Abstract:

Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) has emerged as an effective educational strategy for engaging students in solving real-world problems through active participation, collaboration, and critical thinking. In the context of environmental and reproductive health—where scientific, societal, and clinical complexities converge—CBL provides an opportunity to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and applied learning.

This article reports on the implementation of CBL during two editions of the advanced course Environment and Reproductive Health: Global Insights in Assisted Reproduction, held at the University of Aveiro. The program combined seminars, laboratory classes, roundtables, and CBL-based nano-challenges. Participants from diverse academic and professional backgrounds engaged in projects addressing topics such as male reproductive health awareness, fertility literacy, pesticide exposure, dietary supplement safety, and healthcare professional training needs.

Evaluation data showed strong acceptance of the CBL approach. Across both editions, all respondents rated the course as good or excellent, with 93.8% finding the content to be either relevant or very relevant to their professional needs. Participants emphasized the value of interdisciplinary teamwork, problem-solving, and integrating theoretical knowledge with practical challenges.

These results demonstrate that CBL effectively promotes both domain-specific knowledge and transferable skills, while fostering critical thinking, creativity, and social responsibility. Despite the short course duration, the approach proved suitable for addressing multifactorial issues in reproductive medicine. The broader adoption of CBL in postgraduate and professional training could help prepare healthcare professionals and researchers to tackle complex challenges at the intersection of the environment, reproduction, and public health.

Keywords:

CBL, environment, reproductive health.