The Role of Transdisciplinary Studies in the reform of the Engineering Curriculum: A Case Study

摘要

The case study presented in this paper is a description of a blended transdisciplinary Small Private On-Line Course (SPOC) conducted by one of the authors for a selected group of faculty and doctoral students brought together by the co-author. The aim of the course was to enable the participants to reflect on who and what we are as individuals and engineers in a society that is becoming increasingly complex. It necessarily integrated knowledge from several disciplines and in consequence is transdisciplinary. The paper begins with a brief discussion of transdisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity. It is followed by a section on the transdisciplinary nature of engineering literacy. A major problem for those who wish to design interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary courses is the lack of suitable introductory texts and the unwillingness of publishers to publish texts that fall outside the scope of the traditional curriculum and its numbered course. In this case, the SPOC (Small Private On-Line Course) was blended: the text of the course was made available (accumulatively) in parts at the time of each of eleven video presentations (Skype), which were presented a few days in advance of a seminar/discussion (Skype). The course, its origins, aims and presentation are described, and its limitations and potential considered in the light of current discussions on the integration of engineering and liberal education, and developments in the role of technological and engineering literacy. Abstract 225 words.