Challenge-Based Learning as a Tool to Promote Social Innovation in Nutrition Education and Practice: The Mobile Teaching Kitchen Project Chapter in Scopus uri icon

abstract

  • The role of universities in driving social innovation has received less attention compared to other stakeholders, possibly due to a lack of initiatives directly impacting society¿s social, cultural, and economic development which are key missions of universities. In response to this situation, Challenge Based Learning (CBL) has emerged as an educational method enabling students to engage with real-world social issues. This study explores how CBL can contribute to the development of nutrition competencies in students and at the same time foster social innovation and change. The educational strategy consisted of a course during which students, with the aid of teachers and an international educational partner, were tasked with adapting and implementing the Mobile Teaching Kitchen (MTK) Initiative. The sample involved 30 students from the BSc in Nutrition and 24 staff members from a Mexican university who participated in a workshop focused on nutrition education. The MTK project, introduced by an educational partner and adapted by university students through the CBL strategy, showcases social innovation by promoting community participation, co-producing knowledge related to nutrition and food service management, and stimulating the development of a more sustainable society in terms of nutrition education and practice. The study shows CBL´s potential to develop competencies and at the same time contribute to social change within a community, thus it can be considered a tool for social innovation, where the role of universities goes beyond education and starts taking an active mission in transformative change by working on projects with social impact within the communities. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.

publication date

  • January 1, 2025