https://doi.org/10.1140/epjds/s13688-025-00566-6
Research
Quantifying interdisciplinary synergy in higher STEM education
1
Department of Physics, Gyeongsang National University, 52828, Jinju, Korea
2
School of AI Convergence, Soongsil University, 06978, Seoul, Korea
3
Research Institute of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, 52828, Jinju, Korea
4
Future Convergence Technology Research Institute, Gyeongsang National University, 52849, Jinju, Korea
a
jinhyuk.yun@ssu.ac.kr
b
lshlj82@gnu.ac.kr
Received:
25
February
2025
Accepted:
30
June
2025
Published online:
25
July
2025
We propose a framework to quantify and utilize interdisciplinarity in science and engineering curricula at the university-level higher education. We analyze interdisciplinary relations by standardizing large-scale official educational data in Korea using a cutting-edge large language model and constructing knowledge maps for disciplines of scientific education. We design and evaluate single-field and integrated dual-field curricula by adapting pedagogical theory and utilizing information theory-based metrics. We develop standard curricula for individual disciplines and integrated curricula combining two fields, with their interdisciplinarity quantified by the curriculum synergy score. The results indicate higher interdisciplinarity for combinations within or across closely related fields, especially in engineering fields. Based on the analysis, engineering fields constitute the core structure of our design for curriculum interdisciplinarity, while basic natural science fields are located at peripheral stems to provide fundamental concepts.
Key words: Interdisciplinarity / Curriculum Design / Higher Education / STEM
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1140/epjds/s13688-025-00566-6.
© The Author(s) 2025
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