  Due to the interdisciplinary nature of complex systems as a field, students
studying complex systems at University level have diverse disciplinary
backgrounds. This brings challenges (e.g. wide range of computer programming
skills) but also opportunities (e.g. facilitating interdisciplinary
interactions and projects) for the classroom. However, there is little
published regarding how these challenges and opportunities are handled in
teaching and learning Complex Systems as an explicit subject in higher
education, and how this differs in comparison to other subject areas. We seek
to explore these particular challenges and opportunities via an interview-based
study of pioneering teachers and learners (conducted amongst the authors)
regarding their experiences. We compare and contrast those experiences, and
analyse them with respect to the educational literature. Our discussions
explored: approaches to curriculum design, how theories/models/frameworks of
teaching and learning informed decisions and experience, how diversity in
student backgrounds was addressed, and assessment task design. We found a
striking level of commonality in the issues expressed as well as the strategies
to handle them, for example a significant focus on problem-based learning, and
the use of major student-led creative projects for both achieving and assessing
learning outcomes.
