The actual and anticipated growth of the global population requires an increase in food production, which can be achieved, among others, through higher crop yields and improved water use efficiency in irrigated agriculture. However, water scarcity has become increasingly critical due to frequent droughts and growing competition for water resources among agricultural, industrial, and urban sectors. Consequently, advanced management strategies are essential to optimise water use efficiency while maintaining crop productivity and quality. In order to achieve these objectives in agricultural water management is seems crucial to suitably train future professionals in the fundamentals of hydraulics and the ability to design and manage irrigation systems with critical thinking skills. This goal is central to higher education programs that focus on competency-based learning.

The shift in higher education towards competency-based learning has required significant changes in the teaching methodologies. Current regulations emphasise the mandatory acquisition of specific competencies by students, necessary for a suitable future professional practice. While many of these competencies are grounded in theoretical knowledge, their effective acquisition depends heavily on practical application. This creates a need for teaching methodologies that integrate theoretical and practical components. However, these approaches are often limited by restricted teaching hours, the substantial workload associated with competency-based courses in various degree programs, and the need to adapt assessment systems. Consequently, practical experimentation has yet to be identified, hindering the development of essential skills. These challenges are particularly evident in the Degree in Agrifood Engineering at the University of the Balearic Islands. In particular, the Order CIN/323/2009 establishes the specific required competencies to meet legal qualifications for professional practice in Spain.

A new project-based learning methodology has been implemented to address these issues and enhance the acquisition of competencies in hydraulics. This study describes a new evaluation approach for the subject ‘Hydraulics and Irrigation’ in the mentioned Degree program, and analyses the change in the students’ performance in comparison to the traditional teaching methodology.

The applied methodology focused on two main aspects:
(a) students develop theoretical knowledge and practical skills through project execution, following the learning-by-doing approach; and
(b) the assessment of the competency acquisition was adapted to align with the new activities introduced under the methodology.

Notably, the relationship between numerical grading and competency achievement was preserved, directly comparing the new methodology's effectiveness to the previous one. Consequently, implementing this new methodology led to improved student performance in both Hydraulics fundamentals and Irrigation design. Additionally, students significantly enhanced their ability to apply theoretical knowledge in practical scenarios. Overall, the new methodology positively impacted the achievement of competencies in Hydraulics and Irrigation, as evidenced by the improvements in the final grades.

Keywords: Project-based methodology, learning-by-doing, Competency-based learning, agricultural engineering, hydraulics and irrigation.