About This Course
Project-based learning and design-based learning represent two of the most powerful and evidence-backed approaches to deep, transferable and genuinely engaging education. When students work on sustained, meaningful projects that address real problems and produce real outcomes, they develop not only the knowledge and skills targeted by the curriculum but also the collaboration, communication, critical thinking and problem-solving competences that European employers and citizens need most.
This course gives education professionals a thorough, practical and inspiring introduction to both approaches. Participants explore the research on why and how project-based and design-based learning works, study exemplary projects from across Europe, and design their own complete project or design challenge ready to implement with their own students.
The course connects to the Erasmus+ priorities of Inclusion and Diversity and Participation in Democratic Life, as well as to EntreComp, the EU entrepreneurship competence framework, and LifeComp.
Who Should Attend
- Primary and secondary teachers who want to use sustained, meaningful projects in their teaching
- Teachers interested in cross-curricular and collaborative approaches
- School leaders planning curriculum innovation and Erasmus+ project integration
- Education professionals interested in developing students' key competences holistically
- No prior experience with project-based learning required
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course participants will be able to:
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Explain the principles and evidence base of project-based and design-based learning and distinguish them from each other and from simpler activity-based approaches.
Not every project is project-based learning. Many classroom projects are essentially glorified worksheets with a display element attached. You will know exactly what makes a project genuinely educational: the driving question, the sustained inquiry, the student voice, the critique and revision process and the public product.
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Design a complete project-based or design-based learning unit including driving question, assessment criteria and scaffolding structures.
You will leave with a complete, ready-to-use project unit designed for your own subject area and age group. It will have a genuine driving question, clear success criteria, a realistic timeline and specific scaffolding supports for students who need more structure.
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Facilitate student teams effectively throughout a sustained project, providing challenge, support and appropriate autonomy.
The hardest part of project-based learning is not the design but the facilitation. How do you support a student team that is stuck without rescuing them? How do you maintain pace without micromanaging? How do you balance student voice with curriculum coverage?
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Assess project-based and design-based learning in ways that capture genuine learning and development.
Traditional tests do not capture what project-based learning develops. You will have a range of assessment approaches including process portfolios, presentation rubrics, peer assessment protocols and reflective self-assessment tools that are specifically designed for project-based contexts.
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Connect project-based and design-based learning to Erasmus+ goals and EU key competence frameworks.
Project-based learning is one of the most natural ways to develop the EU's eight key competences simultaneously. You will be able to articulate this connection clearly in Erasmus+ project reports and school development plans.
A 7-Day Professional Development Experience
The Sude Nexus programme combines five days of intensive professional training with a structured arrival day and a cultural excursion day. The outline below gives a general sense of the week. We are always open to tailoring the programme to your needs.
Participants arrive at their chosen destination and are welcomed by the Sude Nexus local team. Check-in to accommodation, welcome pack distribution and an informal welcome dinner. A brief orientation walk introduces the city.
Guided cultural excursion to a key landmark of the destination. Participants travelling home are free to depart after breakfast.
This outline is a starting point, not a fixed schedule. Contact us to discuss how we can tailor this programme for your institution.
EU Policy Alignment
Erasmus+ 2026 Horizontal Priorities
EU Competence Frameworks
EU Policy Initiatives
Available Locations and Dates
This course is available across all 13 Sude Nexus destinations. Check the dates page for current availability.
Check Dates and Availability