Transdisciplinary approaches are increasingly prevalent in higher education curricula. These approaches involve partnering with real-world actors to tackle real-world problems, perhaps most notably the contemporary sustainability challenge. How to balance environmental sustainability with social and economic goals is a contested issue, with varying perspectives on the problems and solutions, even among experts. Furthermore, sustainability education is shaped amidst an unpredictable political landscape and yet unknown technological advancements. This diversity of viewpoints, unpredictability, and a lack of knowledge makes uncertainty an inescapable part of transdisciplinary sustainability education.

Until now, little research has informed teachers and students how to deal with uncertainty. The central question in this research is therefore: How can transdisciplinary education be designed so that students learn to deal with uncertainty in sustainability challenges? The purpose of this dissertation is twofold: (1) to further refine the theoretical understanding of uncertainty in transdisciplinary education and learn to deal with it; and (2) to highlight principles for designing education that empowers both students and teachers to navigate uncertainty effectively. The research approach is based on Educational Design Research (EDR), which aims to combine scientific research findings with practical experiences from people involved in education.

The research highlights how learning to deal with uncertainty is an uncomfortable struggle for students and teachers. The conclusion suggests six design principles to help transform this struggle into a well-guided learning experience. These design principles focus on defining transdisciplinary learning objectives, making uncertainty attitudes explicit, and emphasizing personal development and emotional awareness in future sustainability education. ... Read more

The faculty of IDE hosts a lot of students, from which many participate in various group projects. There is a lack of suitable group work spaces. This project investigates how newly designed spaces could accommodate group work in the coming years. A literature study is done to determine what the new learning culture consists of and what it means for the design of future learning spaces. Then iterative user studies are performed to identify key elements in group work dynamics and the influence of space on group work effectiveness. These studies provide a series of insights and demands that are then incorporated into the design process.

REALM, the final concept, addresses these insights by being a flexible and adaptable setup. With a round design it puts every member of the group at the same level. REALM has a passive state which it blends in with the main hall of IDE, in form and multi-functionality. It also has an active state: a facilitator function that mimics a human facilitator in providing the group with timemanagement and directions during specific phases of the project. These programs can be selected and created via an application accessible through smart device or computer.

REALM not only provides the faculty of IDE with additional group work spaces, but it also fills the gap of a lot of group projects and the absence of an (experienced) human facilitator within the group. Future development could go a step further and implement a greater immersive experience by adjusting the dimensions of the space, the lighting intensity and noise level. The final user study suggests that spacial proporties does influence the effectiveness of certain tasks performed by a group. Also direct sunlight and fresh air contribute to longevity of group effectiveness.
This project aims to provide the reader with additional insights on the importance of learning space design and what is can actively do for the effectiveness of group projects within design education. ... Read more