Learning with IATL

Read on below to find out about learning with IATL and our transformative educational experiences.

Find an IATL Module to Study

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UndergraduateLink opens in a new window

PostgraduateLink opens in a new window

PGA Interdisciplinary PedagogyLink opens in a new window

Find out more about IATL's Assessment Methods and Assessment ExhibitionLink opens in a new window

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Discover IATL Additional Learning OpportunitiesLink opens in a new window

Access IATL Support for Research Infused CurriculumLink opens in a new window

What is Learning with IATL Like?

IATL’s curriculum is informed by three foundational principles: Research-Led Educational InnovationLink opens in a new window, Participatory Practices Link opens in a new windowand Inclusive Structures and Care-Rooted ApproachesLink opens in a new window.

Following these principles, all of IATL’s modules embed holistic, academically rigorous and inclusive experiences.

IATL’s focus on Learning Beyond Disciplines Link opens in a new windowand Learning Beyond Borders Link opens in a new windowenables you to apply your expertise while collaborating with students from diverse backgrounds. You will integrate various perspectives in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary spaces, co-creating with peers and staff to address global challenges.

This approach will lead you to new ideas and solutions as you explore topics from multiple viewpoints. IATL’s Research-Infused Curriculum Link opens in a new windowhelps you enhance your research skills through innovative assessments, with opportunities to present your work via online platforms, student research conferences, and journals.

We also value students’ capacity for innovation and EnterpriseLink opens in a new window, and seek to support the development of new projects, new products, new business ideas, and new social enterprises. IATL is committed to developing Engagement PracticesLink opens in a new window on its modules to bridge between Warwick and the outside community.

Most IATL modules, through their inter- and trans-disciplinary nature, incorporate elements of Education for Sustainable DevelopmentLink opens in a new window. Examples include Thinking WaterLink opens in a new window(PGT), Design Thinking for Social ImpactLink opens in a new window, and Understanding WellbeingLink opens in a new window. IATL has a strong focus on sustainability, addressing Sustainable Development Goals such as Gender Equality, Good Health, and Quality Education. Learning with IATL equips you with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to tackle complex problems and contribute to the research community at Warwick and beyond.

What are Inter- and Trans- Disciplinarity?

In essence, Interdisciplinary learningLink opens in a new window is the process of acquiring and merging knowledge and skills across different disciplines. In this process, you will experiment with different disciplinary content and methods, broadening your intellectual horizon and developing a critical, holistic approach to complex problems that often exceed the boundaries of single disciplines and of traditional disciplinary scholarship. that often exceed the boundaries of single disciplines and of traditional disciplinary scholarship.

Transdisciplinary learningLink opens in a new window is about bringing together different disciplinary approaches and engaging knowledge and practice in the real world to solve complex problems. This is where IATL not only connects students to what is going on beyond academia, but encourages them to consider what and how knowledge and viewpoints from the outside world can be synthesised into their learning journeys.

How does IATL Infuse Research and Enterprise in the Curriculum?

At IATL, we believe in the powerful synergy between inter- and trans- disciplinary learning and student-led research. And IATL is here to help you see yourself as an inter- and trans- disciplinary learner and researcher—identities essential for impactful, beyond-disciplinary learning Link opens in a new windowjourneys.

In each of our modules, you will lead your own learning through independent inter- and trans -disciplinary researchLink opens in a new window aligned with your interests. By bridging disciplines, you will excel in meaningful research connections that enrich your academic journey. Your work will be assessed through flexible options like the Student Devised Assessment (SDA), with opportunities to present your assessment research at exhibitions, conferences, and journals, gaining valuable experience and skills for your CV —all through taking any IATL module!

By engaging with the 'Learning Beyond Disciplines' curriculum, you will cultivate novel research ideas but also entrepreneurial skillsLink opens in a new window. IATL fosters a spirit of innovation through multi-, inter-, and trans-disciplinary learning environments, encouraging you to explore new approaches and step outside your comfort zone. Some of our modules offer collaboration with entrepreneurs, start-ups, and organizations, allowing you to develop enterprise skills, create projects, and connect with key stakeholders at Warwick who support these initiatives.

How will IATL’s Learning Approach Benefit Me?

You will work together with students and staff from radically different disciplinary backgrounds, from the Life Sciences to the Arts and Humanities, from Engineering and Medicine to the Social Sciences. This is something unique to IATL – something that is not common in the majority of cross-faculty departments.

You will democratically collaborate with students and staff alike from a diversity of cultural backgrounds, value each other’s perspectives, and integrate their different forms of knowledge to actively promote change across the curriculum and beyond.

You will follow your curiosity, exploring topics that are interesting to you while starting from, and beyond, your disciplinary background.

You will develop your skills and grow in confidence as a student-researcher whose unique perspectives and ideas are integrated into the curriculum.

You will be supported in pursuing the development of new projects, new products, new business ideas, and new social enterprises and connect with other critical Warwick stakeholders in this area.

You will develop transferable enterprise skills, especially those related to problem-solving, team-work, and communication.

You will learn how to bring together and merge disciplinary viewpoints as well as experiential knowledge and apply your thinking to complex, real-world problems, and face the exciting challenge of finding complex solutions to them.

You will contribute to co-creating knowledge, in the classroom, in assignment tasks, and in assessments.

You will learn how to communicate with and engage different audiences.