Abstract:

This paper presents a pedagogical innovation implemented in an undergraduate interpreting module designed to enhance learning and the overall student experience through team-based learning and structured stakeholder involvement. The intervention emerged in response to recurrent challenges in practice-oriented higher education, namely limited task authenticity, uneven student engagement and insufficient exposure to professional realities. To address these issues, the module was redesigned around collaborative preparation, shared team responsibility and functional interpreting simulations developed in close collaboration with external stakeholders, including professional interpreters, healthcare practitioners and observers.

The pedagogical redesign was monitored using a mixed-methods approach combining pre- and post-intervention questionnaires administered to students and a post-intervention questionnaire to stakeholders with reflective learning records collected via a collaborative digital platform, Padlet. This triangulation allowed for a nuanced analysis of students’ expectations, perceptions, learning processes and skill development, as well as of stakeholders’ perspectives on the educational value of their involvement.

Findings indicate increased student motivation, improved preparation for class activities and a stronger perception of task authenticity and professional relevance. Students reported enhanced awareness of their interpreting competences and limitations, alongside the development of key 21st-century skills such as collaboration, adaptability, communication and responsibility for collective outcomes. The team-based structure fostered peer support and accountability, while stakeholder participation contributed to bridging academic learning and professional practice. In addition, students were encouraged to engage critically with digital tools, including AI-supported resources, reflecting on their affordances and limitations within professional workflows rather than adopting them uncritically.

The paper argues that team-based learning combined with meaningful stakeholder engagement can support deeper, more authentic learning in undergraduate education. It concludes by discussing the pedagogical implications of this approach and its potential for transferability to other practice-oriented higher education contexts.

Keywords:

Team-based learning, authentic learning, stakeholder engagement, interpreting training, professional simulation.