Abstract:

The Bologna Declaration (1999) laid the foundations for the compatibility of European higher education systems and the improvement of the mobility and employability of students in the European High Education Area (EHEA). It also raised the need to provide the citizens of the European Union with the necessary competences to face the challenges of the new millennium. In the first years, efforts focused on the uniformity of higher education systems, with the creation of a comparable credit system (ECTS), two educational levels -undergraduate and graduate- and the promotion of mobility.

In 2005, the fundamental objectives of higher education were set as:
i) preparation for the labour market,
ii) preparation for life as active citizens in a democratic society;
iii) personal development; and
iv) the development and maintenance of a broad, advanced knowledge base.

In 2018 the need for the development of critical thinking and creative skills in EHEA students to meet the challenges of today's society was emphasized. This paper presents a review of the literature showing the suitability of the Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) methodology to achieve the objective set by the European Commission for EHEA in 2025: excellence in transversal competences through a challenge-based teaching approach.

In particular, we note that CBL could play a key role in the consolidation of the EHEA by promoting:
(i) development of critical thinking, innovation and creativity skills,
(ii) collaboration between students and members of their community and
(iii) value-based learning.

Keywords:

Challenge-Based Learning, European High Education Area, Bolonia Declaration, Transversal skills, Learning and teaching methodologies, Educational innovation.