Universities have the responsibility to guarantee learning experiences that promote the holistic development of students and contribute to forming an active, critical, and socially committed citizenry. In this framework, entrepreneurial competence acquires a relevant role as one of the key competences for lifelong learning, as established by the Council of the European Union. The updated EntreComp framework highlights the need to develop skills that enable the transformation of ideas into actions with social value, integrating creativity, reflection, adaptability, and collaboration. In the university context, this competence is conceived as transversal and oriented towards the generation of social, cultural, and economic value through active, experiential, and interdisciplinary methodologies that foster flexible professional profiles capable of navigating complex environments.
In this context, Challenge‑Based Learning (CBL) has consolidated itself as a pedagogical approach aligned with the current needs of university teaching. CBL brings students closer to real challenges with social impact, promoting competences such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. Moreover, it transforms the teaching role, which becomes that of a facilitator who designs meaningful learning environments and fosters formative assessment and ongoing reflection.
International literature shows that CBL increases student motivation and engagement, as well as their perceived competence, but also underlines the need to rethink assessment so that it is formative, multidimensional, and oriented towards both process and product. Furthermore, CBL reinforces the relationship between university and society by integrating external actors and contributing actively to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
At the UAB, results from the teaching innovation project Re‑CREAT show that both faculty and students value CBL positively, highlighting autonomy, motivation, and connection with the environment. However, institutional challenges are also identified: lack of teaching support, curricular rigidity, scarcity of unified resources, and the need for greater interdisciplinary coordination. The SWOT analysis developed in the project points to clear strengths, such as alignment with UAB’s priorities, the inclusive and competence‑based nature of the methodology, and the interest shown by academic staff, as well as opportunities deriving from international initiatives. Likewise, weaknesses and threats are identified that make evident the need to transform teaching processes and curricular structures.
In response, the Teaching Innovation Group in Challenge‑Based Learning (GID‑ABR) was created with the goal of promoting, implementing, and consolidating CBL in undergraduate and master’s programmes at the UAB. The group aligns with the institutional lines of Learning Transformation and Social Commitment and Sustainability, and contributes to inclusion, wellbeing, and student support. The GID‑ABR articulates three specific objectives: fostering peer‑to‑peer learning among faculty; designing and implementing competence‑aligned CBL proposals; and evaluating their impact to generate sustainable models for integration into study programmes.
The GID‑ABR will contribute to the creation of a shared vision and culture regarding the use of CBL to improve teaching at the UAB, making existing knowledge and resources visible and promoting sustained reflection on this topic.
Specifically, the GID‑ABR will make it possible to:
- Have up‑to‑date information on the use of CBL at the UAB: characteristics, differences across fields of knowledge, good practices, and available resources.
- Consolidate a reference teaching group for the design, development, and assessment of CBL experiences in higher education.
- Promote the use of CBL in university teaching.
- Identify key elements and strategies that contribute to the generalisation and improvement of CBL in university studies.
- Improve student motivation and participation.
- Generate knowledge on options for introducing CBL with certain guarantees in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at the UAB.
Raise awareness among faculty and students about entrepreneurial competences in higher education, the CBL methodology, and the demands and needs of the environment.