Fostering Collaborative Learning: Exploring the Impact of Multidisciplinary Teams in Higher Education

Addressing complex problems through multidisciplinary teams emerges as a powerful educational tool that encourages collaboration between students from diverse academic backgrounds. However, the mere fact of integrating teams with students from diverse backgrounds does not guarantee that the experience is as enriching as one might hope, which is why there is a need to explore which success factors contribute towards obtaining the maximum benefit from this tool. This paper shows the results of a comparative analysis of a course taught to two different groups of students in different semesters to evaluate the experience in multidisciplinary teams in a university-level course, aimed to identify the key aspects to consider when designing a course so that the student obtains better education from a better experience working with multidisciplinary teams. The results showed that an enriched educational experience emerged as students engaged in teamwork, refining their communication skills, resilience, and learning from varied perspectives, indicating the successful integration of diverse thinking. Regarding the course design, this study provides constructive insights to foster collaboration and learning focusing on the team's integration, the design of assignments and the grading system. These findings can be applied to similar courses to better capitalize on the advantages of multidisciplinary teams, ensuring an even more enriching and effective learning experience for students.