Using STEAM Principles and Experiences to Critique and Enhance a Transdisciplinary Collaboration Framework

Today, no framework for STEAM collaborations addresses the entire collaboration cycle between project partners from diverse academic disciplines and non-academic backgrounds to systematically achieve transdisciplinary knowledge creation.

This study presents a STEAM evaluation of a general framework for conducting transdisciplinary research (TDR) in three phases: TDR initiation, TDR management, and transdisciplinary knowledge exchange. This STEAM evaluation was based on the researchers’ experience and network of STEAM research and recent projects. A particular focus in this paper is to share insights into the challenges faced by diverse disciplinary collaborations with engineering students and engineers in achieving transdisciplinarity and how a STEAM lens to a TDR framework may help to prepare for or overcome these challenges. T

he study is expected to contribute to the development of a comprehensive framework for STEAM collaborations that could be used by researchers and practitioners to achieve transdisciplinary knowledge creation, be that in their research or teaching.