Challenge-based learning curriculum development: a suitable framework for engineering education

Abstract

Collaborative learning communities are becoming popular in engineering education. The department of Industrial Design at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) has almost 20 years of experience in the organization of small-scale and challengebased education (CBL). In Industrial Design, students work in ‘collaborative communities’ called ‘squads’ that share an interest in specific application domains. Within the squads, vertical learning takes place and students from different bachelor and master years exchange experiences and learn together in a learning community while solving open-ended societal challenges. The purpose of the research was to map the characteristics of two ID squads ( for the purpose of this study we will name the squads Vitality and Crafting Everyday Soft Things (CEST), and study the educational elements influencing students’ learning. In nature, the two squads share the same educational principles, however, the differ in the organization of education and the level guidance provided, decreasing, to some extent, the open-endedness characteristics of CBL. To conduct the study, we used the constructive alignment as a research framework to map the alignment between vision, teaching and learning activities and assessment of the squads. Results show alignment of the Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) with teaching and learning activities, and assessment in the two squads. The analysis draws attention to the similarities and differences between the two squads, specially in the manner of structuring learning. Finally, the suitability of the framework to analyse the CBL curriculum in engineering education contexts is demonstrated. This research opens up opportunities for future studies to investigate learning in small communities.