Outline

Overview

Interdisciplinarity is a key skill in fostering agility in life and work. This unit provides learning experiences that build students' skills, knowledge and understanding of the application of their disciplinary background to interdisciplinary contexts. In this unit, students will work in teams and develop interdisciplinarity skills through problem-based learning projects responding to 'real world problems'.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Arts and Social Sciences
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	Completion of at least 90 credit points
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Jessica Kean, jessica.kean@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2026

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Conversation	Critical engagement and participation in learning Effective unit engagement and development of collaborative and evaluation skills	10%	Ongoing	Ongoing	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Partner Analysis A reflective essay comparing the way 2 of your industry or community partner organisations approach the topic, and critically reflecting on your own perspective on the topic (drawing on your disciplinary background/s as appropriate)	25%	Week 05 Due date: 29 Mar 2026 at 23:59	1250 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Group Project: Pitch Presentation 10 min group presentation. NOTE: this will take place in your tutorial in Week 8.	15%	Week 08	1000 words (equivalent) = 10 mins	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Critical Reflection Critical reflection on project work, including collaboration, response to feedback, and plans for further research, skill-development and learning	15%	Week 10 Due date: 10 May 2026 at 23:59	750 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Group Project 3250w research report & exegesis. 750w equivalent 'intervention' or 'contribution' - check canvas for range of options.	35%	Week 12 Due date: 24 May 2026 at 23:59	4000 word equivalent.	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2021 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	work of an exceptional standard
Distinction	75 - 84	work of a very high standard
Credit	65 - 74	work of a good standard
Pass	50 - 64	work of an acceptable standard
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Intro to the new-look FASS3999. What will we be doing? How will we be learning?	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	Welcome, Orientation, Introduction to the work you'll be doing. Discussion about concepts from the lecture.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 02	Picking your case study! (Case Leads panel) NB: you will need this information to choose your studies case!! Must attend/listen to before tutorial.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Finding a group, choosing a case study.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Analysing ‘problems’, ‘strategies’, and ‘solutions’. NB: you will need this information to complete your first individual assignment.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	Analysing your case study - how do different disciplines think about your topic? How might different partners?	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Partner Panel. Guest speakers from our partner org will be visiting campus to speak to you. Come ready to take notes about how your partners understand the topic. NB: This week will run in parallel sessions – please check canvas for your specific room allocation. MUST attend/watch before your tutorials.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Thinking critically about the partner panels. Group work. Assessment instruction. ***Must attend or watch partner panel BEFORE you come to the tutorial.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Case Lead Seminar: an interactive session run by your case study leads - debriefing and analysing the partner session - VERY useful for your first assignment. NB: This week will run in parallel sessions – please check canvas to find the room booking for your particular case study.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	Thinking critically about the partner panels. Group work. Assessment instruction. ***Must attend or watch partner panel BEFORE you come to the tutorial	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Developing your project: finding a focus, working with different disciplines, making a plan for research, skills-building and feedback. Back in the main lecture hall, with Jess.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	Putting the lecture into practice: define your focus, make some plans.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	Don't leave your discipline behind! Connecting your project to the skills/knowledge/ways of thinking that you bring with you from your discipline. Main room, Jess & special guests TBA	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 07	Collaboration tune-up: no group member left behind! Preparing your Group Pitch for next week.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	Collaborative skills 1: Disciplinary Capture, Interdisciplinary Collaboration (whole cohort, main room with Jess)	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 08	Assessment Day: Group pitch sessions.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	Collaborative Skills 2: Effective & Inclusive Collaboration (whole cohort, main room with Jess)	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 09	Collaboration check-in, group plan update. Responding to feedback & finetuning project focus & plans.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 10	Feedback Opportunity 1: Partners and Experts (by appointment - make sure you book in)	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	Critical friends - peer feedback. Group work - responding to feedback & working toward a final plan.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	Skills Workshops! Book-in necessary: check canvas for offerings & sign-up sheets.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 11	Bringing your skills to the group. Working toward final plan.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Feedback Opportunity 2 – Case leads & teaching team. (By appointment - check canvas for options & sign-up sheets)	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 12	Finalising projects! Incorporating final round of feedback.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 13	Showcase/Networking Morning Tea. Students are invited to attend this session with representatives from our partner organisations. You can sign up to talk about your project & group work experience, or simply attend to listen and share morning tea. Come by yourself or bring your group along!	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 13	Summing up, evaluation. Translating this experience for future job interviews.	Tutorial (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less that 90% of the classes, your participation mark and individual group project mark may be impacted. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you will be referred to the Examiner’s Board and may Absent Fail the unit. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold. NB: Attendance in tutorials is crucial for effective completion of this unit.
Lecture recording: All lectures will be held in 'hybrid' mode. Students are warmly encouraged to attend in person in order to have the best possible experience of the unit. The lectures will also be available live on zoom and recorded for students who need to catch up or revise.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction. That means you should plan to spend an average of 9 prep hours per week outside of class.
Tutorial allocation: Students will be allocated into tutorials, according to their timetable availability. In order to ensure an equitable experience for staff and students, and to ensure accurate attendance records, students must attend the tutorial to which they have been assigned.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

See the unit Canvas site.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. articulate how knowledge, skills, methods or approaches from your major can contribute to an interdisciplinary understanding of an issue
LO2. describe and analyse stakeholder perspectives, demonstrating an awareness of the way different disciplinary, practical and political orientations to a topic shape approaches to it
LO3. scope and deliver a program of collaborative research, integrating different perspectives into an interdisciplinary analysis of a topic
LO4. produce and pitch a detailed, compelling and evidence-based proposal for a practical, scholarly or creative intervention or contribution to a chosen topic
LO5. demonstrate effective collaboration and communication skills, including capacity to respond effectively to feedback
LO6. critically reflect on the processes and outcome of collaboration, drawing on relevant scholarship about interdisciplinarity, cultural competence and other aspects of group work

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

In 2026 we are piloting a new-look FASS3999, following a significant program of student- and partner-feedback across 2024-5. We have made significant changes to the assessments, in line with student and tutor feedback, as well as some changes to the lecture & tutorial schedule. We are eager to hear from you all about your experience. Our teaching team is extremely committed to building a unit that works for you, so please do get in touch with your ideas about what is working, and what we should consider changing or developing.

Additional information

See Canvas site for full details of case studies and unit materials.

Work, health and safety

Please note: you must attend the tutorial you have been assigned to. Some of our assigned classrooms are extremely small, and we cannot comfortably accommodate any more people. As we strictly record and enforce attendance expectations, failure to attend your timetabled tutorial could result in progression issues for the students involved.

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

FASS3999: Interdisciplinary Impact

Semester 1, 2026 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links