Project-Based Learning

Project-Based Learning engages students in extended work that leads to a tangible outcome. Projects can take various forms, such as developing a strategy for a company, creating a product prototype, conducting market analysis and making recommendations, or addressing a specific organisational or social challenge. Students plan activities, assign roles and make decisions in conditions that closely resemble real-life situations.

An important element of the process is the careful design of each stage of work, for example: problem → concept → prototype → testing → conclusions. This helps structure the project and avoid organisational chaos. The method develops responsibility, independence and the ability to connect theory with practice. It also requires students to integrate knowledge from different areas and make decisions based on incomplete data.

Reflection is a key aspect of project-based learning. Students analyse what worked well, which assumptions proved incorrect, and what could be improved. As a result, they develop competences and practical skills that can be applied in their future professional careers.

Course: Project Management
Topic: Designing a New Service Offering
Students work in teams to develop a new service idea in response to a selected social, organisational or market problem. The final outcome includes a description of the service, an implementation plan, key organisational assumptions, and a justification for the decisions made.

Introduction (5-10 min)
The teacher presents the project brief, expected outcome, assessment criteria and timeframe. They explain that the aim is not simply to come up with an idea, but to develop a coherent, well-justified proposal that can be presented to an audience.

Defining the Problem and Aim (30–45 min)
Teams choose the problem they want to address. They define what the project is about, who it is intended for, and what outcome they want to achieve. At this stage, they formulate the project aim and initial questions to guide their work.

Project Plan (45–60 min)
Students prepare an action plan. They divide tasks within the team, set a schedule, define milestones and agree on success criteria. The teacher may ask guiding questions, such as:
What do you need to establish before you start working on the solution?
How will you know that the project is well prepared?

Project Implementation (3–6 weeks)
Teams collect information, analyse materials, compare possible solutions and develop their own service proposal. Throughout the process, they consult their progress with the teacher.
They may prepare short progress reports, draft solutions, decision tables, risk analyses, or descriptions of key project assumptions.

Project Presentation (approx. 10 minutes per team)
Each team presents its project. The presentation should include the problem, aim, proposed solution, main assumptions, implementation plan, risks, and justification of decisions. A short Q&A session with the teacher and other students may follow.

Reflection and Summary (30 min)
Students reflect on the work process by answering questions such as: What worked well in your project?, Which assumptions proved incorrect?, and What would you do differently in the next iteration?
The teacher concludes the activity by highlighting the quality of the project decisions.

• When you want students to apply knowledge in a practical and complex project.
• When the topic requires the integration of several areas of knowledge, such as market analysis, management, communication, finance, technology or social issues.
• When the aim of the class is to develop independence, responsibility, collaboration and organisational skills.
• When you can devote more than one class session to the project and provide ongoing support throughout the process.

• When the task has only one correct answer and does not require independent planning or decision-making.
• When there is very limited time and it is not possible to plan the stages of work, consultations, or presentation of results.
• When students do not yet have the basic knowledge needed to begin the project.
• When the aim, final outcome, and assessment criteria cannot be clearly defined.

• Students do not know where to start → provide a project brief outlining the aim, expected outcome, stages of work, and assessment criteria.
• The project becomes chaotic → introduce milestones, short consultations, and a requirement to document progress
• One person ends up doing all the work → require a division of roles, a brief report on individual contributions, and individual reflection.

Easier → Give students a ready-made problem, sample sources, a simple report template, and a clearly defined final outcome.
More Challenging → Introduce a real partner, external data, budget constraints, stakeholder requirements, or a requirement to defend their recommendations before a panel.

• Start with a well-structured project brief.
• Clearly define the final outcome: a report, presentation, strategy, model, analysis, recommendations, or implementation plan.
• Divide the project into stages and set interim deadlines.
• Ensure that students document their decisions, rather than simply producing an attractive presentation.
• Introduce short consultations instead of leaving the project unsupervised until the end of the semester.
• Assess not only the final product, but also the work process, collaboration, and the quality of the justification provided.

Formative Assessment
During the project, it is useful to provide feedback after each stage: problem selection, planning, information gathering, draft development, and the final presentation.

Summative Assessment
At the end, you can assess the quality of the final outcome, the coherence of the solution, the use of course topics, the justification of decisions, the quality of the presentation, and reflection on the work process.

Summative Assessment

• Clarity in defining the problem and project aim.
• Logic and coherence of the proposed solution.
• Effective use of course content and source materials.
• Quality of analysis and justification of decisions.
• Feasibility of the proposed actions.
• Organisation and effectiveness of teamwork.
• Quality of the final presentation or report.
• Reflection on the process and conclusions drawn from the project.