Higher engineering education programmes increasingly include courses characterised by real-world problems and student collaboration in multidisciplinary teams. Research findings demonstrate that students remain limited in perceiving and meaningfully bridging disciplinary differences in these course contexts. Drawing on the literature on boundaries…

Problem- and project-based learning (PBL) is often highlighted as a valuable approach for addressing the need for interdisciplinarity in engineering education. However, studies indicate that applied projects in engineering education tend to be limited to a single discipline. This article presents a new project typology which can be applied in…

Contribution: Team-based learning (TBL) with a transdisciplinary (TD) approach is applied in one introductory programming course with different cohorts. The approach reduces the failure rate in the course. In addition, the approach helped students understand the application of programming to different engineering professional areas. Background:…

This paper outlines the continuous improvement enhancements of a two-semester multidisciplinary capstone program tailored for senior students within the School of Engineering Technology. These courses revolve around collaborative teamwork and focus on the development of innovative solutions for industry-sponsored projects. The overarching goal of…

This article aims to expand our knowledge on interdisciplinary design education by focusing on team development, which has remained a less explored aspect of interdisciplinary collaboration so far. An interdisciplinary design studio course, Collaborative Design, for food engineering and industrial design students in higher education provides the…

The design of biological systems is a multidisciplinary activity in which biomedical engineers collaborate to build novel biological systems that address society's needs. One of the most relevant skills for designing biological systems is engineering systems thinking (EST). Among the EST elements, the EST cognitive competencies are comparatively…

Background: In responding to the global problems facing humankind, there is great value in equipping science and engineering students with skills to function well in multidisciplinary teams. Little attention has been paid into the factors that influence multidisciplinary collaboration and teamwork of science and engineering students. Purpose: This…

The increasing complexity of societal problems and the need for more interdisciplinary problem-solving in the future raise new demands for future engineering competences. Consequently, competences related to management and leadership must be reconsidered and reflected in both engineering education and engineering education research. This leads to…

Research has indicated that interprofessional collaboration improves client outcomes, enhances work life, optimizes costs, and allows professionals to tackle complex situations with increased knowledge and creativity. However, the inherent barriers and challenges of developing effective interprofessional teams have been documented in the…

Collaborative teamwork is fundamental to successful research and is a desirable skill set for employers. Yet students receive little training in how to effectively work in teams. This article presents the preliminary design and implementation of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in biology, geology, and environmental…

Continuous developments in the electronics industry have led to constantly changing career roles and graduate skills requirements. Students in the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) have complained that numerous courses in electronic engineering are heavily focused on theoretical knowledge that is disconnected from…

Background: Societal challenges that call for a new type of engineer suggest the need for the implementation of interdisciplinary engineering education (IEE). The aim of IEE is to train engineering students to bring together expertise from different disciplines in a single context. This review synthesizes IEE research with a focus on…

This article aims to present our experience with transmedia storytelling in the design of materials selection, integrating two disciplines within an undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum in Brazil. The students' project involved developing a narrative within the fictional universe of superheroes while exploring material properties using…

Biomedical engineering (BME) undergraduate students take courses that allow them to develop skills in multiple disciplinary areas (e.g., biology, medicine, chemical, mechanical, electrical engineering) and as such, have a wide array of career opportunities available to them upon graduation. While their broad curricular exposure lends itself to…

Contribution: This study provides evidence for the benefit of short online courses for the transdisciplinary competence development of graduate students. It shows the significant challenges students face while learning, and provides instructional recommendations to improve students' learning quality and professionalism. Background: Developing…