Revolutionizing the Classroom: Proposals for Challenge-Based Didactic Strategies to Strengthen Professional Competencies

Abstract

This article systematizes the results of two educational innovation projects executed between 2025 and August 2026, aimed at transforming teaching praxis through Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) and Design Thinking. The research addresses critical issues identified in the initial diagnosis, such as low student motivation, limited use of active methodologies, and the inappropriate use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in high school—factors that restrict the development of cognitive skills and critical thinking. Under a continuous improvement approach, the study proposed the validation of an ecosystem of didactic strategies grounded in constructivism and neurodidactics. As a core result, an update of pedagogical proposals is presented, integrating techniques Notable among these are “Promptea, Piensa y Crea” for the ethical use of generative Artificial Intelligence, the “ASOMBRO” project for reconfiguring classroom attention through the Open Approach, and the “LEC” strategy (Read, Enact, and Understand) for strengthening reading comprehension, among other proposals. The findings demonstrate that pedagogical mediation, supported by the TPACK and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) models, revolutionizes the classroom by turning the student into the protagonist in solving real-world problems. It is concluded that the strengthening of professional competencies depends on the coherent integration of active strategies and innovative resources contextualized to the institutional reality.