Abstract

This paper investigates cross discipline collaborative methodologies and protocols that are necessary for first time collaborators. Two situations are examined, one with first year undergraduate students that had never experienced cross discipline collaboration, who ‘don’t care and don’t want to know’ and the other with professionals from different disciplines. These were mostly face-to-face rather than online projects. What I am referring to when using the term cross discipline collaboration is collaboration across several disciplines working toward a common purpose: problems of common language – where not only are we unable to communicate across disciplines, but calling it something causes confusion. In spite of this, cross discipline collaboration is a term often heard these days. Filter Magazine (Issue 68), was overflowing with encouraging words about collaboration. Quote:

‘This process of collaboration is essential in our new world order. It is from collaboration and the cross fertilization of ideas that new discoveries will come’.                                                             Another quote from the same writer:                                                                                                    ‘So what do we do about it and how can we make a difference? Well, to borrow a term from science, one way of influencing change is to introduce a catalyst to the system, an enabler with an agenda for change. Such a catalyst paves the way, breaks through structural boundaries and brings groups and cultures together to design and pilot new ideas and programs’.

However unless participants are sufficiently skilled to launch and then sustain successful collaborations, then things can and do go wrong. It is necessary to implement learning systems for our young people. Programs do exist in some countries and this paper gives some indication of ours.

• Grant Corbishley Wellington Institute of Technology, New Zealand

Full text (PDF)  p. 762-769