Introducing a transdisciplinary curriculum to foster student citizenship: a challenge beyond curricula reform
by Hans Dieleman; Margarita Juarez-Najera
International Journal of Higher Education and Sustainability (IJHES), Vol. 1, No. 1, 2015

Abstract: The article discusses the implementation of new curricula in the Engineering School of the Autonomous Metropolitan University of Mexico City, Campus Azcapotzalco. The curricula aim at fostering student citizenship, and at training transdisciplinary practices. First, the concepts of citizenship and transdisciplinarity are introduced and discussed, with an emphasis on Nicolescu's concept of transdisciplinarity that emphasises the integration of formal, experiential and direct knowing. The article makes a plea for such integration in curricula so they become like rich ecologies incorporating various ways of knowing. Then, the implementation process is analysed, addressing resistance encountered and changes made, up to the final curricula acceptance. The article concludes that designing transdisciplinary curricula implies the introduction of a new paradigm that: 1) needs to be broadly discussed; 2) involves training of the academic staff; 3) asks seeing curricula in a real systemic way placing each course within the context of the broader whole.

Online publication date: Wed, 09-Dec-2015

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