What the study found
The authors derived principles for designing and implementing integrative teaching and learning in inter- and transdisciplinary higher education. They also described how these principles were applied in an MSc course at ETH Zurich and shared first lessons learned.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that their work can support current and future study directors and lecturers in designing and implementing integrative teaching and learning in inter- and transdisciplinary higher education.
What the researchers tested
The paper combines conceptual insights from studying integration with empirical insights from leading and engaging in integration in inter- and transdisciplinary projects or programs. The authors then apply these ideas in their MSc course, "Integration in Science, Policy and Practice: Inter- and Transdisciplinary Concepts, Methods, Tools," and describe competencies, learning objectives, teaching and learning activities, and learning outcomes.
What worked and what didn't
The authors define method- and subject-specific competencies, as well as social and personal competencies, in integration. They operationalize these through competence-oriented learning objectives and outline teaching and learning activities; the abstract says they discuss learning outcomes and draw first lessons learned, but it does not specify which parts worked best or which did not.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not provide detailed results, comparisons, or quantitative evidence. It also does not describe limitations beyond noting that the article offers first lessons learned and ways forward.
Key points
- The authors derived principles for integrative teaching and learning in inter- and transdisciplinary higher education.
- The paper describes an MSc course at ETH Zurich where these principles were applied.
- The authors define method- and subject-specific competencies, plus social and personal competencies, in integration.
- Competence-oriented learning objectives and teaching and learning activities are outlined in the article.
- The abstract says the authors discuss learning outcomes and first lessons learned, but gives no detailed results.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Article outlines principles for integrative teaching in higher education
- Authors:
- Sabine Hoffmann, Bianca Vienni Baptista
- Institutions:
- ETH Zurich, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
- Publication date:
- 2026-01-29
- OpenAlex record:
- View
Get the weekly research newsletter
Stay current with peer-reviewed research without reading academic papers — one filtered digest, every Friday.