2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The complex and interconnected problems of today require trans disciplinary collaborations and solutions. This idea makes it necessary for both professionals and students to work across disciplinary boundaries and academic silos while also preserving expertise in their own disciplinary domains. One approach to support the convergence of disciplines in both industry and academia has been the application of design thinking methods along with providing opportunities to develop cross-cutting innovation-focused skills through transdisciplinary learning experiences. While innovation has historically been seen as an economic driver regarding technological development, innovation and design methods and skills have moved beyond engineering and technology alone to seek and develop new knowledge and ideas to advance all aspects of society. And, as industry and society continue to demand innovative problem solvers, universities must culturally transform to promote transdisciplinary experiences that can prepare and professionalize students for pushing boundaries in new and bigger ways. Accordingly, this study investigates one university’s approach to enact a transdisciplinary educational model [referred to as the Mission, Meaning, Making (M3) model] for undergraduate learning focused on democratizing the practices of design and innovation. The goal of this model is to offer one way in which to transform traditional undergraduate learning experiences to span academics silos, specifically synergizing the key strengths of an institution’s engineering/technology, liberal arts, and business management colleges/units. This educational model involves a) co-teaching and co-learning from faculty and students across different academic units/colleges as well as b) learning experiences spanning multiple semesters that immerse students in a community that can nourish both their learning and innovative ideas. As a collaborative initiative, this model is designed in an attempt to reach the broader campus community, regardless of students’ backgrounds or majors. That being said, the study presented in this paper explores how student participation in this collaborative model and their perceptions of their innovation skills may vary regarding major and gender. This exploration can be important as 1) the model may or may not be meeting the needs of participants across areas of study and 2) perceptions of abilities may influence a sense of belongingness for people within the model’s programming. 119 students (from 64 different majors across nine of the university’s 13 colleges) within the model completed post- and retrospective pre-surveys focused on the constructs of integrative learning, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. A two-way mixed analysis of variance revealed a significant main effect of coursework on these constructs for participating students, however no interaction effects were found on gender or college major. This paper will first highlight the details of the M3 model and its coursework and then provide the details related to this analysis as well as any implications for the results.