Abstract:

This contribution puts the focus on a semester long project- and problem-based learning experience in the fourth semester in the Bachelor study program ‘Nonprofit, Social and Healthcare Management’ (NSHM) at the MCI The Entrepreneurial School®. It shows how the coordination of lectures, assignments and reflections around a real life experience can create a significant learning impact.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are overarching the study program NSHM. After building up basic knowledge, with SDGs being the subject of many courses in the first three semesters, students work in groups on a practical project with a SDG focus accompanied by six courses in their fourth semester.

The lectures in the fourth semester revolve around these projects with reference to the SDGs, either offering methodologic input or specialist knowledge. The study program cooperates with project partners from the NSHM network that value an open-ended research process for identifying challenges and related solutions. The results of the projects aim to contribute to society and to shape a sustainable future.

The handling of these projects serves as real-life experience and enhances ‘problem-based learning’ (PBL). PBL allows hands-on learning where students learn best when they are actively involved. Looking at the effectiveness, PBL is especially helpful when it comes to long-term learning and a sustainable impact of learning.

In a complete semester (30 ECTS, 750 working hours) students are guided through a SDG project step by step following Biggs’ constructive alignment approach and Bloom’s 21st century Taxonomy. Course design with clear assignments aligned with the learning outcomes and their respective grading rubrics as well as regular reflections enable students to progressively develop critical thinking skills.

The students perceive the project-based semester as a very exciting and challenging experience. Interactive lectures foster learning and understanding what really matters during the completion of a project. The input of various experts and lecturers is helpful and often transferred to the application in the project immediately. In the course of the semester, students regularly reflect about the progress of the projects and about team dynamics, which enables them to consider their activities from a meta-perspective. According to the feedback of students, they feel empowered and inspired by the lectures and like the interdisciplinarity of the tasks.

Based on the clear structure of project-based learning over a whole semester and taking into account the lessons learnt, knowledge and skills on ‘sustainability’ and ‘project management’ are taught and established in a lasting and effective way. Project-based learning creates a real life experience with inputs and feedback from various stakeholders (lecturers, peers and practice partners). On the one hand, students take responsibility for a project, a team, deliverables and the communication with the practice partner; on the other hand, lecturers mentor them throughout the process so that reflection and learning is enhanced. Thus, students are confronted with different sources of information and changing circumstances and have to react in an agile way making use of agile project management tools.

As the projects are very diverse and change every year, and the whole semester is currently organized in an online format, the above approach can be easily transferred to others contexts.

Keywords:

Project-based Learning, Problem-based Learning, Agile Management, Project Management, SDGs, e-learning, Reflection, E-Portfolios.