Challenge-Based Learning

Challenge-based Learning is a learning methodology based on a real experience: participants face a specific problem of the territory, and explore possible options for improvement, coming up with the proposal of a solution, which is eventually implemented and evaluated.
The person responsible for coordinating the challenge experience is a facilitator or teamcher: an expert on the subject to be treated, who coordinates the group of participants and is the connecting point between the participant and the entity that provides the challenge.
Learners or participants may belong to the university, but they may also be external to the academic sphere: citizens interested in the subject and related the field of the challenge, lifelong learning students, workers from the institutions that provide the challenge, etc. The working groups are multidisciplinary, and each member contributes with their knowledge and experience in the analysis of the challenge and the formulation of the final proposal.
The institution that provides the challenge to be resolved can be a private company, a public institution, an NGO... any entity that has a strong connection to the territory.

CBL at the ECIU University
Since the founding of the ECIU University, CBL has been a major part of the institution, and the joint work of the members of ECIU University involved in the fields of teaching, research and university management was encouraged so that they could establish common patterns of challenge management. For the time being, challenges are offered in pilot sessions, in which students from all Universities members of ECIU University can participate in a challenge offered by any member university. In this way, the local approach is strongly connected with the international perspective.
All the challenges of ECIU University are related to the Sustainable Development Goal 11– Sustainable Cities and Communities, established by the United Nations General Assembly.
Associated with the challenges, there is the offer of the so-called micro-modules, small training experiences that help the participants to the challenges to supplement those aspects where they may have shortcomings. There are basically three types of micro-modules: the ones related to the SDG11, the ones about linguistic and intercultural skills, and the ones about soft-skills, transversal competences that increase their know-how about teamwork, leadership, working methodologies in CBL, etc.
The participation in any of the activities proposed by ECIU University will result in a micro-credential recognition.