Bridging the gap: creating connections between disciplines in Joint Degree study

How can we help students overcome the challenges of making connections between disciplines on joint degree programmes, and in so doing, bring these two often distinct worlds together?

The need for bridging disciplines was identified as a key conclusion arising from the project discussed in our previous blog titled ‘What’s it like to be a Joint Degree student at The Open University?’, where we explored experiences of joint degree students and analysed feedback on their perceptions of studying two particular pathways of joint degrees with the OU: Law and Languages, and Business Management and Languages. 

In this blog, we discuss the findings of a follow-up SCiLAB funded project which aimed to design and deliver interdisciplinary pilot sessions for Law and Spanish, and Business and Management and Spanish students in order to address students’ desire for connection across their fields of study.

What was done and how

Findings from our first research project had already established that a collaborative, cross-faculty approach is key in designing effective interventions for joint degree students and this pilot built on the recognition that students desire to establish connections across their subject areas (Weissman, 2012 cited in O’Malley et al., 2024). While the value of integrating disciplines is understood across all joint degree pathways, it is particularly critical for language development. This is because language learning can often be presented in isolation, which restricts students’ ability to apply their knowledge of other subject areas creatively and to use their skills in context (Rosario Freeman Suarez et al., 2018). It was therefore very important for us to ensure that the sessions we planned would include subject specific vocabulary, functional language, cultural nuances and practical skills for real-world scenarios in legal and business fields.

Two sessions were designed for each proficiency language level: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced, for both the Business Management and Spanish and the Law and Spanish pilot projects, resulting in a total of 12 sessions (six for Business Management and six for Law). A student collaborator provided feedback on the Business Management and Spanish sessions to help inform the design of the content. Each 1-hour session, delivered in an online room, was conducted primarily in Spanish and adjusted to the students’ proficiency levels to support immersion in both language and subject content. 

Careful contextualisation was vital in the design of the sessions, with topics such business practices in Mexico and legal systems in Spain used. We also wanted to make sure that the sessions were designed to be interactive, responsive to different levels of student ability, and focused on communication, cultural awareness and the application of knowledge in real-world contexts. To help achieve this, we drew on the principles of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), which emphasises communicative, task-based and learner-centred approaches (Coyle, 1999). The sessions were structured around CLIL's 4Cs Framework, integrating content, communication, cognition and culture to support meaningful interdisciplinary learning.

What the students told us

The sessions were advertised to all students via a number of different means, including email and announcements on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). One of the key challenges was the low attendance level at the live sessions, likely due to the timing of the sessions and their proximity to final assessments, as well as their optional nature. As a result, only 10 students from Business Management and Spanish, and three from Law and Spanish, joined the sessions, with attendance ranging from one to four students per session.

Qualitative feedback was collected through anonymous questionnaires conducted after each session and one of the clearest messages we found was a sense of disappointment from the students that the existing degree structure lacked an explicit interdisciplinary focus. However, they felt that these sessions helped to bridge that gap. As one student pointed out:

Many students clearly recognised the need to build linguistic competence in their other discipline, highlighting their own awareness of a greater need for this mode of study. Students consistently recognised the importance of integrating their subjects. One commented that the sessions: 

Another noted: 

The sessions helped students connect with each other, with several people mentioning the value of being able to meet peers across levels. 

Students also appreciated having the opportunity to use Spanish in a meaningful academic context, noting that without these sessions they learn ‘generic’ Spanish and business in English only’.

Overall, the response was very encouraging and the students described the sessions as enjoyable, relevant and motivating:

Looking ahead

There is potential to embed and expand these sessions across programmes and enhance their visibility, and perhaps even align them more closely with assessments. However, in order to be effective, interdisciplinary provision will require sustained collaboration and tutor upskilling. This will in turn require careful consideration of workload and resource allocation. To support student participation, strategies including clearer communication, the introduction of digital badges, and the incorporation of career-focused resources may be helpful. 

The project has also opened opportunities for implementing similar sessions into the tuition strategy on additional pathways with languages. Similar sessions are now being delivered for History and Spanish, Law and French, and Business Management and French. Further evaluation will be required, but offering students an opportunity to engage with interdisciplinary provision has the potential to support student engagement, facilitate the integration of knowledge across disciplines, and contribute to student retention. It may also contribute to supporting the University's position in aiming to be able to offer more innovative ways to further develop skills for joint degree students within the current challenging higher education landscape. 

Joanna Mirek Tooth

Joanna Mirek-Tooth is a Lecturer and Student Experience Manager in the Faculty of Business and Law at The Open University. She has worked in a variety of educational settings, both as a tutor and as an academic manager, in the UK and abroad. Joanna is also an Associate Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics and a Senior Fellow of AdvanceHE.

Olwyn O’Malley

Olwyn O’Malley is an Associate Head of School and staff tutor in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics and an associate lecturer in the Faculty of Business and Law at The Open University. She has a background in Business and Languages and is a Senior Fellow of AdvanceHE. Her career spans a range of educational settings, where she has held roles as a tutor and academic manager both in the UK and overseas. Olwyn has special interest in working across faculties to support student success.

Ximena Arias - Manzano

Ximena Arias-Manzano is a Languages Staff Tutor and Associate Lecturer in Spanish in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has worked at the Open University since 1999. Her work spans teaching and learning design, supporting students with dyslexia in modern languages, playful learning, and the use of screencast feedback in assessment.