The objective of this paper is to disseminate the process and results of implementing the CBL (Challenge Based Learning) methodology with higher education students from Computing and Design courses participating in the Apple Developer Academy program at Senac University Center (Santo Amaro campus), located in the city of São Paulo (Brazil), within the context of teaching and learning application development. The general purpose of the program is to prepare worldwide developers (programmers and designers), and it comprises challenges of varying complexity that are pertinent to this formation. CBL is founded on active methodology and fosters a teaching and learning framework that is continually adapting and evolving. The openness of the methodology is further extended to its target audience (students, teachers, family members, administrators, and community members), who are regarded as both agents and recipients of this learning process. This process is centered on the identification, study, and implementation of significant challenges across various social and cultural domains.

The use of CBL was implemented for the purpose of planning, checking, and the students' learning process assessment. This initiative was supported by mentoring actions carried out by teachers from the same higher education institution. Although it is a two-year program, this paper will present the application of this methodology as a case study, based on one of the challenges developed between September and November 2024. In addition to the technical objectives that guided the challenge, students were encouraged to identify real-world problems of their own interest and to propose solutions. The primary objective of the challenge was to create applications in a business context.

Therefore, besides the acquisition and improvement of specific technical competencies related to programming and design, as demonstrated by applications submitted to and approved by the App Store (Apple's application store for iOS devices, including the iPhone and iPad, which enables users to download and install applications), students also developed socio-emotional skills that are essential for their personal, academic, and professional growth, including empathy, problem-solving and interpersonal relationship. The developed apps addressed subjects such as health and wellness, environmental issues, and learning, with the objective of providing support to individuals based on the students' personal experiences.

This presentation aims to demonstrate the methodology's relevance in a learning process that fosters autonomy. It integrates with the student's reality, and it ensures that problems are resolved in a creative, meaningful, and enjoyable manner.

Keywords: Teaching and learning, active methodology, CBL, programming, design.