To be able to tackle the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous challenges of our world, current and future employees need to acquire fresh perspectives and a transdisciplinary approach (Pokojska, 2022). To prepare STEM students to be able to deal with such issues, we need to prepare them with the competencies that are required to navigate in such uncertain and complex environments, such as working beyond their sectors and disciplines and dealing with various stakeholders (Amelink, Grote, Norris, & Grohs, 2024). Challenge-based education provides the possibility for students to learn such skills through solving real-world challenges (Gallagher & Savage, 2023). Students participating in challenge-based education experience various levels of uncertainty and ambiguity (Feng, Wang, Huo, & Luo, 2024). The extent to which a person can tolerate ambiguity (also called tolerance of ambiguity) is often seen as a personality trait (Furnham & Marks, 2013), while it has been shown to depend on various factors, such as the context of the problem and the educational environment (Durrheim & Foster, 1997). People with low ambiguity tolerance see ambiguous situations as a source of discomfort or even as a threat and avoid these situations or leave such projects (maybe not physically, but operationally and psychologically). People with a high tolerance for ambiguity can feel more comfortable in such projects. They can withstand the discomfort of an ambiguous situation and seek for information to be able to find a solution (Stoycheva, 2010). While it has been suggested that ambiguity tolerance, or at least the soft skills related to the tolerance of ambiguity, can be trained (Saarikoski & Rybushkina, 2019), there are limited pedagogical instructions on how to help students better manage ambiguity in their challenge-based projects. In this workshop, we will discuss what ambiguity means for students in challenge-based education and what kinds of response mechanisms students show in such situations. The workshop participants will then use the reflection tool designed by Yiwei Tao, which is aimed at helping student teams participating in challenge-based education identify the causes of uncertainty and ambiguity and discuss their coping mechanisms. After using the intervention tool, the participants will reflect on their teaching practices and their experiences with students dealing with ambiguity and uncertainty, as well as on the tool. The tool will be available to participants for educational purposes. Workshop structure: 60 minutes – total time 10 minutes - introduction on ambiguity in challenge-based education, introduction of the intervention 5 minutes – team formation, introduction of team members 30 minutes – teams participating in the puzzle intervention 15 minutes – reflection on educational practices, on students coping with ambiguity
References:
Amelink, C. T., Grote, D. M., Norris, M. B., & Grohs, J. R. (2024). Transdisciplinary learning opportunities: exploring differences in complex thinking skill development between STEM and non-STEM majors. Innovative Higher Education, 49(1), 153-176.
Durrheim, K., & Foster, D. (1997). Tolerance of ambiguity as a content specific construct. Personality & individual differences, 22(5), 741-750.
Feng, X., Wang, X., Huo, Y., & Luo, Y. (2024). Inquiry in uncertainty-nursing students' learning experience in challenge-based learning: A qualitative study. Nurse Education Today, 135, 106093.
Furnham, A., & Marks, J. (2013). Tolerance of ambiguity: A review of the recent literature. Psychology, 4(09), 717-728. Gallagher, S. E., & Savage, T. (2023). Challenge-based learning in higher education: an exploratory literature review. Teaching in Higher Education, 28(6), 1135-1157.
Pokojska, J. (2022). Competences of the Future as a Transdisciplinary Issue. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the 13th International Multi-Conference on Complexity, Informatics and Cybernetics: IMCIC.
Saarikoski, L., & Rybushkina, S. (2019). Developing tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty by interdisciplinary intensive courses.
Stoycheva, K. (2010). Tolerance for ambiguity, creativity, and personality. Bulgarian Journal of Psychology(1-4), 178-188.

At TU Delft, we are not just educating engineers; we are shaping the future of engineering and engineering education. We are empowering our students to become the kind of leaders who can navigate complexity, embrace change, and build a better world, also under VUCA conditions. In this manifesto, we develop a line of reasoning to rethink our education, moving away from ‘professional problem solvers’ to ‘individuals who care for our collective future from an engineering background.’
We believe that TU Delft has a unique opportunity to lead the way in reimagining engineering education for the VUCA world. By embracing the principles outlined in this manifesto, we can empower our students to become the future-proof engineers that our society needs. We invite all members of the TU Delft community – faculty, students, and staff – to join us on this exciting journey.