How do you engage today’s students so they don’t just listen to a lecture, but truly understand, apply, and retain what they have learned? VILNIUS TECH has been tackling this challenge for the second year now by consistently applying the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) strategy. Initially tested across various faculties and study programs, it is now becoming a university-wide transformation.
Starting this September, PBL will be implemented in as many as 70% of first-year Bachelor’s programs. The long-term goal is to consistently embed this strategy across the vast majority of first-cycle (Bachelor’s) programs by 2029 and begin its integration into second-cycle (Master’s) studies.
Learning becomes more meaningful
The essence of PBL is that students learn not only by listening to lectures but by solving real-world problems, working in teams, researching information, presenting results, and reflecting on their experiences. This method does not alter the curriculum—students still learn everything outlined in the course syllabus—but the knowledge is acquired in a fundamentally different way.
“We want students to understand why they need this knowledge and how it is applied in practice. While we could completely overhaul the structure of courses and study programs all at once, we are taking a more moderate approach—making small interventions without ‘tearing down’ the existing study system. We are figuring out how to integrate PBL into the current framework. This requires strategic decision-making from lecturers, as well as their willingness and effort to redesign their courses. It might be a more challenging path, but it is a safer one—we are not destroying the system; we are strengthening it,” says Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vida Navickienė, Head of the Educational Competences Group.
According to her, PBL fosters motivation and allows for a deeper comprehension of theoretical knowledge through practical tasks, which helps students retain information longer.
Furthermore, project assignments are designed to closely reflect real-world professional scenarios. In the future, there are plans to actively involve more businesses and organizations, allowing them to present students with actual challenges to solve.
According to Dr. Kristina Viršulienė, Chief Specialist of the Educational Competences Group, this allows students to familiarize themselves with the exact types of problems they will face in their future careers while still at university:
“We want students to work on tasks that are as close to real-world practice as possible. Even now, our social partners are proposing problems that require solutions, and students can conduct analyses, build prototypes, or provide recommendations. It becomes a deeply meaningful experience for both sides,” the specialist notes.
A crucial component of PBL is reflection. After each project, students analyze their performance, evaluate what they have learned, and consider what they would do differently next time. This process not only reinforces knowledge retention but also cultivates lifelong learning skills.
From pilot projects to a university-wide initiative
The initial PBL trials at VILNIUS TECH began across various study programs in both engineering and the social sciences. For two years, the Educational Competences Group at the Academic Support Centre (APC), in collaboration with lecturers, analyzed these experiences. They engaged in regular reflection, evaluated best practices, and developed a customized methodology tailored specifically to the university.
According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. V. Navickienė, the priority was not to simply copy the practices of other universities, but to create a model uniquely suited for VILNIUS TECH:
“We can’t just adopt everything that works at another university. Every higher education institution has its own distinct culture, study system, and faculty, which means the methodology must be adapted. Over the course of two years, we developed our own model and assignment templates, and prepared a comprehensive toolkit in the Moodle environment that enables lecturers to start teaching this way,” explains the associate professor.
To date, the Educational Competences Group has already visited the university’s faculties, organizing training sessions and individual consultations for lecturers.
Starting this autumn, eight of the university’s faculties will begin implementing PBL. In most of these faculties, students will learn by solving real-world problems and working on project assignments in at least one first-year course.
Transformation also fosters lecturer collaboration
One of the most notable changes is the closer collaboration among lecturers. By developing joint project assignments, they not only view their own teaching methods from a new perspective but also gain a better understanding of the broader curriculum: what knowledge students already possess, what they will learn later, and how different courses and their practical assignments can complement one another.
According to education specialist Dr. K. Viršulienė, this dynamic turns PBL into a bridge connecting different faculties and fields of study.
“PBL is not just a new teaching method for a single course. It brings people together for a common goal—deans, vice-deans, study program committees, and lecturers all get involved in the process. You could say that PBL is becoming a bridge between the faculties,” she explains.
An excellent example of this is an interdisciplinary assignment currently being developed at the Faculty of Mechanics, which will involve lecturers from mechanics, chemistry, physics, and foreign languages. Students will present their projects in Lithuanian to their mechanics professors, while in their English classes, they will learn professional terminology and present the same projects in English.
Results are already visible
Although the implementation of PBL across the university is just gaining momentum, the initial results are already highly encouraging for lecturers, students, and the Educational Competences Group alike.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. V. Navickienė notes that while some lecturers were initially cautious about the changes, once they tried the method, they often had no desire to return to their previous way of teaching.
“After completing the training, one lecturer mentioned that her students grasped the subject better than she had ever expected. Other lecturers have observed that students not only understand the topics better but are also highly capable of applying them in practice. Feedback like this is the ultimate confirmation that we are on the right path,” the education expert shares gladly.
Other positive changes have also been observed—students are planning their time better, working more effectively in teams, and developing leadership skills, while lecturers are seeing significantly higher levels of engagement. It is also anticipated that these more meaningful study experiences will ultimately help reduce student dropout rates during their first year of studies.
