Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Project Based Learning (PBL) Practices for Good

Abstract

The main goal of this paper is to describe a specific teaching-learning project implemented in two higher education courses – Bachelor in Marketing and Master in Competitiveness and Business Development, offered at a higher education institution. The project integrated Project Based Learning (PBL) methodologies and authentic learning, supported by technology, with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), studying real companies from different industries, and aiming to improve the quality of the learning experience, students’ motivation and academic success. A total of 300 students were involved in the first semester of the year 2022/2023.

The idea of sustainable cocreation was at the base of this pedagogical innovation project, so that students may become aware and assume responsibility on the impact of marketing, strategy and competitiveness decisions in the contemporary society. Students were challenged to include in their works a proposal of actions that had positive impact and contributed to the SDGs defined by the United Nations and to reflect and measure the potential impact of these actions at the level of the community.

From an operational perspective, students developed different activities in their academic works, in four different curricular units, in line with the educational level and syllabus of each curricular unit, always related to real companies from different industries and supported by different technologies, using different immersive learning experiences where students could combine authentic learning and SDGs analysis.