At a workshop organized as part of the European university alliance HEROES, instructors gained hands-on experience with the Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) method. This method engages students in solving real-world problems and bridges the gap between theory and practice. The goal of the workshop was to introduce the principles of this method and demonstrate specific ways it can be applied in higher education.

“Sharing experiences with Challenge-Based Learning among the HEROES partner universities allows us to inspire one another and draw on examples of best practices when implementing this method in teaching,” said Daniel Falta, associate dean of the Faculty of Agronomy and coordinator of Work Package 4 (CBL) for MENDELU. According to him, the method also opens up opportunities for closer collaboration between students and faculty from partner universities in addressing challenges that transcend the boundaries of individual disciplines and countries.
“The essence of Challenge-Based Learning is that students are not merely passive recipients of knowledge, but actively seek solutions to specific real-world problems. The method is based on an approach that Apple began developing in 2008 as part of the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow—Today project,” explained workshop instructor Milou Kaufmann from Fontys University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, who leads Work Package WP4 in the HEROES alliance.
The two-day workshop combined theory with practical demonstrations and teamwork. Participants tried out the individual phases of Challenge-Based Learning for themselves and discussed how they could integrate the method into their existing courses, when organizing summer schools, in online teaching, and when assigning projects.

MENDELU students have also piloted the CBL method in the past, working in international teams with students from the partner institution, Thomas More University in Belgium, on a real-world assignment. “Feedback showed that students particularly appreciated working on a specific project, the intensive use of English, and collaboration with international peers. Some noted that this form of instruction provided them with more than traditional classroom instruction and that they would welcome more similar projects at the university. At the same time, the pilot program showed us what needs to be improved—primarily in terms of organization, project assignments, and communication between teams,” added Prof. Ing. Lubor Lacina, Ph.D., from the Faculty of Operations and Economics at MENDELU, who led the pilot program. Students gained further practical experience during the international BIP program at the partner institution IP Beja in Portugal, where they designed a cattle farm adapted to the dry and hot conditions of the Alentejo region with a vision extending to the year 2050.
The pilot test and workshop will be followed by further development activities aimed at supporting the pedagogical competencies of faculty members at MENDELU. The university will continue to build upon and share the experience gained through the international HEROES alliance network.