Facilitating Knowledge Integration Through Interdisciplinary Role-Play In Industry and Community Project Units (icpus)

Industry and Community Project Units (ICPUs) at the University of Sydney deliver interdisciplinary education for undergraduate students by engaging them in group work addressing complex real-life problems. A key element is knowledge integration, where students draw insights from diverse disciplines for a holistic understanding. To practice this, an interdisciplinary role-play scenario ‘Developing sustainable battery storage solutions for Bungala Solar PV Project’ was developed. Students assume expert roles from fields such as environmental engineering, policy analyst, and finance, each presenting their priorities in a paper-based activity. This is followed by group discussions addressing overlaps, conflicts, and negotiations toward the goal of upgrading storage solutions for the solar project. Individual or paired reflections help students understand cognitive advancements and overcoming biases. The activity supports comprehensive problem-solving by integrating knowledge from multiple areas like battery technology, installation costs, environmental impacts, and cost-benefit analysis, fostering deeper interdisciplinary learning and practical application skills. ICPUs thus facilitate authentic, collaborative, and reflective interdisciplinary education experiences.