CBL implementation

Year: 2022

Type of publication: Book chapter

Abstract: This chapter presents a case study of building TU/e Innovation Space, a unique learning hub for developing, sustaining, and disseminating research-informed challenge-based learning (CBL) practices at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). This learning hub for education innovation fosters the collaboration between students, industry, research, and societal organizations and drives the continued development of the CBL approach at TU/e. The chapter presents insights from the development of CBL at TU/e Innovation Space, drawn from post-course evaluation surveys of two flagship courses, the Innovation Space Bachelor End Project (ISBEP; third-year bachelor level) and the Innovation Space Project (ISP; master’s course level). Analysis of the data shows that students generally rated the courses highly. As the main motivation to choose these courses, students cited the desire to do something else than their own major, aiming for interdisciplinarity and breadth of knowledge, and wanting to do something real-life or business-like. Students also liked the ability to choose their own project, but in some cases, struggled with the structure of the assessment. We also briefly describe academics’ perspectives on running CBL courses at the hub and present additional activities related to the full learning ecosystem of the hub. Finally, we describe some of the future directions in terms of CBL research and educational developments at the hub.

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Year: 2022

Type of publication: Book chapter

Abstract: The chapter presents the implementation of ethics education via challenge-based learning (CBL) in three European settings. At TU Eindhoven (the Netherlands), a mandatory first-year User, Society, and Enterprise course on the ethics and history of technology offers a CBL alternative on ethics and data analytics in collaboration with internal student and research teams. The University of Lübeck (Germany) initiated the project CREATE – Challenge-based Learning for Robotics Students by Engaging Start-Ups in Technology Ethics, which enables 60 students in Robotics and Autonomous Systems to integrate ethical and societal considerations into technological development processes, in cooperation with start-ups from a local accelerator. In Spain, CBI-Fusion Point brings together 40 students from business and law (ESADE), engineering and technology (Polytechnic University of Catalonia), and design (IED Barcelona Design University) for an innovation course focused on the application of CERN-developed technologies to real-world problems. The chapter documents the process of setting up three CBL courses that engage students with grand societal topics that require the integration of ethical concerns from the design stage of technological development. The authors also reflect on the challenges of teaching ethics via CBL and the lessons they learned by delivering experiential learning activities rooted in real-life challenges and contexts marked by high epistemic uncertainty. The contribution reflects the transition to remote teaching and presents strategies employed to enhance online communication and collaboration. The chapter thus provides guidance for instructors interested in teaching ethics via CBL and recommends further lines for action and research.

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Year: 2023

Type of publication: Conference paper

Abstract: Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) has become specifically popular in higher engineering education as it embraces authentic, active, and interdisciplinary learning that requires students’ self-direction and collaborative decision-making. The CBL compass (van den Beemt et al. 2023) has been widely applied to capture the variety of educational innovations under the CBL label regarding their vision, teaching and learning, and support. As the tool only captures the teachers' intentions and goals, the question remains whether discrepancies occur with student perceptions of the CBL learning environment that may cause friction. Therefore, this research project explored these discrepancies more thoroughly with teachers and students from CBL courses at four technical universities across Europe. First, to understand the commonalities and differences between the courses, all courses were mapped with the CBL compass. Analyses of the outcomes showed that the courses varied regarding their implementation of the 36 indicators of CBL represented by the tool – most strongly regarding collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, assessment, and aspects of learning technologies, facilities, and support. In the next step, we applied the student version of the CBL compass to understand student perception of these indicators and capture differences with teachers' intentions. The results mostly show a high agreement between teachers' intentions and students' perceptions. Friction arises in indicators regarding the complexity of the challenge, the involvement of external stakeholders, and the assessment. The results do not only help our understanding of student learning gains and experiences in CBL but may feed back into teachers’ CBL design processes. 

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Year: 2023

Type of publication: Conference paper

Abstract:The Artificial Intelligence and Engineering Systems (AI&ES) is an interdisciplinary master's program coordinated by the Electrical Engineering department at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), the Netherlands. The university has chosen to create an interdepartmental master's program on AI&ES as opposed to multiple departmental programs. The goal is to strengthen interdisciplinary education and to educate T-shaped and π-shaped engineers for the future. From a curriculum development perspective, it is relevant to investigate how the AI&ES program integrates interdisciplinary education and what is the effect on students’ learning. In this case study, we focus on investigating (1) How to design an interdisciplinary curriculum; (2) How to support teachers in designing and integrating interdisciplinary elements in courses and projects. The method for this study follows a design-based and action research approach to create a vision on interdisciplinary education and bring about change in the context of the AI&ES curriculum. A series of workshops (N=3) were organized (1) to generate common knowledge and understanding by collaboratively identifying what the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary elements are relevant to construct a curriculum line; (2) to support academic teaching staff to reflect upon interdisciplinary research findings to redesign education and enhance improvement of practice. Academic staff were interviewed and focus groups with students were organized to collect information on students’ perceptions. Preliminary findings from teachers’ interviews show that it is important to create a learning line from awareness to the application of interdisciplinary elements throughout the curriculum. Assignments where students in groups make use of data research and data collection methods from different domains, provided the room to work on open-ended tasks and to reflect on the integration of interdisciplinary education. Differences among teachers lie in the vision on interdisciplinary education and how to apply it in courses.

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Year: 2024

Type of publication: Journal article

Abstract: Background: Challenge-based learning (CBL) is a pedagogical approach increasingly adopted in engineering education. Despite its growing practice, there is little consensus in the literature about how CBL is implemented in engineering curricula and what experiences teachers and students have in relation to it.

Purpose: To address this gap, the following research questions guided the study: How is CBL currently implemented in engineering education? What difficulties and lessons learned are associated with the implementation of CBL?

Methods: We systematically reviewed the empirical literature published between 2010 and 2021. Forty-eight empirical studies describing CBL implementation were analyzed using the curricular spider-web framework.

Results: The review shows the variation in CBL implementation at the course and project levels. CBL courses and projects shared the use of open-ended, real-world challenges as a starting point for student learning. However, they differed in the embeddedness of a challenge in specific courses and the focus of the learning, which ranged across knowledge acquisition, knowledge application, and development of transversal skills. CBL experiences also varied in terms of challenge characteristics, such as the link with global societal challenges, stakeholders' involvement, and multidisciplinarity. Similar difficulties and lessons learned were reported by teachers and students across the different examples of CBL implementation.

Conclusions: CBL as a pedagogical approach in engineering education can promote student engagement with complex societal challenges within a real-world context. However, there are limitations to the review and implications of the findings for educational research and practice.

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Year: 2024

Type of publication: Journal article

Abstract: This paper aims to illustrate a mechanism and the impact of collaboration between academia and external stakeholders using a challenge-based learning (CBL) approach, with ill-defined open challenges as the starting point of the learning journey. The context of the study is a sequence of three connected courses that enabled students to address pressing sustainability challenges both in the Global South and the Global North in a variety of fields, such as health, urban living, agriculture and waste management. The courses aimed to equip students with knowledge and skills on how to tackle the challenges and design responsible innovations, as well as inspire them to make an impact in the world, while collaborating with external stakeholders. The insights gained from this study are that the courses effectively fostered critical thinking, organizational skills, and teamwork capabilities among students. The collaboration with external partners was particularly valued by the students for its relevance to their learning and potential career progression, as it allowed them to take ownership of the challenges to tackle, thereby enhancing motivation and deepening their learning experience. Furthermore, the courses were successful in enabling students to apply knowledge to real-world cases and engage in meaningful debates on responsible innovation and SDGs.

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Year: 2025

Type of publication: Journal article

Abstract: Challenge-based learning (CBL) offers a promising approach for integrating education for sustainable development (ESD) in secondary schools. However, despite the growing body of knowledge on the implementation of CBL in higher education, less is known about its implementation in secondary education. This qualitative study investigated how secondary education teachers implement CBL using an adapted CBL compass, collecting data through semi-structured interviews with teachers (n = 8) and observations of teachers interacting in professional learning communities (n = 26). Results indicated that CBL in secondary schools involves meaningful, real-life challenges aligned with students’ interests, fostering citizenship skills and disciplinary knowledge through a student-centered approach, with teachers acting as coaches. Despite enthusiasm for CBL for ESD, teachers faced obstacles such as overloaded curricula, inflexible learning outcomes, and logistical issues in interdisciplinary collaboration. These findings can guide educators in overcoming these obstacles and encourage curriculum integration of ESD using CBL.

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Year: 2025

Type of publication: Conference paper

Abstract: This practice paper introduces an approach to learning outcomes within the context of the Innovation Space Bachelor End Project (ISBEP), which underscores the transition from traditional outcome-focused education to a process-level learning paradigm at a Technical University in the Netherlands. At the core of ISBEP's methodology is competence development through challenge-based learning, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and engagement with societally relevant challenges. The paper discusses the effectiveness of process-level learning outcomes, highlighting the importance of reflection, self-awareness, and iterative learning in fostering a growth mindset among students. We then outline the application of this process-oriented approach to knowledge-based learning outcomes, an area traditionally dominated by outcome-based assessments. By segmenting educational progress into distinct stages—beginning, emerging, proficient, and advanced—this approach facilitates a more engaged and reflective learning process. It encourages students to actively participate in their knowledge acquisition, applying critical thinking and synthesis to complex problems. The proposed methodology is set to be tested in the "Automotive Societal Factors" course within the Master's program in Automotive Technology, a course that focuses on the societal impacts of autonomous driving. This course will assess students' self-reflection on personal development, aiming to foster intrinsic motivation and a growth mindset that may extend to other areas of their education. This exploration into process-level learning outcomes represents a significant shift in educational philosophy, offering a comprehensive framework for enhancing learning engagement and understanding in various settings.

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Year: 2025

Type of publication: Journal article

Abstract: Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) is an educational approach that has gained popularity in response to the need for authentic learning environments. While the CBL literature is predominantly focused on cases of pedagogical implementations, the actual processes by which students develop CBL projects remain under-investigated. This shortitudinal study seeks to examine the phases of CBL project development and associated process behaviours at group level, as they unfold. The participants are 6 interdisciplinary student groups, totalling 22 students enrolled in a first-year course on ethics and data analytics. Data was collected weekly throughout 10 weeks via reflective diaries (n = 15 students) and observation of course sessions (n = 22) and is complemented by interviews after course completion (n = 15). The data was subject to a thematic trajectory analysis. The study identifies 7 distinct phases in the temporal structure of a CBL project: gaining client know-how, articulating a problem, mapping the problem context, setting the aim, proposing an action path, testing and evaluating it, and implementing the solution. The article concludes with recommendations for further research into CBL project development processes, which may support the growing adoption of real-life interdisciplinary projects in engineering education.

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