Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching Conference 2026: Paper Abstract

From Review to Opportunity: Expanding Interdisciplinary Curricula and Practice in Higher Education

Undergraduate Interdisciplinarity is increasingly positioned as essential to addressing complex social, environmental, and economic challenges, yet there remains limited clarity about how interdisciplinary engagement is introduced, sustained, and developed across learners’ educational journeys. This paper examines pathways for interdisciplinary activity through a critical review of interdisciplinary curricula and practice, drawing on an institutional case study of a large, open access university with a longstanding tradition of multidisciplinary provision. 

Using secondary data, comparative analysis of UK interdisciplinary programmes, and institutional reflection, the paper explores the distinction between multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary learning, and interdisciplinary practice, arguing that these differences are often blurred in both curriculum design and external discourse. The analysis highlights that many explicitly interdisciplinary programmes are small-scale, elite, and primarily targeted at school-leavers, while opportunities for sustained interdisciplinary engagement within lifelong and flexible learning pathways remain underdeveloped. 

The paper identifies multiple entry points for interdisciplinary activity across the learning lifecycle, including early undergraduate “orientation” modules, explicitly interdisciplinary projects embedded within disciplinary study, and later stage opportunities that draw on learners’ professional and experiential knowledge. It argues that interdisciplinarity is most effectively sustained when it is progressively scaffolded, rather than located within a single module or event, and when learners are supported to develop both interdisciplinary understanding and awareness of interdisciplinary practice. 

The paper outlines strategies such as curriculum mapping, communities of practice, and modular design to help institutions identify and extend interdisciplinary opportunities, proposing design principles that support long‑term, inclusive, and adaptable interdisciplinary pathways. 

Emma Bolger has over 20 years’ experience working higher education teaching, research and career development roles. Emma’s core subject area is career guidance/career development, a field defined by its interdisciplinarity, drawing on theoretical and practical knowledge in psychology, education, sociology, politics and economics. For the Open University, Emma has taught in the faculties of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; Arts and Humanities and currently is based within Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies. Emma currently teaches on the interdisciplinary modules YXM130 Making your learning count and YXM830 Advance your independent learning. Emma’s most recent publication is The Career Professional's Guide to Research (Trotman, 2025). 

Lorna Sibbett is Chair of the Open Programme Board of Studies at The Open University, where she leads the governance and development of the Open Degree, through which students can design bespoke multidisciplinary pathways. Her work centres on widening participation and strengthening interdisciplinary capability, with a particular focus on credit‑transfer students and flexible routes into higher education. Previously Co‑Director of the Centre for Higher Education Research and Co‑Director of External Relations in the School of Biology at the University of St Andrews, she has long championed integrative learning. A recipient of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Inspiration Award, Lorna has led the development of interdisciplinary teaching modules, inclusive admissions and induction practices, and the embedding of employability across degree programmes. Her current scholarship examines how belonging, identity, and academic agency are cultivated through student–staff partnership, informing the design of learning experiences that help students navigate and connect disciplinary domains.