Extended abstract
The ‘Product Innovation in the Food Industry’ course, offered in the final year of the Master of Science in Bioscience Engineering: Food Science and Nutrition at Ghent University, represents a key interdisciplinary initiative that fosters collaboration between students with different academic backgrounds. Through this course, students from the Bioscience Engineering program work alongside peers from the Master of Science in Business Administration: Commercial Management. Together, they engage in the entire lifecycle of food product development, from concept creation to industrial design and marketing. This course is used as a case to implement the principles of Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) in higher education. The core challenge is the development of innovative, sustainable food products that address pressing societal needs, such as the shift towards plant-based diets and the reduction of environmental impact. By engaging with a practical, industry-relevant task, students experience a learning environment that breaks down traditional academic silos and prepares them for the multifaceted demands of the food industry. The course structure, which brings together students with expertise in food science and business, mirrors real-world industry processes, emphasising the integration of technical, commercial and production aspects. Each team of five students is tasked with developing an innovative food product and is coached by multiple faculty members from different departments. This collaborative framework deepens technical knowledge and reinforces essential soft skills like teamwork, project management and communication. This course aligns closely with the principles of CBL, as illustrated below: 1. Real-World relevance: The challenge presented to the students is grounded in societal and industry needs, focusing on sustainability and the European Green Deal. For instance, students might work on developing protein-rich products that introduce innovative ingredients derived from precision fermentation into the food market. This aligns the course with CBL’s emphasis on using meaningful, authentic challenges to inspire learning. 2. Interdisciplinary collaboration: Reflecting the complexity of real-world innovation, the course fosters interdisciplinary cooperation across faculties. Students from bioscience engineering focus on product development, while business students handle marketing strategies. This cross-functional team setup allows students to see how decisions in one area (e.g. marketing) influence others (e.g. production), echoing CBL’s principle of interconnected learning. 3. Learner ownership and active engagement: In keeping with CBL’s emphasis on learner-driven education, the course encourages students to take ownership of their projects. They are responsible for defining the direction of their product development, from ingredient selection to final product design. The coaches provide guidance but encourage students to explore different approaches, fostering a culture of experimentation, critical thinking, and innovation. 4. Focus on Process and Product: Product development is valued as much as the product itself. The key is to leave room for mistakes during the process and learn from them. 5. Reflection and iteration: Throughout the course, students are encouraged to reflect on their learning processes (via reflection report and peer assessment), iterate on their designs, and learn from failure—critical tenets of the CBL framework. For example, early prototypes of food products are often imperfect or seem not feasible, leading students to refine their formulations based on feedback and interaction with coaches. Rather than purely on the final product, this focus on process emphasises deeper learning and professional growth. 6. Community engagement: The course extends beyond the classroom by involving industry professionals and external stakeholders in different ways, such as participation in the Food@Work Ecotrophelia contest, product pitches, or company visits. This provides students with a broader network of feedback and real-world insights, reflecting CBL’s goal of involving the wider community in the learning process. Challenges and Future Directions Implementing this course in line with CBL principles has not been without challenges. Time constraints are an important and recurring issue, as students must balance the demands of interdisciplinary collaboration with the limited time available for project briefings and concept elaboration. This causes students to jump from the ‘engage’ phase to the ‘act’ phase without thoroughly exploring the investigate phase. Additionally, coordinating the involvement of multiple faculty members from different departments requires careful planning and flexibility. These challenges highlight the need for appreciation of such integrated courses, which focus on interdisciplinary and cooperative learning, which can capitalise on one another's resources and skills and advance knowledge comprehension in the curriculum, which needs to allocate sufficient credits to it and train lecturers in this type of learning environment to embrace CBL methodologies fully. Incorporating the key ideas of CBL into a single integrated course has its limits and challenges. Maintaining the challenge's viability and relevance requires strong engagement with the field, research, and other stakeholders to ensure social significance and adequately address the paired challenges. The interdisciplinary approach has encouraged mutual interest and respect among students from various academic backgrounds. Students report a greater appreciation for the complexity of product innovation and a deeper understanding of how their work fits into the broader context of the food industry. This course also offers valuable opportunities for peer and self-assessment, allowing students to evaluate both their own contributions and those of their teammates. This process further enhances the development of essential soft skills. Ultimately, the course prepares them to act as junior professionals, which is one of the key learning outcomes of the curriculum for the Master's in Bio-Science Engineering: Food Science and Nutrition. Conclusion Product Innovation in the Food Industry exemplifies the potential of Challenge-Based Learning in higher education. The course provides a rich, interdisciplinary learning environment that prepares students for the complexities of real-world product development. Its iterative, reflective nature aligns with CBL’s core principles, emphasising student ownership, collaboration, and engagement with real-world challenges. As the course evolves, efforts will focus on refining the interdisciplinary collaboration process and ensuring that students continue to develop the durable skills necessary for success in the food industry. This poster will share insights into the course’s design, challenges, and lessons learned from applying CBL in an interdisciplinary, real-world context.
