In the evolving landscape of higher education, the necessity to prepare students for increasingly complex societal and sustainability challenges demands innovative pedagogical approaches. A recent empirical study delves into Transdisciplinary Learning Environments (TLEs), exploring their design, execution, and impact in Dutch higher education institutions. The study peels back the layers of transdisciplinary education by examining how these environments stimulate authentic co-creation and co-learning among students and external partners, setting the stage for deep societal engagement and sustainable solutions.
At the heart of this research lies the premise that students must be equipped not only with disciplinary expertise but also with the capacity to navigate “wicked” problems—issues characterized by complexity, uncertainty, and interdependence. The methodology involved a multiple case study of eleven implementations of TLEs across the Netherlands, investigating the spectrum of typologies that educators employ and the design choices that underpin successful collaboration between academic participants and external stakeholders.
From this rich dataset, the researchers identified three distinct categories of TLEs, each embodying different pedagogical orientations and degrees of stakeholder involvement. The first, Consultancy TLEs (C-TLEs), are characterized by problem-driven projects commissioned by external stakeholders, whereby students engage with real-world challenges, albeit with limited emphasis on mutual co-creation or co-learning. These settings often mimic professional consultancy scenarios, giving students exposure to authentic problems but with traditional pedagogical boundaries.
The second category, Participatory TLEs (P-TLEs), stands in stark contrast, emphasizing structured and deliberate co-creation processes. These environments foster deep collaboration, integrating diverse perspectives through interdisciplinary teams and community engagement. Here, students and stakeholders embark on joint problem-solving journeys supported by pedagogies that stress empowerment, reflective practice, and co-design principles aimed at achieving societal impact.
Finally, Student-Led TLEs (SL-TLEs) emerged inductively as a unique typology grounded in student agency. In these contexts, students proactively define challenges, engage stakeholders, and drive the co-creation process guided more by intrinsic motivation and mentoring than by predefined curricular structures. This approach weaves personal values and identity exploration into the fabric of transdisciplinary learning, amplifying the role of student initiative.
These findings underscore important distinctions in how transdisciplinary education unfolds. While the participatory model is often heralded as the gold standard for fostering authentic societal impact, the study reveals that fewer than half of the cases fully embody this ideal. Yet, the value of all three models is undeniable, as they furnish complementary experiences that collectively nurture students’ competencies as future change-makers. Consultancy models immerse learners in applied problem-solving within professional milieus. Student-led initiatives cultivate self-awareness and responsibility, while participatory frameworks bridge academic learning and societal co-innovation.
The study further grapples with the inherent challenges of designing learning environments that genuinely enable co-creation. It highlights the necessity for educators to craft “freedom and autonomy within clear boundaries,” a delicate equilibrium between guiding students and allowing openness for emergent learning. This pedagogical precision involves balancing emancipatory ideals—encouraging autonomy and innovation—with instrumental needs for structure and clarity to navigate uncertainty.
Another crucial insight relates to the disruption of conventional academic roles. Engaging students and external partners in equal, reciprocal co-creation requires active coaching to help all parties relinquish entrenched hierarchies and expert-dependent mindsets. The institutional inertia of disciplinary silos and power dynamics often poses formidable barriers, making deliberate interventions to foster partnership equality indispensable.
Pragmatic enablers of co-creation surfaced as well, including dedicated physical spaces where partners can collaborate in proximity, the conscious framing of language that respects all participants as “learners,” and the alignment of overarching transdisciplinary learning goals that transcend narrow disciplinary assessments. Collaborations with value-driven non-profit organizations also appeared to catalyze commitment to sustainable societal impact.
Yet, perhaps the most elusive dimension pertains to co-learning—the shared, reciprocal growth among all stakeholders. The investigation found that co-learning processes and their outcomes are frequently implicit rather than explicitly fostered or assessed. Few cases documented tangible learning exchanges between students and external collaborators, and still fewer reported systematic reflection or evaluation of collective learning gains.
This gap in fostering and capturing co-learning contrasts starkly with the third mission of universities: to function as engaged actors co-producing knowledge with societal partners. Without intentional design and assessment mechanisms that recognize learning for all parties, the sustainability and innovation potential of these partnerships risk being undermined. The study points to the critical need for reflective frameworks and feedback dialogues that make co-learning visible and integral to the transdisciplinary experience.
Assessment emerges as a particularly challenging arena. Traditional evaluative methods, geared towards predefined learning outcomes, struggle to accommodate the fluid, uncertain learning trajectories characteristic of TLEs. The variability in student backgrounds, interdisciplinary scopes, and emergent objectives calls for innovative reconceptualizations of constructive alignment that allow learning surprises and diverse contributions. Without this realignment, assessment can inadvertently inhibit the very co-creation and co-learning it aims to measure.
The practical implications of this comprehensive exploration are significant. The typological framework of TLEs equips educators and designers with conceptual tools to tailor their programs deliberately and to set realistic, context-sensitive expectations for stakeholder engagement. It encourages a nuanced appreciation of how design decisions impact collaborative dynamics and educational outcomes.
On the theoretical front, the study enriches the discourse on transdisciplinary pedagogy by empirically substantiating the interplay between learning goals, pedagogical approaches, stakeholder involvement, and institutional constraints. It highlights emergent needs for conceptualizing co-learning as a dynamic, multifaceted process, shaping future research trajectories towards operationalizing and empirically modeling co-learning mechanisms.
In conclusion, this investigation serves not only as a practical guide for the advanced design of transdisciplinary learning environments but also sparks critical reflection on gaps and future opportunities. Primarily, it challenges academic institutions to reimagine their educational missions to more authentically support societal transformation through collaborative learning. The journey towards truly transdisciplinary higher education is complex and requires systematically addressing how co-creation and co-learning are designed, facilitated, and assessed across diverse and dynamic educational ecosystems.
Subject of Research: Transdisciplinary learning environments in higher education that support co-creation and co-learning between students and external societal partners.
Article Title: Transdisciplinary learning environments that stimulate co-creation and co-learning between students and external partners: an empirical exploration.
Article References:
Gulikers, J., Khaled, A., Visscher, K. et al. Transdisciplinary learning environments that stimulate co-creation and co-learning between students and external partners: an empirical exploration. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 12, 1768 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-06079-x
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-06079-x
