Perdurable and Long-term Knowledge Retention Using Project-based Learning

Higher education needs to evolve and innovate to prepare students for future challenges and, especially, for developing the competencies to meet the needs of industry. One of the main considerations underlying this achievement is how to improve long-term knowledge retention. Research projects often involve experiential learning; this paper discusses how Semestre i, a project/challenge-based learning initiative, improved the students’ long-term retention of knowledge. Having participated in this project for two years, the students involved showed a higher level of knowledge retention compared to the students who participated in the traditional educational model. This was validated by a comparison of student grades obtained in the official national undergraduate exam.