Challenge-Based Learning And Constructive Alignment: A Challenge For Information Systems’ Educators

Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) is an emerging approach to the design of education activities known for its benefits in fostering student engagement and, consequently, positively affecting their learning outcomes. For the educator, the ’challenge in the challenge’ is to guarantee that the CBL-based education design follows certain regulations, like ensuring proper curriculum coverage with Constructive Alignment. This challenge becomes particularly difficult to address in the field of Information Systems, within Computer Science, where multiple practices can be followed to solve the same problem. This is even more challenging when CBL is applied at course-level, where the curriculum of the course focuses on a subset of those practices. This paper targets two central questions for the educators willing to apply CBL while complying with Constructive Alignment in their course design: (1) How to ensure that the results based on solutions designed to address student-defined challenges are successfully aligned to the course’s intended learning outcomes? (2) How to use these results as evidence of learning and as an assessment component? We discuss our experience and lessons learned applying CBL for the redesign and execution of the Smart Industry Systems course of the University of Twente, while ensuring proper curriculum coverage and compliance with Constructive Alignment

Variety in Challenge-Based Learning in higher education

Increasingly higher education programs are made open and flexible to face challenges demanded by societal changes. Challenge-based learning (CBL) is perceived as an educational concept shaping these open and flexible programs. However, CBL as a field of research is still in its infancy. The present study searches for all-embracing commonalities of CBL in engineering education. We propose an evaluative framework that both includes commonalities and allows for variety in CBL characteristics between study components. This framework, labelled CBL-compass, serves as a methodological approach for educational staff and researchers to visualise the local colour of CBL in higher education institutions. With this study we aim to advance the field by contributing to a conceptual basis in flexibility in CBL. Our research question was: How can we assess the variety of CBL implementations in engineering education experiments? This question was answered by an evaluative case study. First, existing literature on CBL was scoped. The characteristics following from this review were perceived as dimensions, each with associated indicators. Empirical data were collected from an evaluation of six CBL experiments. The variety of scores on the CBL-compass gave an impression of how teachers implemented CBL in their course or project and can thus be used as an evaluation mechanism to improve this implementation. Filling in the CBL-compass triggered reflection among teachers about their course and CBL. The added value of the CBL-compass is the attention for, amongst others assessment or teacher skills and support, which are important for the overall quality of study components

Experiencia de metodología CBL en robótica educativa universitaria

La diversidad de disciplinas que engloba la robótica en el ámbito universitario conlleva un esfuerzo particular para profesores y alumnos. Esto puede provocar deficiencias en la adquisición de los fundamentos y una desvinculación entre parte teórica y práctica. Se busca la implicación del alumno en el desarrollo de una aplicación práctica donde los fundamentos sean una herramienta necesaria. En este trabajo se introduce la metodología basada en retos asociada a la Robotica universitaria, analizando el impacto sobre los resultados, así como la aceptación y la percepción recibida por los estudiantes. Los resultados del estudio nos muestra una mejora en la implicación profunda del alumnado, tanto en los conceptos teóricos, como en su aplicación práctica, así como una mayor motivación para enfocar la asignatura y mantener la asistencia hasta el final.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Integrating Industry 4.0 in Higher Education Using Challenge-Based Learning: An Intervention in Operations Management

Industry 4.0 is predicted to significantly transform the jobs and skill profiles of workers. Implications for higher education may involve dramatic changes in the demand for knowledge and skills. In response to this, a Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) intervention was designed with the aim of developing working skills for the future of work on undergraduate students by embedding the Industry 4.0 theme in the Operations Management curricula. The CBL intervention was implemented in two different academic terms at a UK university, and views from 302 undergraduate business students were captured using document analysis. The benefits are reported in terms of knowledge acquisition and the application and development of key desirable working abilities for the future. The results suggest that CBL increases students’ understanding of Industry 4.0 issues in real-life settings. It also provides an environment for soft-skills training for skills, including collaboration, communication, planning a problem-solving. This study provides a blueprint for the implementation of CBL in the Operations Management curricula. The study validates existing findings obtained from the application of CBL in other disciplines. Whilst the proposed CBL intervention might be easily replicated in business schools in the UK, the findings on students’ experiences might not be directly generalized to other contexts or disciplines

Equipes de trabalho e a metodologia de Nano Challenge Based Learning : desenvolvimento de habilidades em estudantes de ciências contábeis

O Mercado de Trabalho na área da Contabilidade vem sofrendo constantes mudanças nos últimos anos, devido a fatores como a Globalização, o uso da Tecnologia de Informação e as adequações as Normas Internacionais de Contabilidade. Deste modo, percebe-se que o Perfil do Profissional Contábil é dinâmico frente às demandas da sociedade, principalmente em relação a possuir um conjunto de habilidades, tais como as Habilidades Socioemocionais, dada a sua relevância para a atuação na área Contábil. O curso de Graduação é um momento de formação e desenvolvimento das habilidades do Profissional Contábil e, neste sentido, esta pesquisa busca identificar quais os elementos de composições de Equipes de Trabalho que influenciam no desenvolvimento de habilidades de estudantes a partir do uso da metodologia de Nano Challenge Based Learning (CBL). Utiliza-se uma abordagem Quantitativa e Qualitativa e quanto aos objetivos é uma pesquisa descritiva-explicativa, realizada por meio da aplicação de um experimento com 255 estudantes de Ciências Contábeis de diferentes IES do Rio Grande do Sul. A pesquisa revela que o uso da Metodologia de Nano CBL auxilia no desenvolvimento de habilidades requeridas à atuação da Profissão Contábil. Por fim, este estudo apresenta um guia com os elementos que colaboram para um melhor desenvolvimento de habilidades em estudantes quando se utiliza a metodologia de Nano CBL. Em relação às Equipes de Trabalho, identificou-se que os estudantes apresentaram maior desenvolvimento de habilidades quando participavam de equipes que tinham como composição: integrantes de gênero misto, com 3 a 4 integrantes, e com a escolha de formação sendo imposta pelo professor.The Labor Market in the area of Accounting has been undergoing constant changes in recent years due to factors such as Globalization, the use of Information Technology and the adequacy of International Accounting Standards. In this way, it can be seen that the Profile of the Accounting Professional is dynamic in face of the demands of society, especially in relation to possessing a set of skills, such as Socioemotional Skills, given its relevance to the performance in the Accounting area. The Undergraduate course is a moment of training and development of the skills of the Accounting Professional and, in this sense, this research seeks to identify which elements of compositions of Work Teams that influence in the development of student skills from the use of the methodology of Nano Challenge Based Learning (CBL). A quantitative and qualitative approach is used and the objectives are a descriptive-explanatory research, carried out by means of the application of an experiment with 255 students of Accounting Sciences of different HEIs of Rio Grande do Sul. The research reveals that the use of the Methodology of Nano CBL assists in the development of skills required for the performance of the Accounting Profession. Finally, this study presents a guide with the elements that collaborate for a better development of abilities in students when using the methodology of Nano CBL. In relation to the Work Teams, it was identified that the students presented greater development of abilities when they participated in teams that had as composition: members of mixed gender, with 3 to 4 members, and with the choice of training being imposed by the teacher