Effects of CBL
Articles are listed from oldest to newest. Click on the "+" below to read the abstract and access the publication.
Year: 2020
Type of publication: Conference paper
Abstract: Engineering education at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is in the process of changing from instruction and teacher-based education to inquiry- and challenge-based education, where students are challenged to solve open-ended problems in collaboration with stakeholders in the field of science and technology (Eindhoven University of Technology, 2018) and hence the teacher’s role becomes that of a coach. To determine students’ learning gains in both traditional and innovative education (i.e., challenge-based learning) at TU/e, we asked the following research question: Which (kinds of) learning gains do engineering students perceive in challenge-based learning versus traditional learning? To answer this question, we interviewed 13 students from “science” studies (e.g., Applied Mathematics), “core engineering” studies (e.g., Mechanical Engineering), and “social engineering” studies (e.g., Sustainable Innovation) about their perceived learning gains in traditional as compared to challenge-based courses. We used a new tool “pie chart drawing” to elicit students’ self-reported learning gains. Furthermore, we investigated students’ reflections on the learning trajectory “Responsible innovation in a global context” to get deeper insights into learning gains in a challenge-based learning trajectory. The results showed that students perceived learning gains regarding their disciplinary conceptual and procedural knowledge; general cognitive learning; affect and thoughts related to learning; skills on teamwork and communication; and knowledge and skills about enterprise and business. Learning gains that were mostly obtained in traditional courses focused on disciplinary conceptual and procedural knowledge. Learning gains in challenge-based courses stimulated students’ teamwork skills and collaboration with outside stakeholders (e.g., companies; institutes). General cognitive learning, communication with other students, and affect and thoughts related to learning were acquired in both traditional and challenge-based courses. The implications for CDIO related principles and engineering education in general will be discussed.
Access the document:
Year: 2020
Type of publication: Journal article
Abstract: Retention and transfer of information were tested in a second-year bachelor design-based learning project, and compared with a traditional bachelor-level course. The project Signal and Systems is a core and compulsory course within the physics curriculum of the Applied Physics Department at the Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands. Students from different year-level cohorts participated in a study consisting of a 15-open question test on systems, control technology, and Laplace transform. Students’ perceptions of active learning educational factors that may support understanding and the retention and transfer of information were also measured. A small number of students were interviewed in focus groups to validate the data on elements that promote retention and transfer. Results indicate that students following the design-based learning project recorded higher median marks in their assignments compared to those enrolled in the traditional course. Students from all cohorts agreed that the educational factors promoting learning were repetition of topics throughout the bachelor's curriculum, practicing and providing feedback, and an explanation on errors made. Results from this study serve as a suitable example for tertiary educational practitioners to use design-based learning to facilitate retention and transfer.
Access the document:
Year: 2021
Type of publication: Journal article
Abstract: Research on the effectiveness of case studies in teaching engineering ethics in higher education is underdeveloped. To add to our knowledge, we have systematically compared the outcomes of two case approaches to an undergraduate course on the ethics of technology: a detached approach using real-life cases and a challenge-based learning (CBL) approach with students and stakeholders acting as co-creators (CC). We frst developed a practical typology of case-study approaches and subsequently tested an evaluation method to assess the students’ learning experiences (basic needs and motivation) and outcomes (competence development) and staf interpretations and operationalizations, seeking to answer three questions: (1) Do students in the CBL approach report higher basic needs, motivation and competence development compared to their peers in the detached approach? (2) What is the relationship between student-perceived co-creation and their basic needs, motivation and competence development? And (3) what are the implications of CBL/CC for engineering-ethics teaching and learning? Our mixed methods analysis favored CBL as it best supported teaching and research goals while satisfying the students’ basic needs and promoting intrinsic motivation and communication competences. Competence progress in other areas did not difer between approaches, and motivation in terms of identifed regulation was lower for CBL, with staf perceiving a higher workload. We propose that our case typology model is useful and that as a method to engage students as co-creators, CBL certainly merits further development and evaluation, as does our effectiveness analysis for engineering ethics instruction in general and for case-study approaches in particular.
Access the document:
Year: 2023
Type of publication: Conference paper
Abstract: This paper’s purpose is to present the findings of exploratory research performed at TU/e Innovation Space to gain a better understanding of what students learn in extracurricular student teams. Having a better understanding of student learning can help us make such learning more visible, which has a positive impact on students’ development of professional identity and employability. The scope of this study includes interviews with five alumni from student teams and an analysis of its outcomes. The results of the interviews’ analysis showed that students recognized that they experienced learning gains because of their participation in student teams. However, the process of describing the learning gains in a detailed way is not easy for them, showing that their extracurricular efforts did not make these learning gains explicit. Students reported learning gains associated with personal and professional skills (CDIO syllabus section 2) and interpersonal skills, collaboration, teamwork, and communication (CDIO syllabus section 3). Peer interactions and learning by doing were the most relevant media that promoted those learning gains. Finally, we conclude that additional methods, such as observations during teamwork, can help understand the mechanisms that facilitate learning.
Access the document:
Year: 2024
Type of publication: Conference paper
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to gain new insights into the disciplinary learning gains that students acquire after finishing their participation in engineering-oriented extracurricular student teams. Making these learning gains explicit has the capacity to nurture students’ professional identities and enhance their employment prospects in the job market. This study involved conducting group sessions with members of two student sub-teams, both part of one overarching team. Results indicate that students acquired learning gains associated with the hardware manufacturing process, disciplinary design, multidisciplinary design, and utilization of knowledge. Additionally, students reported that they developed learning gains by means of interacting with peers, participating in workshops, and consulting various experts.
Access the document:
Year: 2025
Type of publication: Journal article
Abstract: Responding to calls for more future-oriented teaching and learning, an increasing number of institutions of higher education have recently implemented challenge-based learning (CBL). Through work on open-ended and real-life challenges, CBL aims to stimulate students to take the lead in their own learning, acquire and apply knowledge relevant for responding to the challenge and developing disciplinary and transdisciplinary skills. Prior research on student learning has suggested multiple advantages of such active involvement of students in their learning, which calls for integrating these insights into emerging CBL research. This paper therefore presents a framework for capturing the conditions, process and outcomes of student learning in challenge-based learning, paying specific attention to the distinct levels (microlevel or course context, mesolevel or institutional context and macrolevel or university, societal, local, national or international context) and content (social, physical, and formal) of the context in which CBL takes place. Use of the proposed framework is investigated with data from interviews with eight teachers experimenting with CBL in their courses. The analyses show that the framework is useful for capturing all aspects that teachers consider and mention as relevant in implementing CBL courses. The data furthermore suggest interactions between some parts of the framework that need to be examined in future research.
Access the document:
Year: 2025
Type of publication: Conference paper
Abstract: Recent years have seen increasing calls for a more modern and flexible university education that prepares students for an increasingly complex and ambiguous world. As an educational concept responding to such calls, Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) has been implemented by an increasing number of higher education institutions. CBL puts students in the lead of their own learning, working on authentic and real-life challenges, collaborating with other learners and stakeholders to define learning and working goals. Research systematically exploring student learning processes in CBL and specifically student learning outcomes, however remains scarce. In a pilot study, we therefore explored the learning gains CBL alumni reported to have taken away from a CBL learning experience. Participants reported many advantages of CBL and having acquired a broad number of personal and professional skills, but also named disadvantages of CBL learning processes. Therefore, we present a proposal for a longitudinal study of student learning in CBL in the second part of the paper. This longitudinal study should follow students on their path through higher education, capturing their learning process, perceptions of the CBL learning environment, and learning gains during each CBL course they encounter. This would allow us to get a better understanding of how CBL learning experiences affect student learning in other (both CBL and non-CBL) courses and foster the development of the most beneficial conceptions of learning as well as processing and regulation strategies.
Access the document:
Year: 2025
Type of publication: (Journal article
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.
Access the document: