Challenge-based Learning in Courses: The Implementation Continuum

Given the increasing criticality and complexity of societal challenges, higher education institutions are urged to equip students with the ability to develop sustainable solutions for 'wicked' problems. Consequently, the Challenge-based Learning (CBL) framework has attracted considerable interest in higher engineering education. However, transforming existing course curricula to CBL is a challenging endeavour since it requires careful and paced execution for maintaining the quality, synergy, and flow of existing education. Therefore, this paper proposes a perspective on CBL implementation that exemplifies a gradual transition towards educational CBL innovation while reflecting on the alignment, consistency, and coherence educators aspire to when designing courses. Accordingly, we introduce a CBL implementation continuum as a conceptual model, which connects CBL elements to Van den Akker’s Spider Web for curriculum design and describes a continuum of Mild, Moderate, and Intense CBL levels per Spider Web component. Moreover, the paper describes an online CBL implementation tool, which helps educators thoughtfully evaluate the current level of CBL in their courses and provides practical recommendations for a transition towards higher levels of CBL intensity.