Co-creating durable skills education: A case study of the collaborative science for biomedical breakthroughs minor

Johanna Colgrove; Hylkje Geertsema; Floortje d'Hont; Éva Kalmár; Joost Maarschalkerweerd; Dimphna  H.  Meijer; Jill Slinger; Martijn Wackers; Hegias Mira-Bontenbal

doi:10.20897/ejsteme/17466

Research Article

2025, 10(1), Article No: 29

Co-creating durable skills education: A case study of the collaborative science for biomedical breakthroughs minor

Johanna Colgrove ¹, Hylkje Geertsema ¹, Floortje d'Hont ¹, Éva Kalmár ¹, Joost Maarschalkerweerd ², Dimphna H. Meijer ¹, Jill Slinger ¹, Martijn Wackers ¹, Hegias Mira-Bontenbal ³ ⁴ ^*

¹ Delft University of Technology, Delft, THE NETHERLANDS ² Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, THE NETHERLANDS ³ Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, THE NETHERLANDS ⁴ University of Montpellier, Montpellier, FRANCE
^* Corresponding Author

https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17466

Published in Volume 10 Issue 1: 02 Dec 2025

Download: 234

OPEN ACCESS FULL TEXT (PDF)

Abstract

As current challenges become more complex, bringing together people from different backgrounds to solve multifaceted problems has become crucial in the STEM field. There is growing recognition of the need to explicitly teach students the skills necessary to conduct inter- and transdisciplinary science, including communication, collaboration, reflection, and understanding of the research process. This set of skills is complex and requires acquiring knowledge and practice and changing attitudes. Moreover, these processes also require the cultivation of emotional skills, which are often neglected in the STEM field, especially in project-based learning programs that primarily emphasize technical expertise. As educators, we recognize our need to develop these competencies as well. This case study reports on the co-creation journey of an education program designed to teach collaboration with a strong emotional intelligence component in biomedical research to bachelor’s students while providing them with a project to practice. This program also provides an environment for scientists, PhD students, and us as an education design team to improve our skills. We report on what we have done and learned from each other and our students in 360º education, including the program design process evaluation, which tends to be overlooked in the development process of such educational programs.

Figure 2. Building blocks of the minor: the research context as a challenge in the core, with the four skill domains around it.

Amelink, C. T., Grote, D. M., Norris, M. B., & Grohs, J. R. (2024). Transdisciplinary learning opportunities: Exploring differences in complex thinking skill development between STEM and non-STEM majors. Innovative Higher Education, 49, 153–176. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-023-09682-5
Ayeni, O. O., Chisom, O. N., Hamad, N. M. A., Osawaru, B., & Adewusi, O. E. (2024). Enhancing STEM education through emotional intelligence and counseling techniques. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 21(2), 903–916. https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2024.21.2.0503
Biggs, J. (1996). Enhancing teaching through constructive alignment. Higher Education, 32(3), 347–364. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00138871
Bitzer, L. F. (1968). The rhetorical situation. Philosophy & Rhetoric, 1–14. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40237697?origin=JSTOR-pdf
Bovill, C. (2020). Co-creation in learning and teaching: The case for a whole-class approach in higher education. Higher Education, 79(6), 1023–1037. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-019-00453-w
Chinoy, N., Stoub, H., Ogrodzinski, Y., Smith, K., Bahal, D., & Zubek, J. (2022). Assessing student desire for professional skills development within the undergraduate science curriculum: A focus on teamwork. Advances in Physiology Education, 46, 179–189. https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00051.2021
Cook-Sather, A., Bovill, C., & Felten, P. (2014). Engaging students as partners in learning and teaching: A guide for faculty. Wiley.
Danowitz, A. M., Brown, R. C., Jones, C. D., Diegelman-Parente, A., & Taylor, C. E. (2016). A combination course and lab-based approach to teaching research skills to undergraduates. Journal of Chemical Education, 93, 434–438. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.5b00390
Dillenbourg, P. (1999). What do you mean by collaborative learning? In Collaborative learning: Cognitive computational approaches. Elsevier.
Elmi, C. (2020). Integrating social emotional learning strategies in higher education. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 10(3), 61. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe10030061
Fischbach, M. A. (2024). Problem choice and decision trees in science and engineering. Cell, 187, 1828–1833. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.012
Fisher, P. D., Fairweather, J. S., & Amey, M. (2001). Systemic reform in undergraduate engineering education: The role of collective responsibility (Vol. 1, pp. TIA-2). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE.2001.963829
Flyvbjerg, B. (2006). Five misunderstandings about case-study research. Qualitative Inquiry, 12(2), 219–245. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800405284363
Furner, J. M., & Duffy, M. L. (2022). Addressing math anxiety in a STEM world: Preventative, supportive, and corrective strategies for the inclusive classroom. European Journal of STEM Education, 7(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/12645
Gibbons, M. (1997). What kind of university? Research and teaching in the 21st century. Victoria University of Technology.
Harris, J., Brown, V. A., & Russell, J. (2010). Tackling wicked problems: Through the transdisciplinary imagination. Taylor & Francis.
Hartman, H. (2001). Developing students’ metacognitive knowledge and skills. In Metacognition in learning and instruction: Theory, research, and practice (pp. 33–68). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2243-8_3
Helle, L., Tynjälä, P., & Olkinuora, E. (2006). Project-based learning in post-secondary education: Theory, practice and rubber sling shots. Higher Education, 51, 287–314. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-004-6386-5
Huang, X., & Lajoie, S. P. (2023). Social emotional interaction in collaborative learning: Why it matters and how can we measure it? Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 7, 100447. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100447
Kalmar, E., Aarts, T., Bosman, E., Ford, C., De Kluijver, L., Beets, J., Veldkamp, L., Timmers, P., Besseling, D., & Koopman, J. (2022). The COVID-19 paradox of online collaborative education: When you cannot physically meet, you need more social interactions. Heliyon, 8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e08823
Kalmár, É., & Stenfert, H. (2020). Science communication as a design challenge in transdisciplinary collaborations. Journal of Science Communication, 19, C01. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.19040301
Kasnakoğlu, B. T., & Mercan, H. (2022). Co-creating positive outcomes in higher education: Are students ready for co-creation? Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 32(1), 73–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2020.1825031
Khalaf, M. A., & Alshammari, A. (2023). Effects of project-based learning on postgraduate students’ research proposal writing skills. European Journal of Educational Research, 12.
Kjeldsen, J. E., Kiewe, A., Lund, M., & Hansen, J. B. (2019). Speechwriting in theory and practice. Springer.
Klein, J. T. (1994). Notes toward a social epistemology of transdisciplinarity. In Congresso Mundial da Transdisciplinaridade.
Klein, J. T. (2023). Advancing transdisciplinarity: Learning, teaching, and institutionalizing. GAIA: Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 32(1), 162–166. https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.32.1.14
Krajcik, J., & Blumenfeld, P. (2006). 19. Project-Based Learning. In The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences (pp. 317-333). New York: Cambridge University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511816833.020
Kratzer, J., & Mrożewski, M. (2021). Factors fostering creativity in start-up teams. In book: Creative Success in Teams (pp.123-144). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-819993-0.00007-2
Laal, M., & Laal, M. (2012). Collaborative learning: What is it? Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 31, 491–495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.12.092
Kopparla, M., & Saini, A. K. (2022). ‘Science is my true villain’: exploring stem classroom dynamics through student drawings. European Journal of STEM Education, 7(1), 03. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/11785
Van Lacum, E., Koeneman, M., Ossevoort, M., & Goedhart, M. (2016). Scientific Argumentation Model (SAM): A Heuristic for Reading Research Articles by Science Students. In: Papadouris, N., Hadjigeorgiou, A., Constantinou, C. (eds) Insights from Research in Science Teaching and Learning. Contributions from Science Education Research, vol 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20074-3_12
McGregor, S.L.T. (2017). Transdisciplinary Pedagogy in Higher Education: Transdisciplinary Learning, Learning Cycles and Habits of Minds. In: Gibbs, P. (eds) Transdisciplinary Higher Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56185-1_1
Mercer-Mapstone, L., Dvorakova, S. L., Matthews, K. E., Abbot, S., Cheng, B., Felten, P., Knorr, K., Marquis, E., Shammas, R., & Swaim, K. (2017). A systematic literature review of students as partners in higher education. International Journal for Students as Partners, 1(1). 15–37. https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v1i1.3119
Minerva Project. (2023). Teaching durable skills insights. https://www.minervaproject.com/white-paper/teaching-durable-skills
Park, J. H., Son, J. Y., Yoo, N. J., & Kim, S. (2010). A review on usage and effectiveness of e-learning in medical education. Korean Journal of Medical Education, 22, 91–100. https://doi.org/10.3946/kjme.2010.22.2.91
Pelosse, G. (2022). What are durable skills and why is there a shortage? Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2022/03/11/what-are-durable-skills-and-why-is-there-a-shortage/
Prada, E. D., Mareque, M., & Pino-Juste, M. (2022). Teamwork skills in higher education: Is university training contributing to their mastery? Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica, 35, 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41155-022-00207-1
Reinholz, D. L., White, I., & Andrews, T. (2021). Change theory in STEM higher education: A systematic review. International Journal of STEM Education, 8(1), 37. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-021-00291-2
Robles, M. M. (2012). Executive perceptions of the top 10 soft skills needed in today’s workplace. Business Communication Quarterly, 75, 453–465. https://doi.org/10.1177/1080569912460400
Shaari, R., Kamarudin, D., Ju, S.-Y., & Zakaria, H. (2022). Effects of leadership types on job satisfaction among Malaysian higher education institutions. Asian Journal of Instruction, 10(1), 54-70. https://doi.org/10.47215/aji.1020324
Sohmen, V. S. (2013). Leadership and teamwork: Two sides of the same coin. Journal of IT and Economic Development, 4, 1–18.
Sommers, D., Baarends, W. M., Colgrove, J. C., Chaves, I., Van der Sanden, M. C., & Nonnekens, J. (2020). The Corona Research Super Project: A virtual transdisciplinary research project. The Electronic Journal for Research in Science and Mathematics Education, 24, 68–74.
Stake, R. E. (2005). Qualitative case studies. In The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (pp. 443–466). Sage Publications.
Stehle, S. M., & Peters-Burton, E. E. (2019). Developing student 21st-century skills in selected exemplary inclusive STEM high schools. International Journal of STEM Education, 6(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-019-0192-1
Steeves, K., Smith, L., Kreiter, E., & Stobbe, J. (2025). Investigating the intellectual bifurcation between feminist theory and sociology of religious leadership. Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics, 9(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/16020
Strom, P. S., & Strom, R. D. (2011). Teamwork skills assessment for cooperative learning. Educational Research and Evaluation, 17, 233–251. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803611.2011.620345
Sudheesh, K., Duggappa, D. R., & Nethra, S. (2016). How to write a research proposal? Indian Journal of Anaesthesia, 60, 631–634. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5049.190617
Sultan, Y., Dautova, G., & Dalle, J. (2025). Examining the Relationship Among Artificial Intelligence Literacy, Cultural Literacy, and Intercultural Communication Proficiency of Philology Students. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 12(5), 345–362. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2839
Tan, S. E., & Jung, I. (2024). Unveiling the dynamics and impact of emotional presence in collaborative learning. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21(1), 44. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-024-00477-y
Threadgill, E. J. & Paulson, E. J. (2018). Teaching the rhetorical situation to improve disciplinary literacy. Journal of College Academic Support Programs, 1(1), 49-50. https://doi.org/10.36896/1.1pp1
Wang, H., Hutchison, A., Evans, R., & Nathans-Kelly, T. (2023). A critical and ethical approach to teaching genre change awareness: A case study of an elective engineering communication course. In Proceedings of the IEEE (pp. 60–63). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ProComm57838.2023.00018
Yin, R. K. (1994). Case study research: Design and methods. Sage Publications.
Yin, R. K. (2009). How to do better case studies. In The SAGE handbook of applied social research methods (2nd ed., pp. 254–282). Sage Publications.

APA 7th edition

In-text citation: (Colgrove et al., 2025)
Reference: Colgrove, J., Geertsema, H., d'Hont, F., Kalmár, É., Maarschalkerweerd, J., Meijer, D. H., Slinger, J., Wackers, M., & Mira-Bontenbal, H. (2025). Co-creating durable skills education: A case study of the collaborative science for biomedical breakthroughs minor. European Journal of STEM Education, 10(1), Article 29. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17466

AMA 10th edition

In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Colgrove J, Geertsema H, d'Hont F, et al. Co-creating durable skills education: A case study of the collaborative science for biomedical breakthroughs minor. European Journal of STEM Education. 2025;10(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17466

Chicago

In-text citation: (Colgrove et al., 2025)
Reference: Colgrove, Johanna, Hylkje Geertsema, Floortje d'Hont, Éva Kalmár, Joost Maarschalkerweerd, Dimphna H. Meijer, Jill Slinger, Martijn Wackers, and Hegias Mira-Bontenbal. "Co-creating durable skills education: A case study of the collaborative science for biomedical breakthroughs minor". European Journal of STEM Education 2025 10 no. 1 (2025): 29. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17466

Harvard

In-text citation: (Colgrove et al., 2025)
Reference: Colgrove, J., Geertsema, H., d'Hont, F., Kalmár, É., Maarschalkerweerd, J., Meijer, D. H., . . . Mira-Bontenbal, H. (2025). Co-creating durable skills education: A case study of the collaborative science for biomedical breakthroughs minor. European Journal of STEM Education, 10(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17466

MLA

In-text citation: (Colgrove et al., 2025)
Reference: Colgrove, Johanna et al. "Co-creating durable skills education: A case study of the collaborative science for biomedical breakthroughs minor". European Journal of STEM Education, vol. 10, no. 1, 2025, 29. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17466

Vancouver

In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Colgrove J, Geertsema H, d'Hont F, Kalmár É, Maarschalkerweerd J, Meijer DH, et al. Co-creating durable skills education: A case study of the collaborative science for biomedical breakthroughs minor. European Journal of STEM Education. 2025;10(1):29. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17466

Keywords

Inter-and transdisciplinary education, durable skills, STEM, Co-creation

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Submit My Manuscript