Interdisciplinary Collaboration In Practice €“ Balancing Confidence And Complexity In Experential Learning

This paper investigates the impact of an interdisciplinary art and technology laboratory conducted within the “Performing the Digital. In Progress!†project on the perceptions and attitudes of students in Arts toward collaboration and the integration of digital tools in creative practice. Through a mixed-methods case study design, the research analyzed data collected from Pre- and Post laboratory questionnaires of participants, and semi-structured interviews with mentors. The study aimed to test three hypotheses regarding (1) participants’ comfort and preparedness for interdisciplinary teamwork, (2) attitudes toward technology integration, and (3) the qualitative value of interdisciplinary collaboration. Quantitative analysis was used for testing the first two hypotheses and results revealed no statistically significant improvements in participants’ perceptions, which can be partly explained by the small sample size and communication challenges among mentors. These difficulties, together with divergent views regarding structure versus freedom, may have limited the collaborative potential of the laboratory. Our findings also showed a complex relationship with technology, with some mentors embracing it as a creative tool more than the others, who regarded it as less relevant or even distracting. On the other hand, the qualitative analysis confirmed the third hypothesis, and thus highlighting the richness of the interdisciplinary process and the importance of communication, flexibility, and individual learning preferences. Our study suggests that participation in the laboratory may have increased students’ awareness of the complexity of interdisciplinary collaboration. Overall, this paper highlights the need to design supportive communication environments, flexible structures, and thoughtful approaches to technology integration. Future studies should involve larger samples, control groups, and longitudinal perspectives to better assess the long-term impact of the interdisciplinary art-technology interventions on creativity and innovation.