Internet and Transdisciplinary Based Teamwork Formula for Elaborating a Bachelor’s or a Master’s Thesis

Abstract

The last step in a student’s schooling experience is the presentation of his/her bachelor’s or master’s thesis. This constitutes a good opportunity for the students to “show off” their capabilities, their individual performances related to the theme of the thesis, and the amount of knowledge that they have accumulated over their years of study in a higher educational institution. Such reality has fueled an important question across the educational system of whether it is enough to expect that from a bachelor’s or master’s thesis, or it is time to change the methodology of thesis elaborating by implementing new methodologies. The paper examines possible methods that aim to shift from the traditional way of writing a bachelor’s or a master’s thesis to a modern approach, based on national/international teamwork. Such a method would include intensive usage of the Internet for information, documentation and collaboration, and would also valorize the methodology of transdisciplinarity. The discussion begins with the explanation of the major challenges that students with different majors, cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds face when they attempt to write a good thesis. This is followed by arguments that support the idea of teamwork. The paper finally concludes with examples of actions that will help academic authorities to implement such a new, complex and innovative methodology. The authors intend to turn this article into a good starting point for a pilot project, which aims to create a partnership between several universities/entities that are ready to embrace and implement this initiative.