This course will enable students to acquire the foundations of challenge-based innovation to promote equity and sustainability in complex urban systems. To address and break down real-world complexity, a participatory multi-criteria analysis will be applied, focusing on problem structuring and the assessment of solutions (Salgado et al., 2009; Langemeyer et al., 2016). The course will be based on the collaborative development of a multidisciplinary social-ecological-technological systems approach to address specific sustainability challenges, considering both technological innovation systems and nature-based solutions (Van der Jagt et al., 2020).

In addition, the course will provide basic knowledge of tools for preparing reports and presentations, including the structuring of written documents and the preparation of oral presentations.

The person responsible for coordinating the challenge-based learning experience will be a member of the teaching and research staff, who will coordinate and facilitate the group of participants and act as a link between the group and the local stakeholder proposing the challenge.

The work will be carried out in small groups of students. Ideally, the working groups will be multidisciplinary, so that each member can contribute their knowledge and experience to the analysis of the challenge and the formulation of the final proposal. In this regard, it will be important to form teams composed of students with different educational backgrounds.

Real-world challenges located on the campus of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) will be selected. These sustainability challenges may relate, among other areas, to energy, transport and green infrastructure. The UAB campus will serve as a reference living laboratory for addressing challenges that are also connected to similar issues in different urban contexts.

The course will have a practical orientation aimed at addressing specific challenges. Students will participate in all stages of the challenge definition and development cycle. The course will therefore follow a sequential approach that will include the following steps:

• Proposal and selection of challenges.
• Definition of alternatives for addressing the challenge.
• Breaking down the challenges using multiple criteria.
• Assessment of the impacts of the proposed actions, including the selection of indicators.
• Participatory weighting of the criteria.

Learning will combine theoretical classes with practical exercises. At each stage, students will be provided with the fundamental theoretical concepts, which will then be applied in the context of challenge-based innovation approaches. Working in groups, students will develop a process aimed at producing a deliverable linked to a specific definition of the challenge, interacting with stakeholders under the supervision of the teaching staff. The proposed definition of the challenge will be assessed, together with the content, methodological coherence and potential impact of the project. Students will therefore be expected to demonstrate their ability to manage the process, justify their decisions and identify possible measures of its transformative impact. This methodological approach enables students to work cooperatively in complex or uncertain environments and with limited resources, while fostering analytical, collaborative and reflective skills.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted in this course as part of the development of the work, provided that the final result reflects a significant contribution by the student in terms of analysis and personal reflection. Students must clearly identify which parts have been generated or supported by these technologies, specify the tools used and include a critical reflection on how they have influenced both the process and the final outcome of the activity. A lack of transparency in the use of AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a penalty to the grade awarded for the activity or more serious sanctions in particularly severe cases.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Single-assessment system

This course/module does not provide for a single-assessment system.

The contents of this course will be assessed continuously through the evaluation of group reports and oral presentations, as well as an individual oral defence.

Assessment criteria

E1: Group reports (25%)

E2: Group oral presentations (25%)

E3: Individual oral defence (40%)

E4: Class attendance (10%)

The group reports (E1) and group oral presentations (E2) form part of the continuous assessment of the course. They will be completed throughout the course in working groups and will assess the progressive development of the project, the application of the content covered in class, analytical and synthesis skills, and the quality of written and oral communication.

The individual oral defence (E3) will assess each student’s understanding of the work completed, their ability to present and support an argument, and their integration of the knowledge and skills acquired during the course.

The points corresponding to class attendance (E4) will only be awarded in cases of 100% attendance. When attendance is below 100%, the grade for E4 will be 0.

Final grade = E1 grade × 0.25 + E2 grade × 0.25 + E3 grade × 0.40 + E4 grade × 0.10

To pass the course, students must obtain a minimum grade of 5 in the weighted average of the assessment activities. Class attendance is compulsory in order to pass the course; repeated absences may result in failure of the course.

Resit system

Students who obtain a grade of at least 2.5 but below 5 for the reports (E1) may resubmit their work within a maximum period of two weeks following the publication of the grades. Due to its essentially practical nature, the oral presentation (E2) cannot be retaken. Students who do not complete the oral presentation will not be eligible for the resit process. The individual oral defence (E3) may be retaken by students who have obtained an overall course grade of between 3.5 and 4.9. Students who complete and pass the repeated oral defence will pass the course with a final grade of 5. Otherwise, they will retain their previous grade.

Not assessable

A student will be considered “not assessable” when they do not participate in assessment activities E1, E2 and E4. In this case, the student will not be admitted to the individual assessment E3.

Honours

An honours grade may be awarded to students who obtain a grade of 9.0 or higher. The number of honours grades awarded may not exceed 5% of the students enrolled in the course. When fewer than twenty students are enrolled, only one honours grade may be awarded.

Assessment of students repeating the course

Students repeating the course will be subject to the same assessment system, criteria and requirements as all other students enrolled in the course.

Irregularities: copying and plagiarism

Without prejudice to any other disciplinary measures that may be considered appropriate, and in accordance with the current academic regulations, any irregularity committed by a student that may result in a change to the grade awarded for an assessment activity will receive a grade of zero (0). Assessment activities graded in this way and through this procedure cannot be retaken. When passing any of these activities is required in order to pass the course, the commission of an irregularity will result in the student failing the course directly, without the possibility of a resit during the same academic year. These irregularities include, but are not limited to:

• Copying all or part of a report or any other assessment activity.

• Failing to identify clearly which parts have been generated or produced with the support of artificial intelligence technologies.

• Submitting group work that has not been completed entirely by the members of the group.