„Not extra work – my subject, taught differently”: how a VIKO lecturer runs Challenge-Based projects that keep giving back

When Vilniaus kolegija (VIKO) joined the HEROES Alliance, many of the early conversations across its faculties focused on what new activities the Alliance would bring. For Jolanta Pileckienė, a lecturer in Environmental and Occupational Safety at the Faculty of Technics, the question was slightly different. Rather than asking how to fit HEROES into her teaching, she asked how Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) project could naturally grow from the courses she was already delivering.

That approach has led to much more than a single classroom project. We spoke to Jolanta about how she built the CBL project into her own course, delivered it in a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) format, and why the network it created has kept growing long after the students have returned home.

How did the decision to run a CBL project in BIP format actually happen?

Our International Office had been telling faculties for some time that HEROES needed real initiative, not just a formal response. So, I started reading about what a CBL project is and how it matches BIP. Then I sat down with Dovilė Liubinienė, Head of the Studies Department, and together we looked for a way to integrate it into a course we were already delivering. Our goal was never to create an additional project alongside our teaching. Instead, we wanted to redesign the existing course so that CBL became an integral part of the learning experience. That was our approach from the very beginning, and it was a deliberate decision from the very first conversation.

You often say the preparation was the hardest part. What did that mean in practice?

We had to sit down with two other lecturers and carefully coordinate which student groups would participate and how each of us would integrate the project into our own courses. It required a great deal of planning and collaboration between us.

The students were given the challenge of developing a prototype for a higher education institution’s registration system. Since this system would be used daily by university staff, its design had to consider not only technical functionality but also the needs of the people using it. That meant paying attention to ergonomics and occupational health and safety when working with display screen equipment.

These topics are central to my course, so they naturally aligned with the students’ challenge. Meanwhile, my colleagues Jelena Mamčenko and Brigita Šustickienė guided their students through the technical aspects of the project, covering databases, operating systems and data analytics. The project was fully included in the curriculum. Every VIKO student who took part received credit through their module assessment, so nothing was additional work on top of the regular timetable.

“This is really a good niche for lecturers to fill. It counts as your teaching hours, and students get an assessment out of it.”

Many lecturers hear “BIP” or “CBL” and think, another thing on top of my workload. What would you say to them?

I completely understand that reaction. It’s no secret that some colleagues think, “I’ll teach my classes and go home, why would I take on the extra effort of international activities?” But if you organise it well, it doesn’t become an additional burden.

Every lecturer’s workload already includes time for organisational activities. A CBL project delivered as a BIP fits naturally within that part of the role rather than adding something on top of it. And what you get back is not comparable to a regular teaching hour. Students engage differently, they give you feedback you rarely hear otherwise, and your subject gets taught in a way it simply cannot be taught in a standard classroom.

Your project also involved a business partner. How was the company engaged in the learning process?

Challenge-Based Learning projects are typically developed in collaboration with an external partner, so involving a company was a natural part of the process. Once we had agreed on the project theme, I reached out to the company that I already knew from an earlier Erasmus+ project. The company’s experts delivered two sessions for the students. The first focused on current labour market trends and the skills employers are looking for in IT professionals. The second was more technical, covering programming and the use of AI tools. Throughout the project, they also mentored the student teams and, at the end, took part in evaluating the final prototypes.

One of the most rewarding aspects was seeing how the students’ questions evolved during these sessions. What I noticed was how the questions shifted in those sessions. Students started asking about salaries, about which skills the Lithuanian market actually wants, about how to read a real job offer. Those were things I could not have given them on my own.

How have your relationships with the partners evolved since the project ended?

The collaboration certainly didn’t stop when the project finished. We’ve stayed in close contact with our partners and continue to build on the relationships we established during the BIP. Our colleagues have since visited Vilniaus kolegija during the International Week, and we are currently planning new staff mobilities to the Czech Republic as well as additional joint activities with Fontys University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands.

You mentioned that you have already planned another challenge for students in the autumn?

Yes, the second one is planned for autumn, and this time students will work on a robotic arm. It was easier to bring partners together for this project, and the initial organisational stage was smoother. This is largely because the first project did not limit itself to teaching activities only. During the first project, partnerships and relationships were established, and the partners wanted to continue working together.

“With every single partner we now have very close ties. That is what a properly integrated CBL project leaves behind.”

Was this further development planned in advance?

No, it was not planned. However, it was not accidental either. I already have considerable experience in cooperation with international partners, and I know that if you invest time at the beginning and carefully consider possible ways of integration, you can expect a positive cascading effect later on. We chose the right business partner, coordinated the subject areas well with my colleagues, and prepared thoroughly. This is exactly why the partners wanted to continue working together.

What would you say to a HEROES lecturer reading this and thinking about doing the same?

Start with the question “where in what I already teach could a CBL project fit?” Find one or two colleagues at your own university whose subjects connect to a real challenge. Talk to your International Office. Reach out to a partner from your own network, someone you have worked with before, not a stranger. The preparation will be serious. But if you set it up so that the CBL project is your teaching, delivered in BIP format, and not a burden on top of it, the work is not extra. And the network you build during that first project will keep giving back long after it is over.

Could you share any advice with HEROES colleagues who are considering integrating a CBL project into their course?

I can only speak from my own experience, so I would start with the content: which courses within the programme would be suitable for integrating an interdisciplinary challenge, and how can we make the best use of what we already have? It is very useful to involve one or two colleagues whose subjects are related to the challenge you are interested in. Then you can approach the International Relations Office and discuss short-term mobility programmes. These are attractive because they provide a certain budget for activities.

It is also a great advantage if you already have an international partner with whom you have worked before, as this makes the organisation process easier. However, you should not be afraid of engaging with new partners either, especially within the HEROES Alliance.

There is no point in hiding the fact that preparation will require time. But if everything is planned and structured properly, the benefits you gain from the project will be no less valuable than the effort you invest. Most importantly, the partnerships that emerge during the first project open the door to many more future joint initiatives.