The Australian National University (ANU) initiated a curriculum reform process in 2021 to address the longstanding call for universities to prioritize the development of expertise in transdisciplinary problem-solving. This initiative, driven by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), aims to equip all 13,000 undergraduate students with the skills to tackle complex societal challenges. The paper details the working group's efforts to define parameters for implementing this new requirement, acknowledging the need for a system that caters to diverse disciplinary backgrounds and student interests while maintaining the ANU's commitment to small class sizes and interactive learning. The working group consisted of a multidisciplinary team of ANU staff and students, tasked with establishing best practices, standards for evaluation, and professional learning support. The introduction highlights the significance of this initiative within the broader context of university education and the specific challenges of a university-wide implementation at ANU.

The paper reviews the decades-long call for universities to integrate transdisciplinary problem-solving into their research and education. It cites several publications and reports emphasizing the societal need for such expertise, using various terms such as integration and implementation sciences (i2S), mode 2, interdisciplinary, team science, and convergence. The authors acknowledge examples of individual undergraduate courses addressing this challenge but note the scarcity of university-wide initiatives. The paper briefly examines the approaches of Leuphana University in Germany and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) as examples of larger-scale implementations, highlighting the lack of published descriptions of the development process for such initiatives.

The working group employed a mixed-methods approach. Initially, the group established a reference group of academics and students across the university to gather insights, experiences, and suggestions. This involved collecting 17 submissions regarding best practices, core capabilities, challenges, and other relevant aspects. Further, the working group analyzed 18 completed templates (17 for existing and one for a proposed course) describing courses across all ANU colleges that aligned with transdisciplinary problem-solving. These templates contained information about teaching staff, learning outcomes, real-world problem addressed, and teaching pedagogy. The collected data provided the foundation for the group's report and informs the findings discussed in this paper. The working group also engaged in iterative discussions and deliberations to develop the ANU framework for transdisciplinary problem-solving, refine the vision for the undergraduate program, and propose solutions to address implementation challenges.

The working group developed an ANU framework for transdisciplinary problem-solving, characterized by six key elements: change-oriented, systemic, context-based, pluralistic, interactive, and integrative. These characteristics are defined and illustrated with examples. The framework served as a foundation for defining hypothetical and actual learning outcomes across diverse courses. Pedagogical approaches found in existing ANU courses, including in-depth student engagement, student-led teaching, real-world problem-solving, hands-on work, and teamwork, were analyzed and categorized. The study identified two major implementation challenges: ensuring sufficient coverage of all six characteristics of the framework across different courses, and coordinating coverage across courses to avoid duplication and maximize skill development. To address the first challenge, a 'tag-and-points' system was proposed, allowing students to select courses that meet a minimum point threshold while aligning with their interests and career goals. The authors acknowledge the need for further work to resolve implementation issues associated with the tag-and-points system and course coordination.

The findings highlight the feasibility of developing transdisciplinary problem-solving expertise at a university-wide scale by building on existing courses and creating new ones. The ANU framework, with its six characteristics, provides a useful structure for both designing and evaluating courses that contribute to this goal. The proposed 'tag-and-points' system, while requiring further refinement, offers a potential solution to the challenge of ensuring broad coverage and student selection. The discussion emphasizes the need for coordination across courses, suggesting opportunities for professional development among academic staff and establishing a community of practice. The study’s success in identifying suitable courses and pedagogical approaches demonstrates the potential for significant progress in integrating transdisciplinary problem-solving into undergraduate education.

The ANU's initiative demonstrates that it's feasible to integrate transdisciplinary problem-solving into undergraduate curricula on a large scale. Key to success is a robust framework, engagement with existing courses, consideration for diverse student needs, and a flexible approach. The paper emphasizes the importance of continuous discussion and collaboration among universities, encouraging the sharing of experiences and best practices for future development.

The study is limited by its focus on a single university, ANU. The generalizability of the findings to other institutions may be affected by differences in size, structure, culture, and available resources. The proposed 'tag-and-points' system requires further development and implementation to fully assess its effectiveness. The working group’s short timeframe limited the depth of investigation into certain areas such as a comprehensive audit of relevant courses.