Active learning in sustainable energy master degrees: A multiple challenge approach

The analysis presented here starts from the experience in challenge-based education developed in the master degrees MSc RENE and MSc SELECT. These MSc programs are offered by InnoEnergy partner universities, funded by the EU through the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). We analyse how a total 32 challenges addressed by the students take into account a list of 9 competences and characteristics of the projects and the diversity of the own characteristics and the solutions adopted. Our final objective is to test the effectiveness of the development by the students of a diversity of projects. We concluded that, as expected, most of the competences and other characteristics of the projects as market approach are addressed. The diversity of characteristics and solutions adopted is high in relation with technologies, innovation and entrepreneurship we can observe a considerable diversity. Social commitment and connection with the industry are less involved that expected with the levels of development and again the connection with the industry are scarcely diversified. In spite of this, we think that the multiple-challenge approach is effective in developing a diversity of competences in the different areas involved We also observe that because of the open character of these activities the control and management of the competences developed is not immediate. As a future suggestion we propose to extend the use of the multiple-challenge approach in sustainable energy programs and the development of a systematic monitoring of the kind of challenges addressed and the competences developed by each student.