VIRTUAL MADRID FOCUS ON PEDAGOGY
Abstract
During the past decade, climate change has pushed universities to rethink education for sustainable development and bypass disciplinary boundaries, towards addressing complex urban problems. Pedagogical approaches that facilitate interdisciplinary learning remain under-defined and are commonly presented as combining different disciplinary methodologies, exposing students to diverse knowledge sets, and employing mixed methods that ostensibly develop specialist or transferable skills. This leaves the competency of interdisciplinary learning conceptually fluid. How do defined disciplinary boundaries influence the conceptualisation and recognition of interdisciplinarity? What competences constitute interdisciplinary learning? What is the profile of teachers educating on interdisciplinarity? Which subjects serve as platforms for interdisciplinary learning? What pedagogical frameworks support developing interdisciplinary competences? To answer these questions, this study examines a graduate level module on urban waters within the context of complex urban challenges. The research draws on interdisciplinary education literature to examine intersections and gaps in its practice across universities and to co-develop a pedagogical framework that establishes a common language addressing a key gap in communication and understanding across disciplinary fields. The module applies this framework and sets five learning objectives: to co-create a common language across disciplinary fields; to critically reflect on the interactions of disciplinary roles within complex urban system; to facilitate effective, inclusive team practices; to jointly analyse urban water-related challenges; to apply collaborative communication skills for constructive dialogue and co-working. The module’s outcomes include engaging students as partners in co-developing learning methods and co-designing a guidebook, which explains their interdisciplinary learning process for future cohorts.
Dr. Christine Mady is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Architecture, Aalto University since 2022. Prior to this position, she was Associate Professor at the Department of Architecture, Notre Dame University-Louaize, Lebanon, and Department Head 2016-2020. She teaches the studio courses in the Urban Studies and Planning master’s programme at Aalto. Her research on education focuses on interdisciplinarity and sustainability. Her other research area is public spaces, where she explores spatial justice, spatio-temporal aspects of everyday life, instability, and mobility justice.
Dr. Paulo Pinho is Senior Lecturer at the Electrical Engineering and Automation Department, Aalto University. His pedagogy focuses on problem-based and collaborative learning. Pinho’s research includes interdisciplinarity connecting technology, art, the environment, and urban spaces, integrative, sustainable lighting, and intelligent sensing technologies.
Dr. Andrea Botero is Associate Professor at the Design Department, Aalto University. She currently leads INUSE research group working with designer-user relations in socio-technical change and participatory design. She is an Adjunct professor at the Faculty of Architecture and Design of Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá and Guest Professor at the Centre for Sustainable and Digital Transformation of Aalborg University
Dr. Elena Comino is Associate Professor, PoliTo, Department of Engineering, Environment, Land and Infrastructure. Her background is in biology and ecology. Her research and teaching activities focus on applied ecology, the relations between human activities and natural ecosystem.
Maria Pia Ciccariello is a master’s student in Systemic Design at the Polytechnic University of Turin, with a background in communication and graphic design.
Dr. Álvaro Clua is urban design Lecturer at UPC and researcher at the Barcelona Laboratory of Urbanism. His research spans infrastructural landscapes, urban projects, urban history, active mobility, and city mapping.
Dr. Sérgio Barreiros Proença is Assistant Professor at the Lisbon School of Architecture, ULisboa. He is a member of CIAUD, Research Centre for Architecture, Urbanism and Design. His research focuses on urban morphology and morphogenesis, temporality, and the relation between the city and sea.
Dr. Arnold Pears is Professor, and head of Learning in Engineering Sciences Department, KTH Sweden. He leads research in Engineering Education, AI, and Computing and is director of the Swedish National Center for Student and Societally Relevant Engineering Education.
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Thursday 25th June, 2026