EDLAB publications

👤 Roberta di Palma, Walter Jansen

📅 2024

This report is a Maastricht University Centre for Teaching & Learning (EDLAB) production. We aim to offer recommendations based on successfully implemented pilot projects across various UM faculties. This report explores the benefits of incorporating VR technology into PBL classrooms, presenting a developed framework and discussing two specific activities: apps for presentation skills training and 360-degree videos. The learnings and best practices from the VR-Enhanced PBL project will be shared, covering both didactic and technical aspects. By the end, readers will have a deeper understanding of how VR can break the routine in PBL classrooms and offer a fresh, engaging approach to learning that can significantly enrich the educational experience for students. Furthermore, this report contains a guide with instructions for teaching staff to apply VR within their education. 

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👤 Dominik Mahr (ed.), Ellen Bastiaens (ed.), Mark Dolman, Herco Fonteijn, Dennis Hambeukers, Perry Heymann, Damien Nunes

📅 2022

‘Move the Elephant’: a book based on our experiences with design thinking in the context of our Higher Education Institute. Beginning as peer review sessions, we started by writing down and discussing our thoughts and experiences on change processes and the application of the design thinking mind-set and techniques. One thing led to another. With this book as a beautiful milestone in our journey.

📅 2021

The aim of the EDvance project was to assist the teaching community at Maastricht University (UM) by compiling good practices in blended education, which support the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) principles of constructive, contextual, collaborative, and self-directed learning (CCCS). EDvance provides potential strategies to support students and educators, focusing on the entire educational process, as well as well-being and community building. Although many of the practices discussed within this report are innovations enhanced by technology, non-digital practices are also addressed.

As a disclaimer, the present report is intended to be informative and should not be read as a (policy) guideline. The source of the findings is presented, but did not undergo quantitative analysis. Moreover, although we aimed to provide a wide viewpoint, we acknowledge that not all relevant topics could be covered in the present report.

There are many technology-enhanced practices recommended for both the course and curriculum level. For the learning activities in courses, we recommend to use small groups, such as subgroups in breakout rooms) to facilitate in-depth discussions, to blend static media with knowledge clips, and to adapt meetings flexibly to either an online or offline format. Furthermore, course coordinators can introduce the flipped classroom concept, adopt new opportunities in collaborative learning, and stimulate students to explore real world problems, with Canvas assisting in providing structure. With regard to summative assessments, we recommend digital, on-site assessments for the convenience it brings to students and educators. With more digital elements in education, the role of the educator grows larger. Accompanying these changes, there is need to care for the well-being of both our students and our educators. Finally, at the curriculum level, investment, support, and flexibility are needed to support the implementation of good blended educational practices and the well-being of students and educators.

In the end, although we acknowledge that the literature and experience in this field is rapidly advancing and insights may change over the coming years, we find support for our initial hypothesis that the use of technology in education is a means to an end. Good practices in blended education start from having intended learning outcomes constructively aligned with the design, delivery, and assessment of education, with the CCCS principles in PBL serving as its foundation.

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📅 2019

In honor of 10 years of PREMIUM, we look back on what a decade of PREMIUM has meant for our alumni, coaches, mentors, clients and trainers. 10 years of Excellence and 11 interviews with important parties for the PREMIUM programme, what a ride it has been! And what a way to comemorate this wonderful journey but to speak with Ellen Bastiaens, one of the founding members of PREMIUM. In 2009, Ellen made PREMIUM history when she initiated after months of deliberation the first cohort of the PREMIUM programme: “I was coordinating it together with a colleague of mine at Academic Affairs. After 9 months of careful consideration, there was a point when I said: we are going to start!” The first PREMIUM cohort was comprised of 56 students. It was the rough version of the honours programme PREMIUM that we know today.

📅 2019

This guide is a production of the Maastricht University Institute for Education Innovation (EDLAB). Groupwork-experts from all UM faculties have worked together at EDLAB over the course of 2018 to share and write down their knowledge and experiences regarding groupwork and the assessment of the individual contribution in groupwork. This guide gives insight in how to construct and assess groupwork at Maastricht University (UM) and how to monitor the individual contribution in groupwork specifically. Given this focus, the guide offers recommendations based on successful practices with groupwork at all UM faculties. Given the vastness of the topic, this guide does not intend to cover all aspects of groupwork, nor does it provide a comprehensive overview of all current theoretical perspectives on groupwork scenario’s in higher education. EDLAB is grateful for all the input it has received and wants to thank the UM colleagues involved in the process.

📅 2017

This handbook is a production of the Maastricht University Institute for Education Innovation (EDLAB). Constructive alignment experts from all UM faculties have worked together at EDLAB over the course of 2016 to share and write down their knowledge and experiences regarding constructive alignment. The information has been bundled in this handbook and can be viewed at www.constructivealignment.nl. EDLAB is grateful for the all the input it has received and wants to thank the UM colleagues involved in the process.

Special thanks go to the following authors: Joost Dijkstra, Sylvia Gerhards, Matthijs Krooi, Marloes Menten, Elissaveta Radulova, Mark Spigt, Rina Vaatstra, Peter Vermeer and the members of the EDLAB Assessment Taskforce. 

Go to the Constructive Alignment project website

📅 2017

This handbook is a production of the Maastricht University Institute for Education Innovation (EDLAB). Experts from all UM faculties have worked together at EDLAB over the course of 2016 to share and write down their knowledge and experiences regarding PBL & Research Skills. The information has been bundled in this handbook and can be viewed at Research Skills. EDLAB is grateful for the all the input it has received and wants to thank the UM colleagues involved in the process.

📅 2017

The EDview project, conducted in 2017-2018, investigated the current state of education at Maastricht University and charted new paths for the future. Reflecting on UM’s educational philosophy and practice around PBL, the project gave room for evidence-based educational change, such as a more creative and flexible PBL practice along the principles of constructive, collaborative, contextual, and self-directed learning.

EDview’s Research Phase resulted in a Position Paper presenting a shared view on the future of education at UM, focusing in particular on the role of Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Read the Executive Summary.

In addition, EDview put together a comprehensive overview of Do’s, Don’ts and Don’t Knows that followed from the Position Paper, ranging from the areas of teaching and designing education to marketing and communication, leadership and human resources.

Details on EDview’s research approach and methods, acknowledgements, and an overview of the EDview Project Team of this phase are included in EDview’s Appendices.

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👤 Ellen Bastiaens, Jonathan van Tilburg, Jeroen van Merriënboer (eds.)

📅 2017

This book describes lessons learned from the implementation of research based learning at Maastricht University. Well-known for its problem based learning (PBL) educational model, Maastricht University implemented research-based learning (RBL) as a new educational concept in addition to PBL, around 2009. The model has taken the shape of an excellence programme offering third-year bachelor students an opportunity to conduct academic research together with academic staff. The introduction of the research-based learning concept into the programmes of all Maastricht University’s faculties has resulted in a range of RBL models that vary to fit the various disciplines and programmes offered by the faculties. The book first presents theoretical models and a description of the concepts of research-based learning and undergraduate research (UGR). Next, by means of case studies, it describes the formulas developed to suit the various programmes, the challenges encountered, the initial reservations on the part of the staff, the limitations caused by regulations and demands of the curricula, as well as the successes and results of the excellence programme. The disciplines described in the case studies include psychology and neuroscience, knowledge engineering, social and cultural sciences, law, and business and economics.