Identifying the Underlying Assumptions of an Interdisciplinary Collaboration on Curriculum Development

Abstract

This reflective analysis focuses on a successful interdisciplinary collaboration between two academics from two different areas of expertise, chemistry and education, who worked together on a curriculum development project. The authors identify three underlying assumptions integral to their successful partnership (being ready for learning, having a commitment to collaborative learning, and seeing each other as peers) and state that their partnership led to new ways of knowing and learning. This article is framed within the field of adult learning and development, and views the authors as learners, thus offering insights into understanding the value of interdisciplinary research partnerships in higher education.