Co-designing the Cabriotraining. A training for transdisciplinary (research) teams

Background
Researchers collected questions and needs for training from ten inclusive research projects in the Netherlands. Based on literature research and the information collected, six training modules were developed. Researchers sought to learn how to develop and provide training and coaching to inclusive teams on organising collaboration in the different stages of their research projects.

Method
An iterative training development process to support inclusive research projects was initiated by a research duo backed by a transdisciplinary team including researchers, trainers and designers. Some members of the team have experiential knowledge based on living with a disability. 

Results
Literature research resulted in four guiding theories, including Universal Design for Learning, Derrida’s concept of Hospitality, post-materialist theory looking at agency as an assemblage, and Romiszowski’s model situated within Instructional Design theory. Insights gained during development of the training modules are documented with text, figures and vignettes. A core finding was the need to add ‘Level Zero’ to Romiszowski’s model: a collective term created for all the interacting issues trainers had to consider because of research group diversity.

Conclusions
Hospitality formed the heart of ‘Level Zero.’ Creating a failure-free space for learning is an important pre-condition for the development and organisation of training. Training can inspire exploration and reflection on collaboration and can illuminate how to conduct research within transdisciplinary teams. Essential practices included working with nonverbal research methods, as these are (more) fit for purpose when including the knowledge of experts by experience and incorporating practice- and stakeholder-based knowledge.

Accessible summary

• The research was conducted by a team of researchers. Some of the researchers have experience of living with a disability. 
• The researchers created training for other research teams that include experts by experience.
• The training has six parts. To decide what happened in the training, the researchers read articles and asked the research teams they trained about what problems they had and what they wanted to know about. 
• The article tells why and how the training was made. It also says what training is needed for researchers with and without disabilities to learn and work together in a way that feels safe and useful. 
• In developing and providing the training, it was very crucial to search for a safe and welcome space for all people involved. As we don’t know what is ‘safe’ for the other, this means we have to search together, in respect and with enough time to get to know each other.