The role of partnership in launching PBL approach in cooperation with network of social enterprises – research case of Częstochowa University of Technology

The objective of the paper is to share experiences in building and functioning of partnership between University and network of social enterprises for the purposes of launching project-based learning (PBL) approach. PBL was introduced within elective course titled Creativity management in business that is offered within Design and Project Management degree on Faculty of Management, Czestochowa University of Technology. Both, the PBL approach and partnership with social enterprises was introduced in 2019/2020 academic year. The objective of students projects was to identify the needs of social enterprises and develop business models with the use of creative approach. The scope of the paper is to present experiences of students, teacher and representatives of social enterprises involved, as well as, institutional partner: network agent. The partnership with institutional agent has started in spring 2019 while the student projects has been launched in fall semester 2019/2020. The structure of PBL approach has finally consisted of 6 separate projects groups with single small size social enterprise involved in each group and group of 3 students. The sequence of PBL introduction included the phases of recruiting the enterprises, objective settling, defining the scope of the project and its content, project realization, assessment and summarizing. The PBL use would be considered from the perspective of teaching and learning experience, partnership and eventual specificity of social enterprises sector with PBL approach. The key factors enhancing the partnership in the use of PBL approach and stimulating its benefits are related to the enthusiasm of institutional agent involved, openness of social enterprises, division of responsibilities within project teams and attitude of students and good networking and tutoring performance of the teacher.