In this article we bring together experiences from two international research projects: the Kaleidoscope ERT research collaboration and the VO@NET project. We do this by using a shared framework identified for cross-case analyses within the Kaleidoscope ERT to analyse a particular case in the VO@NET project, a training course called "Green productivity for industry" (GPI). Based on the experiences from a Danish research project on workplace learning we argue that the use of ICT within training or certificate courses has predominantly focused on self-study and individual skill acquisition, rather than problem-based learning (PBL) and collaborative learning. The latter approaches seem to be dominant within higher education Masters programmes. We argue that the GPI course represents a more collaborative and problem-based approach and that it features a good match between structural conditions and the actual pedagogical design, which we call "adapted PBL." We discuss the notion of PBL theoretically and relate it to the shared analytical framework. We further expand this framework by incorporating three analytical levels or perspectives on design. (Contains 2 tables, 7 figures and 4 notes.)