On the 15th of April 2021, IATL hosted the 5th Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching Conference that explored a variety of issues on the theme of 'Interdisciplinarity: Learning from Each Other'. The conference theme reflects on the learning elements of collaboration, co-construction of knowledge and practice that underpin the interdisciplinary teaching and learning experiences of students and teachers. The conference, co-organised by IATL's Dr Elena Riva, was attended by over 300 delegates from the UK, Europe, Australia, North and South America.

Interdisciplinary Practices in the Varied Contexts of Higher Education

This theme explored how can teachers and students practically create a collaborative, student-centred, interdisciplinary learning environment from curriculum development to in-class and/or online delivery, to assessment, to student support.

Interdisciplinary Experiences

This theme provided conference participants with an opportunity to share their experience of interdisciplinary learning and teaching in the classrooms and to learn from each other.

Interdisciplinary Impacts

This theme explored why an interdisciplinary, collaborative learning and teaching experience is valuable for staff and students, what the impacts on its participants are and what are the outcomes.

Interdisciplinary Governance and Policies

This theme explored how interdisciplinary learning and teaching can be evaluated, whether standard measurements can be applied (and if not, what can be done instead), and, finally, investigated how interdisciplinary practitioners can meaningfully advocate at institutional and governmental levels.

On the theme of 'Student-led Interdisciplinarity' the teaching team of IATL's Serious Tabletop Game Design moduleLink opens in a new window gave a presentation entitled 'Communicating co-creativity, innovation and design thinking skills within interdisciplinary education through the creation of a multimedia student magazine' which discussed the innovative use of a multimedia student magazine within the module. The module magazine was created with the intent of providing a new way to share content in an interactive way and includes interviews with experts, online resources, as well as a ‘spotlight’ on student work. Feedback from students highlighted that the magazine supported an inclusive learning community and provided an opportunity to feature the creative work produced by the students.

One of the workshops was led by Debbi Marais (Warwick Medical School), Bo Kelestyn (IATL module co-convenor), Lauren Schrock (IATL module co-convenor) and Jo Wale (IATL) who are all members of the WIHEA Interdisciplinary Learning Circle. The workshop provided conference participants with an opportunity to collaborate with each other and discuss the topic of 'What are the challenges to interdisciplinary teaching and how can we overcome them?'.

The workshop was held in a world-cafe format with participants discussing over different courses how they would define interdisciplinarity and brainstorm possible solutions to the challenges and barriers to interdisciplinarityLink opens in a new window.

In another workshop, Bo Kelestyn (module co-convenor of IATL's Introduction to Design Thinking module) led a workshop with students entitled 'Learning from Each Other through Design Thinking'. The workshop shared their reflections and shared their learning from applying design thinking methodologies to co-creation at the University of Warwick.

This new way of thinking and co-creating innovation, using a methodology called the Warwick Secret Challenge, has brought staff and students together to tackle challenges in disruptive and imaginative ways.

Finally, IATL's Jo Wale presented a conference paper on the topic of Learning From Each Other Through a Community of Practice: Warwick's Interdisciplinary Learning Circle.

The paper explored the benefits of community of practices and shared how learning circles have been used at Warwick to influence and enhance institutional practice and policy.

Within the Warwick context, the Interdisciplinary Learning Circle has undertaken several funded projects to identify interdisciplinary practice at Warwick and to showcase interdisciplinary opportunities to both staff and students.