become the focus of important theoretical contributions [26][27][28][29][30][31]. The need for adopting a cross-disciplinary approach for sustainable-development education has been raised by several authors [23,[32][33][34][35][36] However, the mechanisms and outcomes of such an approach are still a matter of research [37].…”