Visualising structural barriers to interdisciplinary learning

In this paper we explore the challenges faced by institutions and academic disciplines in engaging in interdisciplinary learning, emphasising the impact of curricular structures. In liberal education systems, students undergo broad "general education", allowing them to explore diverse subjects across humanities, social sciences, languages, maths, and physical sciences. Conversely, career-focused higher education often confines students to teaching from a single department, limiting exposure to interdisciplinary perspectives. This paper quantifies the inhibiting effect of this restrictive approach on interdisciplinary innovation, particularly in the context of sustainable development education. The comparison of curricular structures between US and UK institutions particularly in the context of interdisciplinary Vertically-Integrated Project (VIP) modules reveals disparities in facilitating interdisciplinary education. Structural barriers, such as rigid administrative processes, registration constraints, and limited flexibility in the curriculum, pose challenges to the implementation of interdisciplinary programs. The paper draws on the work of Sonnenberg-Klein[1] to measure interdisciplinarity in higher education, utilising metrics to showcase the number of courses students experience outside their home degree subject and the ‘distance’ of these courses from their home subject. While recognising some successes in navigating barriers to interdisciplinary education, the paper suggests larger-scale solutions, including promoting flexibility in the curriculum, encouraging engagement with external stakeholders, and advocating for students to take courses from other departments. Network diagrams comparing US and UK degree structures illustrate the differences in the integration of interdisciplinary components. Ultimately, the paper aims to address and overcome structural barriers to interdisciplinarity, particularly in the context of sustainable development education. [1] J. Sonnenberg-Klein, E. J. Coyle, and K. Saigal, “How ‘Multidisciplinary’ Is It? Measuring the Multidisciplinarity of Classes and Student Teams,” in 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Jun. 2023. Accessed: Aug. 07, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://peer.asee.org/how-multidisciplinary-is-it-measuring-the-multidisciplinarity-of-classes-and-student-teams