Challenge-based Learning Research Articles

Teaching responsible chemistry: a challenge-based learning framework for the implementation of RRI courses in tertiary chemistry education

Teaching responsible chemistry: a challenge-based learning framework for the implementation of RRI courses in tertiary chemistry education

Educational robotics for science and mathematics teaching: Analysis of pre-service teachers' perceptions and self-confidence

Educational Robotics has had an important impact in recent years as it offers a number of advantages for students. The inclusion of robotics in any educational stage requires teachers with adequate predisposition and training, making it necessary to know the opinions of pre-service teachers. The aim of our study is to analyze the perceptions and self-confidence of 109 pre-service primary education teachers before and after an intervention based on educational robotics and challenge-based learning to teach scientific and mathematical content, in their third academic year. A quasi-experimental design was used involving pretest and posttest, using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon U tests. The results showed a significant improvement in the overall mean self-confidence. In addition, the intervention led to a more positive perception of the benefits and possibilities of robotics for teaching of scientific and mathematical content, although it also increased the difficulties of implementation due to the lack of training in this digital resource. It is concluded that interventions are required based on educational robotics that allow pre-service teachers to gain the necessary self-confidence and perception to facilitate its introduction for the teaching of scientific and mathematical content.

Examining the potential of in- and extra-curricular challenge-based learning in higher education: A delphi study

ABSTRACT Educating students in higher education who are capable of addressing societal challenges requires innovative learning journeys. In the current study, we explore challenge-based learning (CBL) as one way to realise such education. A Delphi study has been conducted at a Dutch University for Life Sciences to identify key characteristics, learning activities, learning outcomes and support of in- and extra-curricular CBL from a stakeholder perspective. Data were collected in two rounds (round 1; N = 47; round 2; N = 29). In-curricular CBL allows students to experience guided teamwork in relation to societal issues as part of their formal curriculum. Extra-curricular CBL provides opportunities for students to have their own, customised learning journey, allowing for strong societal involvement and a variety of learning gains. In- and extra-curricular CBLs have similarities but serve different learning outcomes. Both could be part of developmental lines preparing students to be change agents for sustainability in their future life.

Challenge-Based Learning and Scrum as Enablers of 4.0 Technologies in Engineering Education

Incorporating Industry 4.0 technologies in higher education is crucial for preparing future engineers in a digitalized industrial environment. A challenge-based educational model and the agile Scrum methodology were implemented to move in this direction, combined with the use of Industry 4.0 technologies. New physical and virtual laboratories were enabled with Industry 4.0 hardware/software equipment. The engineering academic programs at the second-largest university in Chile were modified, and all the academic staff involved were trained. Based on conducting challenges that Industry 4.0 technologies can address, this study presents the results of implementing a new educational model and students’ response to freely adopting new technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and collaborative robotics. The results showed a high rate of acceptance and use of 4.0 technologies by the students, so the proposed methodology could be extrapolated to other engineering programs worldwide.

Strategies for effective CBL implementation: from company selection to course evaluation

In this study, we explore the key factors that educators must consider when designing challenges based on the Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) strategy, where the industrial sector serves as the educational partner. Building on our proposed definition of the CBL technique, we outline a methodology complete with practical suggestions to effectively tackle the challenges encountered during the strategy’s implementation. The recommended steps involve choosing a training partner, establishing the company’s role in the challenge, taking economic factors into account, and pinpointing crucial milestones in the course development, which includes recognizing the partner’s involvement and significance in the course evaluation. Our proposal draws from the authors’ experiences in applying this methodology within the context of an Industrial Automation course.

From Traditional to Challenge-Based Learning: A Case Study

The rapid evolution of the information technology sector necessitates innovative educational methods not only addressing current industry needs but also anticipating future challenges. This study aims to explore the transition from traditional pedagogical approaches to challenge-based learning (CBL) within the context of an undergraduate course, "Ethical, Social and Professional Aspects of IT" (120 participants). It investigates how this methodological shift influences the development strategies of the course and the pedagogical outcomes for students, particularly first-year IT administration and development students engaging in practical group work. Employing a mixed research design, the study gathers data through reflections of the course staff, empirical study with students and analysis of the didactic changes within the course. It evaluates the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) and CBL methodologies in addressing real-world IT ethics, social, and professional challenges with a focus on fostering creativity, problem-solving skills, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Preliminary findings suggest that CBL not only enhances students' engagement and learning outcomes but also bridges the gap between academic knowledge and practical application in the IT sector. The collaboration students provided insights into real-world challenges, improving students’ learning and administrative experiences at the university. Furthermore, the study highlights the advantages of integrating both PBL and CBL to cultivate a more dynamic and responsive educational environment. The shift towards CBL in the "Ethical, Social and Professional Aspects of IT" course at Tallinn University of Technology represents a significant step forward in aligning educational practices with the needs of the contemporary and future IT industry, preparing students for the complexities of the modern workforce, and contributing to a sustainable, innovative, and resilient economy. Further research is needed to fully understand the long-term impacts of this pedagogical shift and to refine the methodologies for broader application.

Integrating Challenge-Based Learning in a Vertical Classroom

The paper presents a case study illustrating the implementation of a combined master's level and third-year bachelor's Lab-on-a-Chip Microdevices course using a Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) approach. We describe the course's design, the implementation, and the observed impact of adopting this innovative approach. We use a survey and a focus group discussion to investigate students' perceptions of learning through the CBL approach. The gathered insights highlight the appreciation for practical application and industry collaboration in the course. Some issues related to class preparation and clarity of guidelines for working on challenges have also been identified, and a re-design addressing these issues was co-created between the instructors and students during the focus group session. Our study offers a blueprint for designing hands-on experiment-oriented courses in collaboration with industry and highlights the potential of CBL to enhance technical proficiency and foster innovation in interdisciplinary engineering education.

Challenge-based learning applied with computer engineering students

Society demands professionals with technical and cognitive skills applicable in workplace contexts. Consequently, university students must be acquainted with issues linked to the professional sphere, and it is necessary that innovative teaching strategies such as Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) be implemented to enable students to acquire skills for the working world. The purpose of this research was to ascertain the perception that 32 Computer Engineering students had regarding the application of CBL during the fifth and sixth semesters of their education. To achieve this, students were tasked with solving a challenge that involved three subjects: databases, software engineering, and internet programming. A holistic approach was followed, and the research was descriptive. Data were collected through an instrument consisting of five open-ended questions, querying students about advantages, disadvantages, encountered difficulties, experiences, and suggestions regarding the implemented strategy. A qualitative analysis technique was applied to the comments provided by the students. The results highlighted expressions of resistance to change, teamwork, and product delivery time, as well as learning difficulties on topics enabling them to solve the challenge. They also expressed organizational difficulties for teamwork. Additionally, they indicated that collaboration necessitated better group communication to proceed with the challenge and provided them with insight into professional practice. The students suggested further implementation of such strategies, preferably with projects proposed by themselves.

Review on Sustainable Fashion: Innovations and Challenges

Sustainable fashion is evolving through advanced technology, innovative business models, and progressive education. Technologies like AI, 3D printing, and blockchain reduce waste and boost efficiency, supporting a shift to greener practices. Emerging business models, such as the circular economy, are redefining industry norms, though application remains complex. Educational initiatives like challenge-based learning (CBL) equip students with critical problem-solving skills. Reviving traditional crafts and using eco-friendly materials—like bamboo, recycled fibers, and organic cotton—are vital for reducing environmental impact. These advancements help the fashion industry address both ecological and social challenges.

Humanistic data art visualization for analyzing learner growth in Challenge Based Learning programs.

This perspective article investigates the potential of applying artistic or "humanistic" data visualization to improve the understanding of learner's growth in the context of highly dynamic, learner-centric and experiential educational programs. The article explores the possibility of leveraging a more humanistic or esthetically driven approach to visual learning analytics in the context of programs using Challenge Based Learning (CBL) as a learning framework. CBL is a relatively new and rapidly expanding educational framework grounded on a rich tradition of constructivist, progressive and experiential learning theories. To illustrate the concept, the authors created two data visualizations, designed to offer a comprehensive overview of learners' growing perceptions. The artistic infographic also provides program managers' insights into class dynamics and the programs' overall impact, enhancing the understanding and effectiveness of student-centered learning journeys. Some suggestions for future research are offered.

Preliminary Effect of Challenge-Based Learning on Fostering Nursing Students’ Multidisciplinary Collaboration in Community Health Care Settings

BackgroundCompetence in multidisciplinary collaboration is an essential attribute of nurses working in community health settings. Nursing students should be equipped with this attribute during undergraduate training. AimTo examine the effect of Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) on multidisciplinary collaboration among nursing students. MethodsA one-group pretest-posttest study. Nursing students worked in multidisciplinary groups to conduct community projects framed with CBL. The students designed, planned, and implemented health promotion activities for the selected health topics over a 14-week semester. Multidisciplinary collaboration was measured by Collaboration Scale at baseline and after the projects were completed. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the total and subdomain collaboration scores within-group. p-value <0.05 was statistical significance. ResultsThe total and subdomain collaboration scores were significantly greater than those of the pretest ones (p<0.001), with the effect sizes (r) ranging from 0.48 to 0.71. ConclusionsThe present findings shed light on the potential positive effect of CBL on strengthening nursing students’ competence in multidisciplinary collaboration. Future studies with a more rigorous approach are needed to verify the findings.

The Effect of Challenge-based learning program in Improving Creative Self-efficacy and Cognitive Engagement" among University Students"

The Effect of Challenge-based learning program in Improving Creative Self-efficacy and Cognitive Engagement" among University Students"

Challenge-Based Learning for Competency Development in Engineering Education, a Prisma-Based Systematic Literature Review

Challenge-Based Learning for Competency Development in Engineering Education, a Prisma-Based Systematic Literature Review

Da Vinci Project: Educating Sustainability Change-Makers with Transdisciplinary Challenge-Based Learning and Design Thinking.

Sustainability transitions need professionals with specific skills and attitudes that students often do not develop in their regular chemistry education. To foster sustainability change-maker competencies, we suggest augmenting higher education curricula, e.g., chemical degree programs, with transdisciplinary challenge-based learning combined with design thinking. The Da Vinci Project at Utrecht University (UU) in The Netherlands explores this approach, aiming to cultivate the undergraduates' sustainability change-maker competencies. After five years of experience, we reflected on the students' learning outcomes in this UU honors program. We conclude that transdisciplinary challenge-based education combined with design thinking provides unique opportunities for students to develop valuable skills and attitudes for navigating sustainability transitions, including the transition toward sustainable chemistry. These involve collaboration, communication, creative thinking, integrative problem-solving, stakeholder engagement, openness, empathy, the ability to deal with uncertainty and complexity, self-awareness, critical reflection, courage, and perseverance.

Systematic Review: Revisiting Challenge-Based Learning Teaching Practices in Higher Education

Systematic Review: Revisiting Challenge-Based Learning Teaching Practices in Higher Education

Creating Edinburgh: diffracting interdisciplinary learning and teaching in the contemporary city

This article follows an experimental interdisciplinary undergraduate course in the busy, unpredictable space of the contemporary city. It locates practice-based research of interdisciplinary higher education in a dynamic learning environment, which is comprised of unpredictable connections between disciplinary perspectives. Following Karen Barad, the aim is to diffract interdisciplinary higher education in order to recognise and work with a multiplicity of meanings and experiences. This article explores an alternative to the dominant model of challenge-based learning in the interdisciplinary classroom. Creating Edinburgh: The Interdisciplinary City is an undergraduate elective offered by Edinburgh Futures Institute at the University of Edinburgh. It provides students with opportunities to explore the city of Edinburgh in small groups of students from a wide range of degree programmes. Groups are invited to engage with a selection of themed fieldwork topics throughout the 11 weeks of the course, visiting specific sites and responding to a series of tasks and questions. These include themes such as Sustainability, Decolonisation and Wildness, which are presented as interdisciplinary field topics to explore rather than problems to solve. This article develops a research methodology that sets out to travel with students as they navigate their way through the city during their weekly field trips. Combining first-hand autoethnographic accounts with walking interviews, it offers an insight into interdisciplinary learning and teaching in the expanded field of the contemporary city. Conceiving urban space as an assemblage of digital and non-digital objects, events and activities, members of the research team accompany students during their fieldwork, equipped with audio recorders, cameras and notebooks. The documents of these research journeys are then diffracted within a new materialist framework. The article concludes with questions and prompts for working with the agency and the affordances of a field-based education practice.

Computational earthquake management: An educational perspective

This article presents an educational undertaking to integrate earthquake management subjects into the curriculum, specifically in a master’ s-level design studio course within an architecture faculty. The course explores the employment of challenge-based learning (CBL) and self-directed learning (SDL) principles, emphasizing computation for earthquake resilience and recovery. It is taught with a teaching team with diverse expertise, and it is formulated as an interdisciplinary learning environment that leads to the development of projects that explore know-how beyond the typical disciplinary boundaries of the students’ backgrounds. The article suggests that employing the principles of CBL and SDL, emphasizing computational thinking as a transversal competence, and introducing digital technologies into the course content and teaching methods can lead to an effective interdisciplinary learning environment that improves students’ motivation and agency. They can allow the students to take the initiative in extending their disciplinary knowledge and encourage their self-positioning as problem solvers. The projects formulated and developed by the students address all four phases of earthquake management through computational methods and digital technologies. Accordingly, it is suggested that computational earthquake management can be studied as an interdisciplinary research field that can address all phases of earthquake management, influencing both educational and professional domains. This article presents this course’s pedagogical approach, learning methods, and outcomes. It is concluded with an evaluation of this experience, highlighting directions towards future research. It is suggested that it can give insights into the effective integration of this subject into education and influence future research and professional explorations at the intersection of computation and earthquake management within interdisciplinary learning environments.

Thriving through trials and tribulations: the impact of the ‘Grand Challenge’ on engineering student resilience skills

ABSTRACT Resilience is considered of significant importance for student attainment and work-readiness. This study investigated the impact of Grand Challenge (GC) – an industry-based learning assessment for 1st and 2nd year Engineering students – on student resilience. Resilience scores and psychological distress were measured before and after the GC through questionnaires presented to students. Focus groups were conducted to assess GC’s effect on student resilience qualitatively. Resilience scores in the questionnaires decreased slightly after GC, possibly due to less students completing the post-GC questionnaire. Interestingly, when discussing GC in the focus groups, students did feel GC helped them develop their resilience and understood the impact of resilience on their future career. Overall, the findings help establish GC as a challenge-based learning (CBL) intervention and the extent to which such CBL assessments may affect student resilience skills. The study provides the groundwork for future resilience training and assessment in higher engineering education through CBL events.

Students’ Learning Gains in Extracurricular Challenge-Based Learning Teams

ABSTRACT This study aims to gain insights into what students learn in engineering-oriented extracurricular student teams. With these insights we can further students’ development of their professional identity and employability. The study involved conducting semi-structured interviews with twelve selected members of two student teams and analyzing the reported outcomes by means of deductive thematic analysis. The results of the analysis revealed that students acknowledged experiencing learning gains through their participation in the teams. Students reported acquiring fundamental engineering knowledge, along with personal and professional skills, interpersonal skills, insights into the innovation process, and leadership in engineering endeavours. These learning gains were facilitated by interactions within the diverse elements of the student teams’ ecosystem.

Collaborative challenge-based learning: a case study for twenty-first century skills development

ABSTRACT Persistent criticisms of the narrow focus on technical skills in Australian training package qualifications indicate that vocational learners are failing to graduate with the transferrable skills they need for the twenty-first century workplace. This case study investigates the Basque high-performance cycles of collaborative challenge-based learning (CCBL or ETHAZI in Basque), which has been designed specifically to develop twenty-first century skills alongside technical skills and knowledge. The findings are presented as a descriptive case study of ETHAZI based on observations, analysis of training and assessment documents, and interviews with teachers and managers undertaken during site visits to the Basque Country. The author concludes that there is no reason why Australian training organizations could not adopt the ETHAZI model to address the perceived shortcomings of Australian vocational training since training package qualifications only prescribe the assessment outcomes to be achieved, not how the learning should occur.