Travelling Concepts

When to use Travelling Concepts

Use this method when you need to foster interdisciplinary understanding, encourage collaborative problem-solving across different fields, or help participants recognize their own disciplinary assumptions.

What it solves

Siloed thinking, lack of cross-disciplinary communication, difficulty understanding different perspectives.

How to run Travelling Concepts, step by step

1. Preparation (90 min): Distribute the 'Travelling Concepts for Teachers' handout and ask participants to listen to two episodes of the 'Travelling Concepts on Air' podcast, taking notes on how the concept is interpreted in each discipline, how the meaning shifts, and any tensions or overlaps.
2. Disciplinary Self-Reflection (30 min): Have each participant identify their primary discipline and complete the 'Disciplinary Self-Reflection' exercise, describing its phenomena, assumptions, concepts, theories, and methods. Facilitate a plenary discussion to share reflections.
3. Listen & Discuss (30-45 min): Form interdisciplinary pairs and instruct them to discuss their disciplines, identifying shared themes, differing approaches, and potential common ground. Have each pair select a 'concept' for further exploration.
4. Reflection & Travelling (30 min): Facilitate a plenary discussion where pairs reflect on their dialogues, examining how disciplinary perspectives shape the concept's interpretation and use. Approve or give feedback on the selected concepts.
5. Shared Expression (60 min): Instruct pairs to create a tangible product (podcast, essay, visual piece) that captures the core of their interdisciplinary conversation and communicates how their disciplines engage with the concept.

Materials needed

• Travelling Concepts for Teachers handout
• Access to 'Travelling Concepts on Air' podcast
• Disciplinary Self-Reflection exercise
• Pens and paper or digital document
• Materials for creative output (e.g., recording equipment, writing tools, art supplies)

Facilitator tips

• Encourage students to embrace the challenge of disciplinary self-reflection, as struggling with it can reveal tacit knowledge and blind spots.
• Remind students to focus on both differences and potential common ground when discussing their disciplines.

Common pitfalls

• Participants may struggle to articulate the fundamentals of their discipline. Provide guiding questions to support them.
• Pairs may focus solely on differences and miss opportunities for finding common ground. Encourage them to actively seek connections.

Variations

• Instead of pairs, form small interdisciplinary groups.
• Assign specific concepts to each group instead of allowing them to choose.
• Extend the 'Shared Expression' phase to allow for more in-depth creative projects.

Running it online or hybrid

Use breakout rooms for pair discussions and a shared online whiteboard for plenary reflections.

What it produces

A shared understanding of how a concept is interpreted across disciplines, a creative output (podcast, essay, visual piece) reflecting the interdisciplinary conversation, and individual reflections on the learning process.

Origin

Adapted from Transition Makers Toolbox — source

Build a session around Travelling Concepts

METODIC places Travelling Concepts inside a complete, timed session plan — agenda, worksheets, facilitator guide and slides — matched to your group and goal.

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