1.5 Theoretical reflections

The Co.F.E. method is a framework designed to spark innovative collaboration among diverse stakeholders in education, particularly in interdisciplinary contexts involving emerging technologies and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). It addresses key challenges in transforming teaching and learning across disciplines and institutions – challenges such as distributed knowledge, limited resources and the need for faster, iterative prototyping of educational technology. The Co.F.E. methodology rests on three fundamental pillars:

• Communities of Interest (CoIs) to bridge different communities of practice (Fisher, 2001; Kynigos & Daskolia, 2021);
• a Flow of Rapid Prototyping (FRP) that supports rapid iteration, circulation and feedback of partially developed artefacts;
• Actors with Hybrid Expertise (AHE) who acquire new knowledge and skills outside their original domains through sustained multidisciplinary collaboration.

Educational contexts often involve wicked problems (Rittel et al., 1973), characterised by complex, evolving challenges and multiple stakeholders, each with unique and sometimes incomplete understandings. Wicked problems require ongoing collaboration across disciplines, as no single discipline can fully address them. The symmetry of ignorance (Rittel, 1984) that characterises different stakeholders thus becomes a resource: gaps in individual knowledge can lead to creative solutions as stakeholders learn from each other (Brown & Duguid, 1991). In addition, design-oriented approaches to education, as described by Simon (1969), emphasise iterative cycles of problem definition, testing and refinement. The Co.F.E. method uses design thinking to form interdisciplinary teams capable of creating novel educational resources by prototyping and refining ideas in rapid, iterative loops. These processes require participants to synthesise large amounts of information while continuously integrating different perspectives (Cross, 2023).

Communities of interest

CoIs are the cornerstone of the Co.F.E. method. They bring together individuals from different communities of practice – engineers, educators, programmers, researchers, artists, students – around a common goal or challenge (Fischer, 2001). This ‘community of communities’ structure promotes the convergence of diverse expertise, creating a richer ground for innovation. Unlike communities of practice, which focus on socialisation within a single knowledge system (Wenger et al., 2002), CoIs must navigate and reconcile multiple vocabularies, epistemologies and problem-solving methods. From a socio-cultural perspective, CoIs function as dialogic and polyphonic contexts (Ness & Dysthe, 2020). Creativity emerges not only from consensus, but also from the interplay and constructive friction between different perspectives (Ness & Dysthe, 2020). This phenomenon of polyphonic imagination fosters an environment where participants practice open-mindedness and respect, enabling them to cross disciplinary boundaries. For example, a CoI formed to develop learning analytics might include mathematicians, software developers, teachers and educational researchers. Each member’s expertise – and ‘ignorance’ relative to the others – creates a mutual learning process that shapes more holistic, innovative solutions.

Flow of rapid prototyping

In TransEET, we adopt Smith’s (2019) definition, which describes a prototype as ‘a primitive representation or version of a product typically created by a design or development team during the design process’. This highlights the fluid, dynamic and collaborative nature of prototyping, where the primary goal is to test the flow of a design idea and gather feedback – both internally and externally – before moving towards a final product. In practice, prototypes remain ‘usable’ but always ‘improvable’, circulating among CoI members for critique, testing and ongoing revision. Prototyping in design thinking has long emphasised the rapid production of preliminary artefacts (Simon, 1969; Cross, 2023), and in industrial contexts ‘rapid prototyping’ is often measured in days or weeks (Grimm, 2004). However, Co.F.E. extends this notion by allowing CoIs to adopt a pace appropriate to their specific environment, whether that means overnight changes or a series of refinements over several weeks.

This approach resonates with the idea of improvable boundary objects (Kynigos, 2007), where each prototype has a critical function in bridging different practices. In the TransEET project, prototypes work as boundary objects (Star & Griesemer, 1989) that transcend disciplinary divides, enabling participants to iteratively shape the same artifact from complementary angles. The FRP process is thus woven into the concept of boundary crossing (Bakker & Akkerman, 2019), wherein individuals or groups establish continuity across unfamiliar practices. In the context of the TransEET project context, prototypes are constantly open to discussion and improvement, capturing the fluidity of the process through the term “flow.” Instead of a mindset focused on finishing a product, participants adopt an evolving perspective in which ideas circulate, adapt to feedback, and continuously expand the potential of the prototype’s design.

Actors with Hybrid Expertise

One consequence of engagement with the Co.F.E. method is the emergence of Actors with Hybrid Expertise (AHEs) – individuals who, through repeated multidisciplinary collaboration, develop skills that cut across different domains. Rather than confining themselves to a single domain, AHEs contribute fluidly to areas such as coding, curriculum design, data analysis or content creation. In doing so, they embody a transdisciplinary mindset that fosters educational transformation. Research on organisational creativity highlights the importance of integrated skills within collaborative teams (Woodman, Sawyer, & Griffin, 1993). Ness and Dysthe (2020) contend that simply assembling a diverse group does not automatically lead to innovation; rather, relational processes of mutual support, open dialogue and respect are essential. By embedding these relational processes, the Co.F.E. method allows for the cultivation of AHEs who can mediate knowledge, connect ideas, and lead ongoing innovation in education.

Hybrid experts act as agents within and beyond their respective CoIs, sharing design knowledge, bridging communication gaps and promoting iterative improvement. Over time, they can lead the creation of new CoIs or adapt prototypes to additional contexts, thereby scaling up educational innovations. In this sense, the Co.F.E. method not only generates new artifacts—like AI-based lesson plans or VR simulations—but also shapes individuals capable of tackling complex, interdisciplinary problems in teaching and learning.

Integrating the arts into STEM fields requires a flexible and creative framework (Henriksen, Mehta, & Mehta, 2012). The Co.F.E. method addresses this need by combining rapid prototyping with interdisciplinary collaboration, which aligns perfectly with the STEAM approach. By moving seamlessly between aesthetic, interpretive and analytical modalities, participants co-create solutions tailored to real-world educational settings. This synergy fosters creativity, enabling team members to integrate technological, pedagogical and artistic insights into a cohesive whole. By forming CoIs that include educators, programmers, scientists and artists, the Co.F.E. method activates the synergy between different ways of thinking. Novel educational resources – such as authorable analytics tools or augmented reality STEAM games – emerge as members collaborate on prototype design, each contributing expertise while learning from the approaches of the others.

Conclusions

In short, the Co.F.E. method brings together Communities of Interest (CoIs), the Flow of Rapid Prototypes (FRP) and the cultivation of Actors with Hybrid Expertise (AHE) to address complex, multidisciplinary challenges in education. By forming a CoI around a unifying goal – such as developing new classroom activities or integrating new technologies – actors from different domains (e.g. teachers, developers, researchers) co-construct knowledge in dialogical, polyphonic spaces. Shared boundary objects, such as prototypes or working documents, help to align different perspectives while stimulating new insights. Focusing on FRP means encouraging rapid, small-scale prototyping that evolves through continuous feedback and revision. This approach not only streamlines the production of usable artefacts, such as digital learning tools or redesigned lessons, but also deepens collective understanding by connecting different vocabularies and problem-solving strategies. As Henriksen et al. (2012) argue, bridging arts and sciences is essential in STEAM contexts, and Co.F.E. achieves this by merging creative, transdisciplinary processes with iterative design cycles.

When you implement Co.F.E., you can foster transformative educational outcomes by nurturing actors with hybrid expertise who move fluidly between domains, from coding to curriculum development. Encouraging participants to experiment beyond their primary domain fosters the cross-fertilisation of ideas, while frequent cycles of prototyping keep them actively involved in shaping solutions. Over time, the emergence of these hybrid experts expands an ecosystem’s capacity to adapt, innovate and collaborate, positioning the community to respond effectively to rapidly evolving educational challenges. By systematically integrating CoIs, the FRP and the cultivation of hybrid expertise, the Co.F.E. method not only produces new tools and curricular materials, but also paves the way for a resilient, future-oriented vision of teaching and learning.