Abstract
Kazakhstan’s transition toward Industry 4.0 and 5.0 increases demand for IT professionals capable of solving complex engineering problems. This study theoretically substantiated and empirically evaluated a didactic model for developing future IT engineers’ methodological competence through systemic problem-oriented learning. A quasi-experimental study involved 150 undergraduates from four Kazakhstani universities. In an integrated Smart Campus environment, students addressed authentic, industry-informed problems through an approach combining Challenge-Based Learning with the Four-Component Instructional Design model. Tasks included designing critical information infrastructure with provision for post-quantum cryptography and developing an intelligent energy-management system using fuzzy logic and the NSGA-III and MOEA/D algorithms. Performance on two engineering cases was independently evaluated using a 0–100 analytical rubric; scores were examined using the Shapiro–Wilk test, independent-samples Student’s t-tests, and Cohen’s d. The experimental group outperformed the control group in Case 1 (79.36 vs. 70.33; p = 0.003; d = 0.50) and Case 2 (80.61 vs. 71.12; p = 0.002; d = 0.53). Analysis of 45 reflective essays and 12 interviews indicated changes in methodological decision making, attitudes toward uncertainty, and perceived professional relevance. The findings support integrating authentic challenges with structured complex-learning design, while the Quadruple Helix provides an institutional framework connecting universities, industry, government, and society.