The Interdisciplinary Journal of

Problem-based Learning
The Role of Interdisciplinarity in Bringing PBL to traditional Universities: Opportunities and
Challenges on the Organizational, Team and Individual Level

Mirjam Braßler (University of Hamburg)

IJPBL is Published in Open Access Format through the Generous Support of the School of Education at Indiana
University, the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education at the University of Oklahoma, and the Center for Re-
search on Learning and Technology at Indiana University.

Copyright Holder: Mirjam Braßler

https://doi.org/10.14434/ijpbl.v14i2.28799 September 2020 | Volume 14 | Issue 2

 The Interdisciplinary Journal of
Problem-based Learning
2020 SPECIAL ISSUE: PBLING THE UNPBLABLE
The Role of Interdisciplinarity in Bringing PBL to
traditional Universities: Opportunities and Challeng-
es on the Organizational, Team and Individual Level
Mirjam Braßler
(University of Hamburg)

ABSTRACT
Problem-based learning (PBL) has emerged as a suitable approach to shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered educa-
tion. However, higher education institutions (HEIs) experience obstacles stemming from lecturers’ and students’ reservations
as well as organizational challenges. Following action research, the author reflects on her implementation of interdisciplinary
PBL within one exemplar case study to explore opportunities and challenges of interdisciplinarity in the transition toward a
PBL curriculum in a traditional HEI. At the organizational level, interdisciplinarity facilitates collective knowledge creation
about PBL by providing interdisciplinary learning spaces and in-house training. At the team level, lecturers as well as stu-
dents can collectively learn about PBL. At the individual level, interdisciplinary student-to-student and lecturer-to-lecturer
learning can enhance personal knowledge about PBL. Monodisciplinary structures, discipline-based differences in teaching
and knowledge traditions, as well as individual prejudices are sources of challenges associated with interdisciplinarity in
organizational learning.

Keywords: Interdisciplinarity, Problem-based Learning, PBL, Organizational Learning, Higher Education Institutions

Introduction to support transition toward this new curriculum. Despite

the obstacles, enthusiastic individuals or small teams have
A 21st century view of education calls for students to sought to bring PBL to formerly “unPBLed” or seemingly
develop strong competence and skills in critical thinking “unPBLable” contexts (Savery, 2015). Due to the high poten-
and problem-solving, communication, collaboration and tial of switching toward learner-centered teaching, PBL
team-building, and creativity and innovation (P21, 2012). could increasingly be implemented beyond individuals or
Higher education institutions (HEIs) are responsible for small teams to foster a wider change within a university.
providing suitable teaching-learning spaces that enable This raises the question of how HEIs can enhance organiza-
students to develop these competences (Kolmos, Hadgaft, tional learning to support implementation of PBL. As orga-
& Holgaard, 2016). The problem-based learning (PBL) nizations, HEIs are replete with deep individual expertise,
approach represents such a pedagogy, marking a shift from but they lack mechanisms for transferring learning from the
teacher-centered to learner-centered perspectives that foster individual to the group and then the organization (Reese,
students’ competence and skills development (Dole, Bloom, 2017). Interdisciplinary interaction and collaboration have
& Kowalske, 2016). been described as a potential way to change HEIs from
Unfortunately, previous research shows that HEIs expe- within (Örtenblad & Koris, 2014), especially in the context
rience several obstacles in the shift toward PBL. Lecturers, of implementing PBL (Braßler & Dettmers, 2017; Dole et al.,
students, and the organization itself need to be on board 2016; Mansor et al., 2015).

https://doi.org/10.14434/ijpbl.v14i2.28799 September 2020 | Volume 14 | Issue 2

Braßler, M. The Role of Interdisciplinarity in Bringing PBL to traditional Universities

The present paper explores the role of interdisciplinar- ambassadors for the PBL concept. HEIs often experience dif-
ity in the implementation of PBL in traditional universities. ficulties in transferring knowledge from the individual to the
More precisely, the present paper investigates the question: group and then the organization (Reese, 2017). HEIs have a
Can interdisciplinarity help bring PBL to the unPBLed HEIs? strong need to foster knowledge creation and sharing across
Rooted in the tradition of action research, the author group boundaries (Dee & Leisyte, 2017).
describes and analyzes her own implementation of an inter- The present paper explores the potential of interdisciplin-
disciplinary PBL course to further investigate how organiza- arity to bring PBL to formerly “unPBLed” HEIs. The Oxford
tional learning unfolded within a traditional university. In English Dictionary defines interdisciplinary as being: “Of or
a first step, the author describes the organization and inter- pertaining to two or more disciplines or branches of learning;
vention of one interdisciplinary PBL course in an example contributing to or benefiting from two or more disciplines.”
case study. Second, the author reflects on processes, impacts, Pursuing the aim of implementing interdisciplinarity in the
and outcomes in the example case on each embedded sub- PBL concept requires two types of interdisciplinarity: inter-
unit within the integrative framework for organizational disciplinary teamwork and interdisciplinary learning. First,
learning: opportunities and challenges on the organizational there is a need for lecturers to come into interdisciplinary
level, the team level, and the individual level. Third, the contact and form a team. Then they can plan and execute
author discusses her findings regarding related literature in interdisciplinary PBL. An interdisciplinary team is one con-
organizational learning and interdisciplinarity. stituted of team members from two or more disciplines or
The present paper strongly contributes to the understand- functions who have complementary skills and share a com-
ing of PBL implementation in previously unPBLed HEIs by mon goal and accountability (Clark, Spence, & Sheehan,
identifying opportunities and challenges that come with an 1996). For successful implementation of interdisciplinary
interdisciplinary approach on the organizational, team, and PBL, an interdisciplinary team of lecturers applies different
individual level. discipline-based teaching skills and discipline-based knowl-
edge; they share the goal of enabling students to develop
Obstacles to Implementation of PBL and the Potential
interdisciplinary solutions and share accountability for plan-
Role of Interdisciplinarity
ning and executing a successful teaching-learning arrange-
Previous research regarding the implementation of PBL ment. Second, within the interdisciplinary teaching-learning
reports several obstacles in the transition toward this new arrangement, students learn in an interdisciplinary manner.
curriculum. First, teaching staff refrain from implementing Interdisciplinary learning is defined as a process by which
PBL due to unfamiliarity with the PBL concept, uncertain- “learners integrate information, data, techniques, tools,
ties regarding their potential new role as facilitators rather perspectives, concepts, and/or theories from two or more
than transmitters of knowledge, and avoidance of work disciplines to craft products, explain phenomena, or solve
overload (AlBuali & Khan, 2018; Dole, Bloom, & Kowalske, problems, in ways that would have been unlikely through
2016; Hung, 2011; Mansor et al., 2015). Furthermore, lec- single-disciplinary means” (Boix Mansilla, 2010, p. 289).
turers experience difficulties in convincing students and Interdisciplinary contact across students and lecturers,
administrative staff of the benefits of PBL in an environment collaboration in a PBL setting and exchange and reflection
where conventional teaching approaches remain predomi- on PBL processes could increase organizational learning
nant (Dole, Bloom, & Kowalske, 2016; Mansor et al., 2015). across discipline-based boundaries.
Second, there is the issue of organizational resistance to
the introduction of PBL. Specifically, this relates to the need Method
for substantial change in the management system and orga-
Rooted in the tradition of action research (Mertler, 2019),
nizational structure within HEIs (AlBuali & Khan, 2018;
the present paper uses a longitudinal, embedded, single-case
Dole, Bloom, & Kowalske, 2016). To implement PBL, HEIs
design (Yin, 2018) to reflect on and analyze one example case
need additional space to host PBL sessions and financial
study within a multilevel framework of organizational learn-
resources to pay tutors (AlBuali & Khan, 2018; Hung, 2011)
ing (Brix, 2017). The work presented here is rooted in the
as well as administrative support to handle the challenging
tradition of action research because the author took action
logistics of time management (Dole, Bloom, & Kowalske,
to drive change within her university. The author served as
2016), classroom coordination (Park et al., 2005), and a shift
a participant observer. She intended change towards a PBL
in assessment formats (Hung, 2011).
curriculum and was driven by her hope for improvement.
Even though there are many obstacles, some lecturers
Her work is based on a positive view on PBL and strong
still dare to implement PBL in traditional HEIs. These lec-
believes in its advantages in contrast to traditional teaching
turers gain experience in PBL teaching and could serve as

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Braßler, M. The Role of Interdisciplinarity in Bringing PBL to traditional Universities

approaches. In this paper, she reflects on the process, impact, Sciences; and Business Administration. Each department
and outcomes of implementing an interdisciplinary PBL is independently accountable for its research and teaching
course and its function as an intervention for organiza- organization.
tional learning within her HEI. For the analysis, she chose a The university’s mission statement includes the mission
longitudinal single-case design, which she investigated fol- of “interdisciplinary cooperation.” In line with its mission
lowing a before-and-after logic on how certain conditions, statement, the University of Hamburg established several
processes, and consequences change in one example case platforms for interdisciplinary contact across different uni-
(see Yin, 2018, p.51). This analysis and reflection is embed- versity departments. First, there is the Hamburg Center for
ded in subunits of the single case, which are selected due University Teaching and Learning as a central interdisci-
to the integrative framework for organizational learning and plinary institution for higher education research, teaching,
knowledge creation: the organizational level, the team level, and consulting. Second, the interdisciplinary Center for a
and the individual level (Brix, 2017). The organizational Sustainable University acts as a research network, a labora-
level addresses the collective and cultural knowledge of the tory for innovation, and an incubator for new approaches,
organizational members, i.e., the process of integrating and concepts, procedures, and methods. This center is part of
institutionalizing knowledge about PBL in the example case the University of Hamburg’s identity as a University for a
across discipline-based university departments. The team Sustainable Future and facilitates the university’s third mis-
level addresses the collective knowledge, i.e., the process sion to enable students to address urgent problems regard-
of interpreting and integrating new knowledge about PBL ing sustainability across disciplines (Schmitt & Palm, 2017).
in interaction with others, in the example case across dis- Third, there is the Science Café, which aims to connect all
ciplines. The individual level addresses personal knowledge members of the University of Hamburg and enable discus-
about PBL, i.e., the process of intuiting and interpreting sion of various aspects of sustainability sciences and pro-
new information by individuals from different disciplinary vide interdisciplinary insights into sustainable development.
backgrounds. While interdisciplinary contact and scientific cooperation
are facilitated and installed, interdisciplinary teaching and
Description of the Example Case
learning is somewhat neglected and only occurs sporadically.
In this section the author gives a brief description of the The “Guidelines for University Teaching” at the University
organizational level of the HEI, the University of Hamburg. of Hamburg call for cooperative learning; PBL, however, is
Thereafter, the author describes the intervention within the not mentioned and not implemented in practice. Moreover,
HEI, the development and the implementation of an inter- even though the Center for a Sustainable University is highly
disciplinary PBL course at the team level. Then, the author interested in identifying and facilitating novel best practices
describes the PBL status quo at the individual level. Further, in teaching sustainability, the PBL concept has so far been
the author reflects on and analyzes opportunities and chal- neglected. Therefore, the University of Hamburg qualifies as
lenges of interdisciplinarity in knowledge creation and the an unPBLed HEI.
implementation of PBL on the organizational, team, and
Description of the Team Level
individual level.
Three lecturers representing the departments of
Description of the Organizational Level
Psychology, Economics, Education, and Geography met at
Founded in 1919, the University of Hamburg has grown the Hamburg Center for University Teaching and Learning
to be the largest public HEI in northern Germany. The and quickly discovered their common interest in sustain-
university’s main campus, home to most of the various able development and their desire to improve teaching and
university departments, is located centrally in the city of learning at the University of Hamburg by implementing an
Hamburg. Key research areas of the university are: climate, interdisciplinary course on sustainability. After a discussion
earth, and environment; photon and nano sciences; manu- on preferred teaching methods, the lecturers decided on the
script research; neurosciences; infection research and struc- PBL approach. The lecturers developed, planned, and exe-
tural biology; particle, astro, and mathematical physics; and cuted an interdisciplinary PBL course in the winter term of
health economics. With approximately 50,000 students and the academic year 2015/16. The twelve-credit course at bach-
13,000 members of staff, the University of Hamburg com- elor level was attended by 86 students from the departments
prises eight faculties: Law; Economics and Social Sciences; of Psychology, Economics, Education, and Geography.
Medicine; Education; Humanities; Mathematics, Informatics Students were first divided into ten interdisciplinary
and Natural Sciences; Psychology and Human Movement teams with approximately the same proportion of individu-
als from each academic discipline. Each interdisciplinary

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Braßler, M. The Role of Interdisciplinarity in Bringing PBL to traditional Universities

team followed the same steps toward identifying interdisci- During each session, the lecturers rotated between the
plinary solutions to a complex problem regarding sustainable interdisciplinary PBL teams. Off-sessions, they supported
development. Students were asked to integrate knowledge their students with weekly consultation hours: discipline-
from all involved disciplines at every step. First, each inter- based expertise on demand, technical expertise on demand
disciplinary team chose one broad sustainability topic from regarding shooting and editing of videos, and team expertise
a selection of newspaper articles. Examples included the on demand in case of conflict within the interdisciplinary
refugee crisis, plastic consumption, post growth/sustainable PBL teams.
consumption, or recycling. The assignment was to identify
Description of the individual Level
a broad problem that cannot be solved within a single dis-
cipline and, at the same time, address different disciplines. Most lecturers and students had no PBL experi-
Additionally, the problem should call not only for a scientific ence before the implementation of the interdisciplinary
approach, but also a personal and ethical approach, fostering PBL course. Only one of the lecturers – the psychology and
discussion and increasing innovation potential. Second, the economics lecturer – has given PBL courses beforehand.
students discussed unfamiliar concepts and discipline-based Therefore, few students from the economics and psychology
technical terms related to the topic. Third, within their cho- department, who participated in these courses knew the PBL
sen sustainability framework, they defined their interdisci- method and could apply their knowledge in the interdisci-
plinary problem statement by integrating viewpoints across plinary PBL course again.
disciplines. With regard to their interdisciplinary problem,
Description of Opportunities and Challenges on the
they brainstormed discipline-based information, data, tech-
Organizational Level
niques, tools, perspectives, concepts, and theories related
to their problem and collected ideas, explanations, and PBL-friendly third mission. In line with the University
hypotheses for the underlying problem across disciplines on of Hamburg’s self-identification as a “University for a
a pin board. Thereafter, they identified discrepancies, inter- Sustainable Future,” the lecturers of the interdisciplinary
relationships, and gaps between the disciplines. Next, they PBL course were highly committed to their personal respon-
defined interdisciplinary learning objectives by formulating sibility for the sustainable development of our world. They
questions that are relevant to the team and addressing each strongly identified with the University of Hamburg’s third
discipline involved. Guided by their questions and interests, mission to enable students to address urgent problems
students searched for and read academic research papers regarding sustainability across disciplines. The common
across disciplines. Back in session, students presented the theme of sustainability was a trigger for them to join edu-
answers they had found and learning objectives across dis- cational forces. With the aim of raising awareness on sus-
ciplines, and discussed and integrated their new ideas. They tainability issues, they chose the PBL approach to address
formulated an integrative team statement in regard to their complex real-world problems and promote student learning
interdisciplinary problem statement by integrating disci- of different discipline-based concepts and principles regard-
pline-based information, data, theories, and related research ing sustainable development. Besides the sustainability con-
outcomes. Finally, they wrote an interdisciplinary paper with tent across disciplines, the PBL approach was found to be
their interdisciplinary solution approaches. suitable to promote the development of critical thinking
To communicate their interdisciplinary solution strate- skills, interdisciplinary problem-solving abilities, and inter-
gies addressing complex sustainability problems in society, disciplinary communication skills. All of these are strongly
the interdisciplinary student teams were tasked with produc- called for to facilitate global change with novel ideas and
ing “lessons learned” videos. In a first step, the students iden- integrative solutions.
tified their main ideas and developed a story board. Each Financial support. The university’s identity as a University
interdisciplinary team presented their ideas to their peers for a Sustainable Future was a thematic aspect of the moti-
to gain feedback. Next, they shot and cut their video before vation to implement PBL. Besides the lecturers’ thematic
finally publishing it as open content on a sustainability blog. impulse to collaborate and choose PBL as the appropriate
To celebrate the students’ ideas regarding their sustainabil- educational pedagogy, the university’s commitment to sus-
ity problems, the lecturers organized a short film festival to tainability was backed up by its provision of the additional
screen the “lessons learned” videos to a wider audience such financial support needed to successfully implement PBL.
as friends and family as well as all interested members of Several student assistants were employed to support the
the university and society. All students were graded on their interdisciplinary student teams in their learning process, and
interdisciplinary scientific papers and their interdisciplinary
“lessons learned” videos.

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Braßler, M. The Role of Interdisciplinarity in Bringing PBL to traditional Universities

additional teaching materials could be purchased. Moreover, course. Second, the center gained awareness of the success
the lecturers received additional administrative support of the interdisciplinary PBL course. As a consequence, the
from each of the four departments. Hamburg Center for University Teaching and Learning
Raising PBL awareness. Alongside the additional finan- implemented in-house training for lecturers with special
cial resources, the theme of sustainability attracted students’ focus on PBL and interdisciplinary PBL. Moreover, the cen-
interest in the course in general. In addition, the final short ter created learning spaces in the form of fellow-workshops
film festival on sustainability attracted many participants to disseminate PBL teaching practices across departmental
besides students. Other lecturers within all four departments boundaries of the HEI. All sessions were met with increas-
were particularly interested, and this raised awareness of and ing demand.
confidence in the PBL concept. Challenging monodisciplinary structures. Due to mono-
To facilitate interdisciplinary communication and col- disciplinary structures within the HEI, several challenges on
laboration, the University of Hamburg implemented sev- the organizational level can be reported. First, the lecturers
eral initiatives to incorporate organizational learning across had difficulties identifying a mutually acceptable timetable,
discipline-based boundaries. The Center for a Sustainable available rooms, and course registration system for PBL stu-
University collected best teaching practices in education for dents across all the disciplines. Time schedules, room alloca-
sustainable development. The interdisciplinary PBL course tions, and course registrations are organized independently
was selected as one of the best practices. All collected prac- within each university department. Second, the lecturers
tices were published as the basis for discussion of the status experienced difficulties in incorporating the PBL course
quo in teaching and to foster further exchange. Based on this within the discipline-based curricula. As a consequence,
publication the lecturers were invited to present their PBL psychology students could choose the PBL course within
approach and its advantages at a teaching conference within their discipline-based curriculum, while the course was
the university. In this context, many lecturers across all disci- creditable only in the general studies segment for students
plines and departments were informed about PBL. of economics, education, and geography. This led to differ-
Top-down PBL-questionnaire. Convinced of the advan- ent grading, with psychology and geography students receiv-
tages of the interdisciplinary PBL approach, the interdis- ing traditional grades, education students receiving a pass or
ciplinary Center for a Sustainable University developed a fail, and economics students receiving grades that were not
semi-structured questionnaire for both lecturers and deans counted toward the final grade in their studies.
in each university department to identify barriers and obsta-
Description of Opportunities and Challenges on the
cles to implementing interdisciplinary learning as well as PBL
Team Level
at the level of the university as a whole. The results indicated
that most faculties offer proportionally lower financial com- PBL-learning space for lecturers. Interdisciplinarity
pensation for lecturers involved in interdisciplinary teach- brought many opportunities on the team level. Since only
ing formats alongside multiple lecturers due to a presumed one of the lecturers was experienced in PBL, the very imple-
reduction in the workload. Accordingly, most lecturers mentation of the interdisciplinary PBL course represented a
explained that their decision against interdisciplinary teach- collective PBL learning space between a PBL expert and PBL
ing is based on the reduction in financial reward. Likewise, novices. The lecturers’ collective PBL knowledge was devel-
deans admitted that inflexible legislation and examination oped through constant discussion about their new role as
regulations inhibit the implementation of PBL. This whole- facilitators instead of educators and the benefits of the self-
university approach enhanced awareness, understanding, directed learning approach aligned with supportive steps.
and consequently knowledge about the PBL concept and Moreover, the interdisciplinary team-teaching approach led
status across all departments and within the HEI as a whole. to a perceived easing of the workload due to shared respon-
The University of Hamburg was now aware of its organiza- sibilities among the lecturers.
tional challenges in implementing PBL and was able to draw Sharing PBL-lessons learned. Based on their com-
conclusions. This process is still ongoing. mon PBL experience and personal reflection, the lectur-
In-house PBL-Training. One further interdisciplinary ers published a book describing PBL and the lessons they
institution was also a key stakeholder in the implementation had learned in implementing interdisciplinary PBL within
of PBL: The Hamburg Center for University Teaching and the framework of sustainability. Spreading the PBL concept
Learning. First, the center hosted the first meeting between among teaching staff in each faculty meant that many fol-
the three lecturers. Without the interdisciplinary structure lowers integrated newly gained knowledge about PBL either
of the center, the three lecturers would not have met and, in monodisciplinary or interdisciplinary PBL.
in turn, would probably not have implemented their PBL

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Braßler, M. The Role of Interdisciplinarity in Bringing PBL to traditional Universities

Establishment of a working group. Moreover, the lec- singularly based on expected discipline-based roles, such as
turers connected with other sustainability enthusiasts and the psychology lecturer being single-handedly responsible
established the Working Group Education for Sustainable for resolving interdisciplinary conflicts in student teams.
Development (Block, Braßler, Diener, & Sommer, 2020). The Similarly, the interdisciplinary student teams also experi-
working group consisted of students, lecturers, and higher enced interdisciplinary conflict. They struggled with inter-
education didacts as well as administrative staff, who col- disciplinary misunderstanding and different interpretations
lected and continue to collect information on best teach- of meanings, values, knowledge traditions, and behaviors.
ing practices regarding sustainability across all university However, the most intense conflicts arose from asymmetric
departments. They commonly developed and implemented workload sharing, which stemmed from grading differences
novel teaching practices and facilitate university-wide dia- and differences in motivation and commitment to develop-
logue and discussions on sustainability in higher education. ing strong interdisciplinary ideas.
Their shared vision and collective knowledge flow originated Most conflicts in both student and lecturer teams could
in educational ideas such as participative learning, interdis- be resolved by refocusing on a shared goal of identifying
ciplinary learning, problem- and project-based learning, interdisciplinary strategies toward sustainable development.
constructive alignment, and real-world learning. All teach-
Description of Opportunities and Challenges on the
ing practices generated in this working group were problem
Individual Level
or project-based learning approaches, indicating an increase
in PBL implementation at a previously unPBLed university. Raising lecturers’ individual PBL-awareness. Several
PBL-learning space for students. Similarly, the students realizations of opportunities on the organizational and team
also benefited from the interdisciplinary PBL approach at level provided opportunities to individually gain knowledge
the team level. Some students were already experienced in about PBL. The short film festival incorporated within the
PBL, while others were complete PBL novices. Together they interdisciplinary PBL course as well as the presentation of
were able to collectively reflect on and learn about PBL and the PBL approach within the internal teaching conference
the procedural steps and roles of lecturers and students in facilitated information intake at the individual level of lec-
this context. turers across all university departments. Moreover, the ques-
Overcoming discipline-based differences. Besides the tionnaire on PBL and interdisciplinarity across the entire
positive multiplier effects among lecturers and students of university served as an awareness-raising tool for staff previ-
collective learning and reflection on PBL, the interdisciplin- ously unaware of PBL within the HEI. To a greater degree,
ary approach also resulted in many conflicts in both groups. interdisciplinary in-house training and fellow-workshops
The lecturers had to overcome discipline-based differences enabled knowledge growth regarding PBL for participat-
regarding views on the philosophy and sense of quality of ing individuals. Furthermore, the book published on les-
education. Due to the multidisciplinary composition of the sons learned enabled lecturers to interpret PBL processes
interdisciplinary team-teaching, the lecturers experienced firsthand. Again, within the interdisciplinary working group
many differences in their understanding and usage of vari- individuals could directly ask questions about the PBL
ous terminology. First, the aim of providing students with approach and thereby gain knowledge about PBL. Also, the
a framework to learn about sustainability was understood interdisciplinary PBL course itself allowed for both lecturers
with contrasting meanings. The geography lecturer wanted and students to gain individual knowledge. They could intui-
to focus on ecological issues regarding sustainable develop- tively observe and reflect on PBL processes or actively seek
ment whereas the psychology and economics lecturer pre- more information from their more experienced PBL peers.
ferred social issues and the education lecturer was indifferent. Raising students’ individual PBL-awareness. Due to
Moreover, the lecturers also differed in their interpretation of this individual PBL experience and knowledge gain, indi-
the PBL concept. While one was trying to implement a prob- vidual students supported PBL information sharing across
lem-based lecture with the lecturers discussing multidisci- the university. One of the students of the interdisciplinary
plinary perspectives on sustainability, another advocated a PBL course was the head of the student union. To further
stronger project-based approach with limited guidance from facilitate institutional change toward PBL implementation
the lecturers. In the end, the lecturer experienced in PBL he discussed the PBL approach within the student union. As
asserted herself by advocating a PBL approach with several a consequence, they added PBL to the student union’s list
steps. Furthermore, the lecturers experienced a lot of mis- of claims regarding necessary educational improvements
understandings regarding tasks, time management, word- at the HEI.
ing, and common ground. Also, the lecturers designed tasks

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Braßler, M. The Role of Interdisciplinarity in Bringing PBL to traditional Universities

Overcoming individual prejudices. Besides the many approach (Blake, Sterling, & Kagawa, 2013). In pursuit of
opportunities for individual PBL knowledge growth, the interdisciplinary problem-solving in higher education for
interdisciplinary approach also included many challenges sustainable development, PBL was identified as more suc-
on the individual level. Both lecturers and students were cessful than project-based learning (Braßler & Dettmers,
confronted with different discipline-based knowledge tra- 2017). Students experience comparatively more interdis-
ditions, methods, technical terminology, and teaching and ciplinary conflicts in project-based learning, while PBL
learning cultures. Each lecturer and student had to cope with students are guided toward interdisciplinary solutions and
these differences and try to stay open to others’ disciplin- therefore experience less conflict. Especially in the context
ary views. Initially, lecturers as well as students had preju- of higher education for sustainable development, HEIs are
dices regarding the “others.” Their own ideas were repeatedly called upon to implement interdisciplinary PBL as a suitable
mentioned as being more sustainable or better in general. teaching-learning arrangement (Braßler & Dettmers, 2017;
Overcoming personal challenges. Each of the lecturers in Power & Handley, 2019).
the interdisciplinary team-teaching had individual difficul- The development of a shared vision – like the vision of
ties dealing with their frustration at constantly renegotiating sustainable development in the example case – is well known
meanings, tasks, and teaching methods. Individual “busi- to foster institutional change in HEIs (Gentle & Clifton,
ness as usual” was not possible. Moreover, each lecturer also 2017). A shift in values causes stakeholders to question their
had to contend with their own personal challenges outside previous mind-set, allowing a new one to emerge (Örtenblad
the interdisciplinary teaching. For example, one lecturer was & Koris, 2014). This form of transformational governance
experiencing personal problems at the time while another can create institutional change toward “a sense of purpose
indicated pressure to publish more scientific papers. and a feeling of family” (Bass & Riggio, 2006, p. 3) within an
organization. Besides contracts and obligations, professors
Discussion of the Role of Interdisciplinarity in Bringing
and lecturers can perceive their institutional environment as
PBL to the unPBLed
having this sense of purpose and family, and are described
In this section the author discusses findings on the orga- to be committed to mutual interests (Bass & Riggio, 2006).
nizational, team, and individual level from related literature Lecturers as in the example case went beyond their self-
on organizational learning and interdisciplinarity. Table 1 interest or expected rewards for the sake of the team, the
starts by summarizing the findings of the example case study organization and consequently for society. Lecturers and
by describing opportunities and challenges of interdiscipli- administrative staff often abstain from implementing PBL
narity in terms of organizational learning about PBL and its as they fear the unfamiliar or wish to avoid work overload
implementation at each level. (AlBuali & Khan, 2018; Hung, 2011; Mansor et al., 2015).
This can be overcome by inculcating teaching staff and sup-
Discussion of Opportunities and Challenges on the
port staff with a shared vision regarding sustainability and a
Organizational Level
clear understanding of the importance and necessity of PBL
In our globalized, interconnected world with its wide- to address issues of sustainable development (Jones, Epler,
spread pressing issues, HEIs around the world are increas- Mokri, Bryant, & Paretti, 2013). If the benefits are well com-
ingly seeking to identify as a sustainable university (Vargas, municated and – consequently – perceived positively by
Lawthom, Prowse, Randles, & Tzoulas, 2019). Like the all parties, HEIs can motivate staff to move toward a com-
University of Hamburg in the example case study, other mon goal of implementing interdisciplinary PBL (Mansor et
HEIs tend to define a third mission toward sustainable al., 2015).
development while implementing education for sustainable Facilitating interdisciplinary communication and collab-
development (Leal Filho, Evangelos, & Pace, 2015; Trancher, oration in HEIs involves organizational learning across dis-
Yarime, McCormick, Doll, & Kraines, 2014; Hoover & cipline-based boundaries (Dee & Leisyte, 2017). Providing
Harder, 2015). HEIs as “transformative institutions” are deliberative structures like the different interdisciplinary
engaged in co-creating social, technical, and environmental institutions in the example case, including both general
change by addressing the topics and global goals of sustain- administrative structures and temporary structures, can fos-
able development in education, including ending poverty ter knowledge-sharing in HEIs (Jones et al., 2015).
and hunger, protecting the planet from degradation, secur- Viewing HEIs as learning structures (Örtenblad & Koris,
ing prosperity, and fostering peace as well as global partner- 2014), interdisciplinarity can facilitate a reformation of
ship (UN, 2015). Since these problems are too complex to be processes and organization as well as HEIs’ financial situ-
solved and addressed within one discipline, there is a press- ation due to economies of scale across departments. More
ing need to address these problems with an interdisciplinary

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Braßler, M. The Role of Interdisciplinarity in Bringing PBL to traditional Universities

Opportunities Challenges

Establishing the university’s third mission that Renegotiation of third mission due to different
addresses complex problems that trigger a PBL discipline-based values
approach
Monodisciplinary structures within the
University-wide financial support of PBL university

Using questionnaires regarding PBL to raise Different time schedules in each university
awareness and assess status quo department

Organizational level Using economies of scale across university Different curricula designs in each university
departments in regard to resources like space department
and administrative support
Discipline-specific curricula
Implementation of in-house PBL trainings
Different and PBL-hindering examination
across disciplinary departments
regulations in each university faculty or even
Implementation of interdisciplinary learning department
spaces for PBL

Collective learning and reflection across PBL Interdisciplinary conflict

experts and PBL novices among lecturers
Interdisciplinary misunderstandings and com-
Collective learning and reflection across student munication difficulties
PBL experts and PBL novices
Difficulties in finding common ground
Reduction of typical PBL barriers due to sharing
Different technical terms across disciplines
workload and responsibility in interdisciplinary
team-teaching Different teaching traditions, cultures and
teaching philosophies across disciplines
Collective PBL knowledge sharing by publish-
Team level Different definitions of the term “problem”
ing “lessons learned”

Formation of interdisciplinary working groups Different understandings of PBL

addressing PBL approach Allocating assignments based on discipline-
Possibilities to design realistic interdisciplinary based stereotypes
PBL problems Discipline-based discrimination

Underestimation of workload originating in the

interdisciplinary approach

Making use of PBL learning offers provided by Overcoming individual discipline-based

both the organization and teams across univer- prejudices
sity departments
Overcoming individual profession centricity
Student-to-student and lecturer-to-lecturer
Staying open for other disciplines’ views on PBL
learning about PBL
Individual level and education in general
Expanding one’s (PBL) teaching repertoire
Struggling with other professional or private
Gaining contacts for future (PBL) collaborations demands

Using one’s political voice to inform about PBL

Table 1. Overview of opportunities and challenges of interdisciplinarity in terms of organizational learning about PBL and its
implementation

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Braßler, M. The Role of Interdisciplinarity in Bringing PBL to traditional Universities

precisely, all resources – from teaching staff, allocable rooms due to unfamiliarity with the PBL concept and uncertainties
and teaching knowledge – can be shared across all university surrounding their potential new role as facilitator (AlBuali &
departments, thereby reducing overall costs. Khan, 2018; Dole, Bloom, & Kowalske, 2016; Mansor et al.,
Moreover, interdisciplinarity represents an organizational 2015), interdisciplinary team-teaching can offer a valid alter-
boost to implementation of PBL as it tackles the typical native, allowing the individual to learn from a more experi-
structural barriers within the HEIs. Interdisciplinary net- enced PBL lecturer from another disciplinary background.
works and learning spaces allow informal transfer of PBL Since there are huge differences between disciplines in terms
knowledge between lecturers and staff across departments. of educational traditions and philosophies (Dee & Leisyte,
In addition, sharing and exchanging resources such as 2017; Shibley, 2006), interdisciplinarity offers large potential
rooms and teaching equipment across disciplinary borders for colleague-to-colleague transmission and learning across
mitigates typical PBL challenges (AlBuali & Khan, 2018; disciplines (Baruch & Hall, 2004; Örtenblad & Koris, 2014).
Hung, 2011). Again, previous research indicates experience Moreover, lecturers in interdisciplinary team-teaching, like
that interdisciplinary collaboration across university depart- in the example case, can share the responsibility and the
ments can be helpful in dealing with potentially challenging workload that so many lecturers dread in implementing PBL
PBL logistics in the areas of time management and class- (AlBuali & Khan, 2018; Hung, 2011; Mansor et al., 2015).
room coordination (Golding, 2009; Park et al., 2005). Furthermore, realization of interdisciplinary PBL enables
There are several challenges associated with facilitat- lecturers to design realistic interdisciplinary problems that
ing PBL in an interdisciplinary sustainability framework. can only be solved by combining all disciplines involved
A shared vision regarding sustainability and a clear under- (Braßler & Dettmers, 2017). As a result, the interdisciplin-
standing of the importance and necessity of PBL among ary approach brings marked benefits and enables lecturers
teaching and support staff might be challenged by constant to provide appropriate support by modeling interdisciplin-
negotiation and renegotiation of common visions and goals ary cooperation and communication in working toward an
due to discipline-based differences in values and code of integrative solution to complex problems. This has obvious
conduct (Dee & Leisyte, 2017; Nancorrow et al., 2013; Rooks advantages, which are highly needed in implementing PBL
& Winkler, 2012). Another barrier is the discipline-specific (Dole, Bloom, & Kowalske, 2016; Hung, 2011; Mansor et al.,
curricula (Dole, Bloom, & Kowalske, 2016). 2015). Lecturers who implement interdisciplinary PBL can
Successful implementation of PBL needs appropriate function as “institutional teaching entrepreneurs” (Schmid
assessment possibilities (AlBuali & Khan, 2018) such as & Lauer, 2016) by becoming key drivers of organizational
performance-based, formative, multiple-source-oriented change through an uprising interdisciplinary network
formats like reasoning exercises, practical portfolios, group among lecturers like the establishment of the working group
assessment tasks, and reflective journals (Hung, 2011). These in the example case.
assessment formats might not be covered by examination The implementation of interdisciplinary PBL also pre-
regulations across all disciplinary departments (Golding, vents typical obstacles on the student side in relation to PBL
2009; Rooks & Winkler, 2012). Consequently, identifying realization. As with the lecturers, students from one disci-
appropriate assessment tools – a well-known obstacle to pline could be more experienced in PBL and therefore sup-
implementing PBL (AlBuali & Khan, 2018; Hung, 2011) – port unexperienced students from another discipline within
remains a challenge and could present as even more compli- their interdisciplinary PBL team, thereby reducing their
cated in an interdisciplinary approach. anxiety (AlBuali & Khan, 2018; Hung, 2011). Moreover,
since interdisciplinary problems in PBL cannot be solved
Discussion of Opportunities and Challenges on the
with one discipline alone, they require active contributions
Team Level
from all team members across disciplines. This prevents “fre-
Sharing through interdisciplinary teams and practice eriding” and fosters appreciation of team members across
communities disseminates teaching improvement practices disciplines (Hung, 2011; Wells, Warelow, & Jackson, 2009).
across the departmental boundaries of an HEI, especially in Interdisciplinarity provides a learning space for both lectur-
the case of active forms of knowledge creation as in the exam- ers and students. By building a social network across bound-
ple case study (Treleaven et al., 2012). Interdisciplinarity aries (Vogel, 2009), both can gain new perspectives on the
has dual potential in boosting efforts toward implementa- PBL concept, learn from their experiences, and share their
tion of PBL in that it benefits both lecturers and students. knowledge as multipliers across discipline-based category
The implementation of interdisciplinary team-teaching groups within HEIs.
decreases several well-known obstacles in realizing PBL. If
one lecturer acting alone refrains from implementing PBL

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Braßler, M. The Role of Interdisciplinarity in Bringing PBL to traditional Universities

Many of the described challenges on the team level are time and relationship building (Kellogg et al., 2006), as well
well known in the literature on interdisciplinarity. Most as a willingness to transcend differences in power, authority,
importantly, interdisciplinary teamwork carries large poten- and values.
tial for conflict (Letterman & Dugan, 2004; Repko, 2007;
Discussion of Opportunities and Challenges on the
Epstein, 2005). Accordingly, Kezar (2005) reports that inter-
Individual Level
disciplinary collaboration in HEIs tend to fail.
Interdisciplinary conflict often originates in interdisci- In line with the concept of HEIs as learning-at-work orga-
plinary misunderstandings (Repko, 2007). Each discipline nizations (Baruch & Hall, 2004; Örtenblad & Koris, 2014),
has its own patterns, meanings, values, knowledge traditions, individuals can learn and gain knowledge in the course of
codes of conduct, and ways to interact with society (Lélé & their professional work at the university. Interdisciplinary
Norgaard, 2005). Gupta (2006) reports evaluation results networks and learning spaces allow individuals to rethink
of interdisciplinary learning that point to territorial issues their current mindsets (Dee & Leišytė, 2017). In the example
as the most common barriers to interdisciplinarity in the case, individuals function as multipliers, with staff-to-staff
early stages; these often stemmed from participants’ lack of learning and student-to-student learning about the PBL
understanding of other disciplines. Due to discipline-based concept (Baruch & Hall, 2004; Örtenblad & Koris, 2014).
differences, educators have different views on the quality of Moreover, individuals – students as well as lecturers –
education (Dee & Leisyte, 2017; Shibley, 2006). Besides these can function as change agents within their HEIs (Schmid &
different perspectives, interdisciplinary collaborations often Lauer, 2016). The lecturers in the example case can be inter-
experience conflict due to loose agreements and diffusion of preted as “institutional teaching entrepreneurs” (Schmid
responsibility (Bronstein, 2003). Every educator assumes the & Lauer, 2016) that become key drivers of organizational
other has the same work and teaching culture. However, the change toward further implementation of PBL. Also, indi-
cultures are highly distinct (Repko, 2007). vidual students embody change agents that foster dialogue
Due to discipline-based differences in educational tradi- across discipline-based borders in HEIs.
tions and understandings of what constitutes good teach- There are several challenges associated with an interdis-
ing practices (Dee & Leisyte, 2017; Shibley, 2006), lecturers ciplinary approach on the individual level. Individual disci-
experience conflict in interdisciplinary team-teaching, as pline-based prejudices and profession centricity – the belief
in the example case study. Moreover, different academic of discipline-based superiority – are typical barriers of inter-
departments use various terms to refer to problem-based disciplinary encounters (Pecukonis, Doyle, & Bliss, 2008).
learning (Dee & Leisyte, 2017; Shibley, 2006). Each discipline Moreover, even if HEIs implement interdisciplinary net-
has its own jargon and terminology (Repko, 2007), which works and learning spaces, individual academics in general
renders it rather difficult to find a shared definition of com- usually decline such offers. Academics tend to focus their
mon themes or problems across disciplines (Brandstädter resources on research rather than on innovations designed to
& Sonntag, 2016). Moreover, the very term “problem” has improve university performance as a whole (Dee & Leišytė,
different meanings according to each discipline. Thus, iden- 2017). Members of teaching staff do not actively seek infor-
tifying an interdisciplinary problem in PBL might prove mation on teaching outside their reputation, class hours, and
challenging since finding common ground is a typical bar- development courses due to their focus on writing research
rier in interdisciplinary cooperation (Newell, 2007; Oberg, applications and winning research grants (Örtenblad &
2009; Repko, 2007). Koris, 2014). Moreover, top-down approaches are often per-
Furthermore, educators usually think in discipline- ceived as powerful groups imposing their will upon other
based stereotypes. Allocating assignments on the basis of groups (Dee & Leisyte, 2017), which even might even lead to
discipline-based group affiliations – like the psychology lec- academic resistance (Lauer & Wilkesmann, 2017).
turer being the only one responsible for student team con-
flicts – and professional stereotypes is often seen as an act Conclusion
of discrimination (Cook & Stoecker, 2014). Research into
The implementation of the PBL approach represents a
interdisciplinary teamwork and team-teaching shows that
welcome shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered
additional work regarding interdisciplinarity is often under-
teaching to foster students’ competence development.
estimated (Epstein, 2005; Letterman & Dugan, 2004; Repko,
Unfortunately, previous research shows that HEIs expe-
2007; Rooks & Winkler, 2012). Interdisciplinary teaching
rience several obstacles to PBL implementation and rely
practices like PBL often require significant investments in
on lecturers, students, and the organization as a whole to
enable the transition toward this new curriculum. Applying

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Braßler, M. The Role of Interdisciplinarity in Bringing PBL to traditional Universities

a longitudinal, embedded, single-case design, the present the single-case design is limited to only one example case
paper reflects on and analyzes one example case within a mul- which raises issues of construct validity and concerns about
tilevel framework of organizational learning to investigate if reliability and replicability (Yin, 2018). Future research
interdisciplinarity supports bringing PBL to unPBLed HEIs. should investigate further cases in different HEIs, analyze
Interdisciplinarity offers opportunities on each level of interdependencies across all levels of organizational learn-
organizational learning. Regarding the organizational level, ing, and validate findings with quantitative measures.
HEIs can support collective knowledge creation about PBL
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