Embracing Interdisciplinary Learning: Unlocking the Power of Collaboration
by Bonnie Auyeung, Reader and Chancellor’s Fellow in Psychology at the University of Edinburgh and a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Education Committee.
How do unexpected events like illness or exposure to pollution in pregnancy affect child development? This is something my team spends a lot of time thinking about as our research focuses on how the relatively short time we spend in the womb is so pivotal for our futures.
The Power of Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Understanding how exposure to an external factor could affect pregnancy and future child outcomes is complex and often influenced by many factors. These can include genetics, biology, environmental conditions and of course parental / healthcare response during the pregnancy itself. No single discipline can provide a comprehensive understanding of these issues. This is where interdisciplinary collaboration comes into play, bringing together diverse expertise and perspectives in teams to address complex questions. This is a characteristic of most research in the 21st century.
Creativity in Research
Interdisciplinary collaboration fosters creativity by bringing together different ways of thinking. In our work, we have successfully brought together insights from developmental psychology, public health, and data science, leading to innovative solutions. For example, our long-term study examining the impact of Covid-19 on pregnancy and future child development has worked across this combination of disciplines to understand future outcomes for children. This information can be used in real time to help guide policy response, target healthcare priorities or guide education and learning development for affected individuals.
Strategic Partnerships – Working in teams
Building strategic partnerships is crucial for successful interdisciplinary research. In the UK, our access to linked administrative data underlines the power of collaboration. Through its Community Health Index (CHI), the Scottish government has developed robust tools to allow linking of data from a wide-range of healthcare providers, educational institutions, and social services, in a format that is anonymous and secure. This means we can gather comprehensive data that enrich our understanding of the factors influencing child development, without ever knowing the names of the individual parents or children. This strategic alignment not only enhances the quality of our research but also helps to ensure that our findings are relevant and actionable.
The COPS and CHILDS Studies
Our recent studies, such as the Covid in Pregnancy in Scotland (COPS) study and the Covid Health Impact on Long-term Development in Scotland (CHILDS) study, highlight the critical role of interdisciplinary teamwork. In the COPS study, we examined the effects of Covid on pregnant individuals and their babies by combining health records, demographic data and socioeconomic indicators. Similarly, the CHILDS study explores the long-term developmental impacts of Covid on children by integrating data from health, education, and social services.
These studies underscore the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing complex health issues. By utilising expertise from various disciplines, we can develop a more holistic understanding of the problems and challenges and devise more effective interventions.
Teaching and Learning
One of the key benefits of interdisciplinary learning is its ability to bridge the gap between theory and practice, and particularly through hands-on experience. By bringing together students, scholars, practitioners, policy makers and other stakeholders from diverse backgrounds in teams, we can share knowledge that is relevant to real-world contexts. This hands-on approach not only enriches the learning experience but also equips learners with the skills and mindset needed to address complex challenges in their careers and futures. See this Teaching and Learning Conference link for (in my humble opinion) a great illustration of what can be achieved with interdisciplinary collaboration.
Moving Forward
As we navigate an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, the need for interdisciplinary learning has never been more urgent. By embracing collaboration and interdisciplinarity, we can harness the skills of diverse minds to tackle the complex challenges of our time.
Many thanks to Professor Colin Graham for the invitation to contribute, and for his inspiring dedication to the development of Interdisciplinary Learning.
Bonnie Auyeung is Reader and Chancellor’s Fellow in Psychology at the University of Edinburgh and a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Education Committee.
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