Transdisciplinary Theory, Practice and Education

This exciting new state-of-the art book reviews, explores and advocates ways in which collaborative research endeavours can, through a transdisciplinary lens, enhance student, academic and social experiences.  Drawing from a wide range of knowledges, contexts, geographical locations and internationally renowned expertise, the book provides a unique look into the world of transdisciplinary thinking, collaborative learning and action. In doing so, the book is action orientated, reflective, theoretical and intriguing and provides a place for all of these to meet and mingle in the spirit of curiosity and imagination.

‘Interested in transdisciplinarity? Want to improve your teaching and research? This book is packed with useful lessons. Whether you want a stronger theoretical grounding, insights into how peers approach teaching of transdisciplinarity, or transdisciplinary research case studies, this book offers a range of imaginative approaches. Dena Fam, Linda Neuhauser and Paul Gibbs have done a superb job of pulling together contributions from 46 authors presenting diverse teaching and research examples from around the world. They lift the lid on this important topic—one that will only grow in significance as research and education organizations embrace the challenges of supporting researchers and preparing students to deal with the myriad complex social and environmental problems the world is confronting’ - Gabriele Bammer, Professor of Integration and Implementation Sciences, The Australian National University

‘With their new book, The art of collaborative research and collective learning: transdisciplinary theory, practice and education, Fam, Neuhauser, and Gibbs supply a valuable resource for all those interested in transdisciplinary research. Adopting an international perspective, the editors recognize the importance of thinking about transdisciplinarity broadly. This emphasis on breadth is reflected in the book's helpful structure, which combines the perspectives of theorists, educational experts, and transdisciplinary practitioners from around the world’ - Professor Michael O’Rourke, Department of Philosophy Faculty, Michigan State University

‘The book offers a broad theoretical discussion which brings together diverse discourses that have not always spoken to one another or taken advantage of parallel trains of intellectual development in diverse fields such as collaborative learning, design theory, innovation approaches, and systems theory, to name but a few. Different case studies also include a variety of concrete methods and ways of working together that promote different examples of boundary breaking collaboration, such as communities of practice, design competitions, field trips, and living labs’ - Dr Merritt Polk, School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg