The University Extension under an introspective approach: reflections and challenges from the management

University Extension at the Faculty of Dentistry of the National University of Cordoba has gone through a long process of conceptions, tensions and evolutionary changes with the aim of gradually accompanying the current extension paradigms. Various conceptions have been adapted during this process, giving rise to several significant changes in an attempt to give hierarchy to this pillar of the public university in line with the genuine needs of the community. However, there are still some challenges for the future, for which the participation of its teachers and students will be very important, not only in their permanent education and training, but also in the substantiation of renewed interdisciplinary projects, more and more committed to the social collective.

Calculating the ‘Price’ of Infrastructure Reliability in Finland

This final empirical chapter demonstrates how our Science and Technology Studies–inspired line of enquiry is also of use for considering the processes underlying and subsequent outcomes of large energy research projects, which have more conventional, monodisciplinary ambitions, and methodological tools, in comparison to the intentionally interdisciplinary projects discussed in Chaps. 10.1007/978-3-030-88455-0_2 and 10.1007/978-3-030-88455-0_3. Specifically, in this chapter, we explore a Finnish research project that aimed to study how much reliable electricity supply is ‘worth’ to the energy end-users, by assigning this reliability a financial price. Through discussing the experiences and outcomes of this project, we make clear how this reliability ‘price’ was translated and moved between survey studies, statistical modelling, and the needs of the energy industries and market regulatory profession. We conclude with direct discussion of how this chapter connects to the wider, interdisciplinary issues pertinent to this book, including boundary objects, the impacts of funding, epistemic cultures, and the importance of disciplines, and the implications of these for improving the understanding of technical and economic research projects that sit between vital public problems.

Alone in the world? Imago Dei from theological anthropology to Christology

In Princeton theologian Van Huyssteen’s (2006) major interdisciplinary work, Alone in the World? Human Uniqueness in Science and Theology, human uniqueness is rhetorically coupled with human aloneness. A comparison with a contemporary theological anthropology, namely Yale theologian Kelsey’s (2009) Eccentric Existence: A Theological Anthropology, shows an alternative approach to the notion or concept of the imago Dei, namely a theological shift from viewing human beings as image(s) of God, to viewing human beings as images of Christ, or images of the image of God. This contribution responds to the invitation implied in Van Huyssteen’s book title – are we alone in the world? – by exploring some of the rhetorical implications of a Christological interpretation of the imago Dei. One such implication may imply a different answer to Van Huyssteen’s question – are we alone in the world?; not yes, but no. Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s idea of Christ’s promeity illustrates how the rhetorical dynamics behind such a move in response – from yes to no – may potentially look, and that a rearticulation of human uniqueness could have direct consequences for how we imagine our human aloneness in the world.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article contributes to a specifically intradisciplinary conversation in Systematic Theology, on reading and interpreting the notion or theological idea of human beings being created in the image of God. This article does this through a close reading and comparison of two interdisciplinary projects on what it means to be human, namely Van Huyssteen’s Alone in the World? and Kelsey’s Eccentric Existence.

Improving professional skills in a multidisciplinary team of undergraduate engineering students through project-based learning

Even though undergraduate engineering education often considers laboratory experiments as its practical component, these activities may not contribute to the development of soft (professional) skills. At “Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia”, Perú, a series of courses called interdisciplinary projects has been created to promote the development of professional skills through project-based learning; herein, we report the experience of an interdisciplinary group of students focused on designing an indoor air filtration system to improve air quality and to reduce the spread of coronavirus diseases. Eight undergraduate engineering students were organized into three groups and worked collaboratively to learn about antiviral nanocomposites, user-centered design, and electromechanical systems design; they showed their progress and received feedback from each other through weekly meetings. In addition, they leaned on applications to organize the group work and share the bibliography consulted; finally, we collected feedback from these students on the proposed learning method. The positive impact of our problem-based learning approach on undergraduate engineering students is discussed.

Global Mental Health and Nutrition: Moving Toward a Convergent Research Agenda

Both malnutrition and poor mental health are leading sources of global mortality, disease, and disability. The fields of global food security and nutrition (FSN) and mental health have historically been seen as separate fields of research. Each have undergone substantial transformation, especially from clinical, primary care orientations to wider, sociopolitical approaches to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. In recent years, the trajectories of research on mental health and FSN are further evolving into an intersection of evidence. FSN impacts mental health through various pathways such as food insecurity and nutrients important for neurotransmission. Mental health drives FSN outcomes, for example through loss of motivation and caregiving capacities. They are also linked through a complex and interrelated set of determinants. However, the heterogeneity of the evidence base limits inferences about these important dynamics. Furthermore, interdisciplinary projects and programmes are gaining ground in methodology and impact, but further guidance in integration is much needed. An evidence-driven conceptual framework should inform hypothesis testing and programme implementation. The intersection of mental health and FSN can be an opportunity to invest holistically in advancing thinking in both fields.

An attempt to evaluate STEAM project-based instruction from a school mathematics perspective

Official documents in several educational systems reflect the importance of integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) and consider project-based learning (PBL) as a way of integrating such disciplines in the classroom. Although STEAM-PBL has been characterized and evaluated in different ways, its impact on school mathematics teaching remains unclear. Mathematics is recognized as the fundamental basis of other disciplines; however, many students still perceive it as a difficult subject and abandon it. To analyze STEAM-PBL classroom implementation from a school mathematics standpoint, we examined 41 classroom experiences from 11 Spanish secondary education teachers (five in-field mathematics teachers), who participated in a STEAM training program for more than 4 years. To frame this study, Thibaut et al.’s (J STEM Educ 3(1):02, 2018) and Schoenfeld’s (Educ Res 43(8):404–412, 2014) characterizations of well-designed and implemented projects, respectively, were employed. The results showed that in-field mathematics teachers avoided transdisciplinary projects in which school mathematics is difficult to address, while out-of-field teachers tended to overlook the mathematics in interdisciplinary projects. Unlike out-of-field teachers, mathematics teachers often eluded design-based learning processes for deeply exploiting school mathematics. The latter teachers promoted high cognitive demands and positive perceptions about mathematics in projects where formative environments were generated through discussion and a meaningful feedback loop.

Classical Studies for the New Millennium

In her contribution ‘Classical Studies for the new millennium: traditional material through new methods and perspectives’, Eleni Bozia presents a variety of digital teaching examples that also address contemporary problems, such as identity politics from antiquity to contemporary time, the symbiotic relationship between humanities and technology, and the significance of language learning. Students are taught to work on ancient representations of ethnicity, race, and citizenship and their modern equivalents, engage with the significance of technology for the humanities and vice versa, and appreciate the politics of language in all disciplines and areas of research, by engaging in digital storytelling, using digital resources in sociolinguistic analysis of ancient and modern texts, and pursuing interdisciplinary projects.

Research-based theatre across disciplines: A relational approach to inquiry

Research-based theatre (RbT) is an innovative research methodology that draws on theatre practices and conventions to engage in and share research. It is an inherently collaborative and relational methodology, inviting research participants, artists and researchers to take part in embodied data generation, analysis and knowledge-exchange activities. This methodology encompasses writing, rehearsing and performing a research-based monologue, scene or play. In this article, the authors share three recent examples from interdisciplinary projects where researchers and artists engaged with different communities to dramatize data using an RbT methodological approach. To add to literature in the field, the authors consider their experiences leading RbT projects in three disparate fields: theatrical, social and therapeutic. The authors explore the question of how RbT transforms relationships and how relationships transform RbT.

The Familiarity Trap: Collaborative Research and Teaching Lessons from 6 Interdisciplinary Projects

Interdisciplinary projects can be surprisingly challenging for experienced academic collaborators socially, intellectually, and practically. Within disciplines, common sets of philosophical assumptions, practical knowledge-bases, and professional goals can help groups to wrestle though interpersonal differences in attitudes, ideas, priorities and work habits that each participant brings to the table. However, in projects that span disciplines, even those basic commonalities cannot be relied on as members coordinate their plans, integrate their approaches, and disseminate their findings. By creating an intensive one-year model for interdisciplinary research-into-teaching projects, UCSB's Crossroads program has been able to compare reported experiences from six groups progressing though common phases of interdisciplinary collaborations and the predictable challenges that arise during such work. Many of the groups' reported needs for dedicated planning and preparation may sound obvious or tedious to academics who have not experienced the unique demands of interdisciplinary research and teaching. That is the “familiarity trap” highlighted here: those communication and coordination pitfalls most likely to sneak up on diverse groups of experts, confident in their own fields, working under pressure.