Transdisciplinary Engagement in Undergraduate Biology Courses

A transdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning has become more common in undergraduate programs. It harmoniously integrates different disciplines to construct new knowledge and create a solution that has an impact on society. This new educational practice could uplift the students to a higher degree of cognitive abilities, sustained knowledge and skills, and a competitive edge. Recently, this new practice has been applied to the same batch of Biology major undergraduates while they were taking “Poetic Microscope Project” under the BIOL2017 Cell Biology course and “Micro Capture, Macro Insights Project” under the BIOL4015 Fermentation and Enzyme Technology course in their year 2 and year 4 study, respectively. These transdisciplinary projects were co-organized with the Academy of Visual Arts (AVA), Cultural Literacy Programme (LIVE), HKBU, and professionals from the Hong Kong movie industry and aimed to integrate science, art, and culture using the transdisciplinary approach. Students could experience biology from a new perspective and interpret “Life” and “Science” from an innovative angle.

To foster students’ transdisciplinary engagement in the “Poetic Microscope,” an innovative platform was provided for the students where they were able to create stunning artistic images of different types of cells and tissue, bringing a fresh and fascinating perspective to the field of biology. Looking at the images of various biological cells and tissues, including cancer xenograft, SARS-CoV-2 virus infected human epithelial tissues, and state-of-the-art organoid models, etc., students had the opportunity to explore the intricate beauty of biological systems and turn them into an artwork with self-reflection for the exhibition titled Poetic Microscope - Discovering beauty in an invisible world.

The "Micro Capture, Macro Insights" platform offered a transformative experience where students were able to uncover beauty, goodness, and truth within themselves and the world. Engage in hands-on micro photography experience on in-house prepared biological samples – moulds and appreciation that challenge our perceptions and reveal the hidden truths of our reality. Students learned to apply these insights to their everyday lives, gaining a fresh appreciation for the extraordinary in the ordinary. In addition, students were invited to coordinate the exhibition with other students from AVA and Social Science so as to display the artistic images and messages in a way that the theme of the exhibition - “Caring” could be highlighted.

These transdisciplinary practices significantly improved the quality of teaching and learning in undergraduate courses. In addition, it uplifted the artistic and creative atmosphere on the HKBU campus by offering an exciting array of experiential learning opportunities in science, arts, and culture for students to enjoy, explore, and express themselves in new and inspiring ways.