Welcome to Francis Academic Press

International Journal of New Developments in Education, 2025, 7(1); doi: 10.25236/IJNDE.2025.070112.

Curriculum Design of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Degree in Digital Era

Author(s)

Yao Yao, Yizhen Zhou, Jiangping Zhu

Corresponding Author:
Yizhen Zhou
Affiliation(s)

Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China

Abstract

As response to the demand of economic and social development in digital era, undergraduate interdisciplinary study could facilitate innovation and cultivate technological talents. The paper first analyzed objective and curriculum design of undergraduate interdisciplinary degree, and then elaborate the challenge and its corresponding strategy. A comparison analysis was conducted. The course structure, project based learning, academic qualifications and industrial experience of the staff, graduation and tuition fees are compared between interdisciplinary degree and mono disciplinary degree, as well as double degree. The effectiveness of interdisciplinary course is measured by final exam results, employment rate, start salary and admission to postgraduate program. The advantage of interdisciplinary study at undergraduate level is reflected in practical capability, critical thinking, innovation, initiative, and team cooperation. The prospect in career development and further study and research are more promising for interdisciplinary graduates. Future research and improvement is also discussed, which focus on long term development of the students, multilateral communication and systemization of curriculum improvement.

Keywords

Interdisciplinary Degree, Curriculum Design, Challenge and Strategy, Effectiveness

Cite This Paper

Yao Yao, Yizhen Zhou, Jiangping Zhu. Curriculum Design of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Degree in Digital Era. International Journal of New Developments in Education (2025), Vol. 7, Issue 1: 81-87. https://doi.org/10.25236/IJNDE.2025.070112.

References

[1] Ciferri, Alberto; Soldi, Angelaurelio. Interdisciplinary education and authentic development. International Review of Education. Aug2021, Vol. 67 Issue 4, p533-549.

[2] Kowalski, Jennifer R.; Lineweaver, Tara T.; Novak, Katherine B. Developing Integrative Thinking in Undergraduate Students through an Interdisciplinary General Education Course on Mental Illness. College Teaching. Oct-Dec2022, Vol. 70 Issue 4, p493-505.

[3] Ashby, Iryna; Exter, Marisa. Designing for Interdisciplinarity in Higher Education: Considerations for Instructional Designers. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning. Mar2019, Vol. 63 Issue 2, p202-208.

[4] Christopher A. Craig, Elizabeth L. Petrun Sayers, Susan Gilbertz, Ismail Karabas. The development and evaluation of interdisciplinary STEM, sustainability, and management curriculum. The International Journal of Management Education, Volume 20, Issue 2, July 2022, 100652

[5] Solares-Rojas, Armando; Arellano-Aguilar, Omar; García González, Moisés Martín; López-Vargas, María del Rocío; Coles, Alf; Méndez Serrano, Alejandra. Mathematics education and social-environmental crises: an interdisciplinary proposal for didactic innovation with rural communities in Mexico. Research in Mathematics Education. Aug2022, Vol. 24 Issue 2, p202-223.

[6] Salmela, Mikko; MacLeod, Miles; Munck af Rosenschöld, Johan. Internally Incentivized Interdisciplinarity: Organizational Restructuring of Research and Emerging Tensions. Minerva: A Review of Science, Learning & Policy. Sep2021, Vol. 59 Issue 3, p355-377.

[7] Stephen Marcoux,Marie B. tobin, Shivani Kumar, Interdisciplinary Psychiatric Education: Enhancing Knowledge, Bridging Gaps, Improving Outcomes, Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry,Volume 64, Supplement, November–December 2023, Page S97

[8] Lindvig, Katrine; Lyall, Catherine; Meagher, Laura R. Creating interdisciplinary education within monodisciplinary structures: the art of managing interstitiality. Studies in Higher Education. Feb2019, Vol. 44 Issue 2, p347-360.

[9] Yuqing Geng, Lingyan Chen, Jianyi Li, Kashif Iqbal. Higher education and digital Economy: Analysis of their coupling coordination with the Yangtze River economic Belt in China as the example. Ecological Indicators. Volume 154, October 2023, 110510

[10] Thomas K. F. Chiu. Future research recommendations for transforming higher education with generative AI. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence. Available online 27 December 2023, 100197

[11] Sytsma, Terin T.; Krause, David A.; Hollman, John H.; Leep Hunderfund, Andrea N.; Newcomer, Karen L. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of an interprofessional workshop between physical therapy and medical students. Journal of Interprofessional Care. Jan-Feb2021, Vol. 35 Issue 1, p145-148.

[12] Ana M. Corbacho, Lucía Minini, Mariana Pereyra, Alice Elizabeth González-Fernández, Rodrigo Echániz, Lorena Repetto, Paula Cruz, Verónica Fernández-Damonte , Andrea Lorieto, Maximiliano Basile. Interdisciplinary higher education with a focus on academic motivation and teamwork diversity. International Journal of Educational Research Open, Volume 2, 2021, 100062

[13] Ross, Catharine; Nichol, Lynn; Elliott, Carole; Sambrook, Sally; Stewart, Jim. From chain to net: assessing interdisciplinary contributions to academic impact through narrative case studies. Studies in Higher Education. Nov 2021, Vol. 46 Issue 11, p2309-2324

[14] Imen OURAGINI, Lassaad LAKHAL. The Effect of an Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurship Education Program on Students’ Entrepreneurial Intention. The International Journal of Management Education, Volume 21, Issue 3, November 2023, 100845 

[15] Trinter, Christine P.; Hughes, Hilary E. Teachers as Curriculum Designers: Inviting Teachers into the Productive Struggle. Research in Middle Level Education Online. 2021, Vol. 44 Issue 3, p1-16.