Glossary

Transdisciplinary research:

Transdisciplinary research stands on the premise that addressing wicked problems must bring together faculty, students, and community members across disciplinary and institutional boundaries to ask new questions and develop new methods to address society’s more complex problems.

Interdisciplinary curricula:

Interdisciplinary curriculum intentionally blends two or more academic disciplines to examine a central theme, issue, or problem. It is distinguished from multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinary teams by its emphasis on teaching individuals how to integrate insights from at least two disciplines. It includes instruction in interdisciplinary theory and methodology.

Transformative learning:

Transformative Learning (Mezirow, 1991) is a process in which students critically examine and revise the underlying assumptions and frames of reference they use to make meaning, often after an experience that disrupts their expectations. At VCU, Transformative Learning occurs via high-impact experiential learning activities such as undergraduate research, internships, service learning, and project-based learning. These experiences are frequently interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary in nature and create especially strong conditions for transformative learning because they immerse students in hands-on, complex work with sustained effort, feedback, and structured reflection.

Wicked problems:

Wicked problems are complex social problems whose boundaries, causes, and solutions cannot be definitively determined. They are characterized by uncertainty, interdependence among contributing factors, and competing stakeholder values. Unlike “tame” problems, which can be addressed through linear analysis and technical expertise, wicked problems are embedded within evolving social contexts in which proposed solutions alter the nature of the problem itself and often generate new difficulties. (See Rittel & Webber, 1973)

External Collaborator:

External collaborator refers to any group or individuals with a unit of identity outside of VCU. Examples include community-focused organizations, non-profits, state agencies, or commercial businesses, among others.