Integrating Self-Directed Learning: Professional and Personal Development in the Industrial Design Bachelor Programme at Eindhoven University of Technology:

This chapter presents the curriculum redesign of the bachelor programme in Industrial Design at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), with a focus on designing a Professional and Personal Development (P&PD) learning trajectory within a competence-centred learning framework. Aligned with the TU/e Bachelor College redesign, the initiative aims to enhance employability by strengthening competencies acquired both inside and outside formal coursework. Central to this approach is self-directed learning (SDL), which fosters autonomy, adaptability, goal setting, and lifelong learning, skills vital for addressing complex design challenges in rapidly evolving technological contexts. The P&PD learning trajectory, integrated throughout the programme, guides students in shaping a professional identity while applying competencies in authentic contexts through a complementary challenge-based learning (CBL) programme. Supported by coaches on project contents and professional development, students connect personal growth with professional practice in a collaborative and student-centred environment. The redesign process drew on van den Akker’s curriculum principles systems and design thinking, and on Biggs’ constructive alignment to ensure coherence among outcomes, activities, and assessment. Bloom’s taxonomy was used to align learning outcomes across academic years. A participatory approach involving faculty, staff, and stakeholders helped foster a sustainable culture of educational innovation. Insights from students, coaches, and programme management indicate that the renewed SDL framework effectively supports the development of five interconnected competencies and skills essential for industry-ready designers. The P&PD learning trajectory, and particularly its SDL component, demonstrates positive effects on student learning and offers transferable lessons for institutions seeking to embed SDL and CBL into their curricula.