ICAB 2025

Thursday 13 March

Friday 14 March

Turning abstract learning topics into fun 3D applications using game based learning

This workshop will cover how we turned abstract topics like molecule design or dental prosthesis into fun 3D simulations using game based learning. I’ll talk about best practices in the design, monitoring and implementation of such an application (both VR and non-VR) and will focus on when and how to use gamification to improve student’s skills and knowledge. 

Speaker
My name is Sven Graindor and have around 10 years of experience in game design and development. For 5 years now, I’m the project manager and game designer at the XR lab of the KULEUVEN Biomedical Group where we develop simulations for our students from our 3 faculties.

Student partnership in assessment: what works, for whom, and why?

Students can rarely have their say in the matters of assessment design, practice and policy. This workshop introduces the idea of student partnership in assessment. 

By being seen as partners in assessment, students are invited to co-design assessment together with their teachers. The potential benefits include increased learning results and assessment literacies, yet partnership is always a risky business with potential downsides, too. The workshop will introduce the participants with both theory and practical examples of assessment partnership in higher education.

Speaker
Dr Juuso Henrik Nieminen is an assistant professor at The University of Hong Kong and a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at Ontario Tech University, Canada. His research concerns the social, cultural and political dimensions of assessment. He is particularly interested in the matters of power and agency when it comes to assessment.

Engaging engineering master students: The case of a game for learning multidisciplinary product design and development

This workshop examines the integration of game-based learning and gamification in a mechanical engineering master's course at the University of Twente. The approach targets create-level learning objectives within Bloom's Taxonomy, specifically focusing on product design and development (PDD) processes. While design is fundamental to engineering, teaching PDD effectively presents significant challenges due to its multidisciplinary nature. These challenges include covering general design processes, incorporating diverse disciplinary content, establishing meaningful connections between elements, and maintaining student engagement across different specializations. To address these difficulties, the course implements game-based learning and gamification elements, providing students with clear objectives and motivation through healthy competition. The gaming environment offers a safe space for students to test strategies and observe outcomes, enabling a complete CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, and Operate) cycle. This approach transforms potential learning barriers into opportunities for engaged, practical learning.

Speaker
Dr. Marcus is an Associate Professor of Educational Systems at the University of Twente's Systems Engineering and Multidisciplinary Design Chair. His expertise in systems engineering enables innovative applications in educational design and development. His research focuses on educational systems engineering, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), and program management. As Head of Educational Innovation at the University's Center of Expertise in Learning and Teaching (CELT), he leads initiatives to enhance teaching and learning methodologies.

Software testing and student engagement

Let's learn about software testing!

In this interactive, hands-on session, you'll discover that software testing is more than finding bugs— it’s a creative process that thrives on critical thinking, managing assumptions, and uncovering the unseen.

• Through a series of fun and surprising puzzles, you’ll learn how to:
• Spot hidden assumptions that can derail systems
• Think outside the box to solve problems creatively
• Experiment fearlessly and question everything to master the art of testing

You’ll connect the dots in unexpected ways, decode hidden rules, and reverse-engineer challenges - skills that set great testers apart. Whether you’re a beginner or a coding pro, this session will show you why testing isn’t just a skill, but a superpower.

Speakers
Tanja E.J. Vos Tanja E.J. Vos studied computer science at the University of Utrecht (The Netherlands) and obtained her PhD on formal verification in 2000 at the same university. Currently, she is an associate professor at the Technical University of Valencia (UPV) and a full professor at the Open University in The Netherlands. She has more than 20 years of experience with formal methods and software testing. Her research focuses on automated testing. She has been teaching for more than 20 years and has been involved in many research projects on software testing in an industrial setting.

Niels Doorn Niels Doorn is a PhD Student at the Open Universiteit and works as a Team Leader / Lecturer Researcher at the NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences. He has a software engineering background, and his research focuses on ways to improve software testing in different computer science educational contexts.

Augmented reality tutor-ART in action: Hands-on workshop on using AI tutor for your course

Augmented Reality tutor (ART) is a 24/7 virtual tutor accessible on nearly any device, including mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and AR/VR goggles. Designed to communicate verbally, ART listens to students’ questions and responds in spoken sentences, creating a natural, engaging interaction. Powered by curated large language models with built-in safety guardrails, ART ensures conversations are accurate, secure, and enjoyable. Teachers can integrate ART into their courses, by providing curated course content. In this hands-on workshop, you'll learn how to customize ART for a course and see how students interact with it to receive support. Bring your laptop to explore ART firsthand and help us refine this innovative tool to shape the future of education.

Speaker
Deniz Iren is an associate professor at the Information Science Department of Open Universiteit. His area of research covers artificial intelligence and affective computing, and he teaches machine learning and data science both at the faculty and postgraduate programs. Deniz applies his research outcomes in education with the goal of improving learning experiences of students.

Visit ETpathfinder

Visit the ETpathfinder. A bus will take you to Maastricht where the Einstein Telescope prototype, ETpathfinder - the first of a new class of future gravitational wave observatories, is being built.

Einstein Telescope Education Centre (ETEC)

Discovery Museum, as the science museum of the south of the Netherlands, wants to show students with the Einstein Telescope Education Centre (ETEC) that the research needed for the Einstein Telescope is not a ‘faraway show’. But that much of the physics they learn in secondary school finds its application in this challenging research.

Engaging mathematics students in societal projects

The undergraduate program in mathematics of the UvA includes a mandatory course on mathematics education and communication, developed in 2022 by lectures from the mathematics department and the teacher training program of the UvA. 

The main learning objectives of the course are to familiarize students with basic mathematics teaching and communication skills, and to engage them in a project with societal impact. They work on a group project together with an external partner, either in mathematics education or in science communication. Think of a teacher in secondary education, a lecturer from the PABO, the educational department of a museum, or a public institution where clear communication of mathematics is important. 

In this workshop we will show ​​how this course is structured, how it is taught, what lessons are learned, and how the various people involved in the course have evaluated it. 

Speaker
Nicos Starreveld: I am a teacher in the Bachelor of Mathematics at the University of Amsterdam. I mostly focus on teaching aiming at developing academic skills, including scientific writing, science communication, communication and presentation skills, and programming (in Python). I also coordinate the course Teaching and Communication, where students come in contact with mathematics teaching and science communication.

Laura Kubbe: As a teacher trainer at de UvA, I mentor students who study to become teachers in mathematics in secondary education. I lecture several courses about learning and teaching mathematics, and I am involved in the course Teaching and Communication. Furthermore, I coordinate a program for future teachers who need to remedy deficiencies in their mathematical knowledge at bachelor’s level.

Ludodidactics

Ludodidactics invites you to reimagine your teaching through the lens of a game designer. This isn’t about turning every lesson into a game or gamifying your entire curriculum. Instead, it’s about crafting learning experiences that captivate and engage. Drawing inspiration from game design, we’ll explore strategies to deeply motivate your students, deliver impactful feedback, and shift the dynamic so that your students—not you—are doing the heaviest lifting in the classroom. In this workshop, you’ll get an exciting introduction to these transformative techniques. Like all meaningful skills, it’s not about quick tricks—it’s about mastery. Let’s take that first step together and unlock the possibilities of what your teaching can become.

Speakers
Willem Jan Renger / Evert Hoogendoorn

Both speakers have a long history in education. Willem-Jan started as a geography teacher in secondary school, Evert as a language teacher in primary school. They found each other in a shared mission to develop Ludodidactics when they were both leading game design courses at Utrecht School of the Arts. Since then, they have been designing games and education together, continuously developing the Ludodidactics methodology.

Download abstract

Smart insight: An AI-driven academic writing assessment

'Slim bekeken' is a groundbreaking project at the Open University aimed at making thesis supervision and assessment more effective and efficient through the use of generative AI. By leveraging this technology, the project introduces a new dimension to supporting evaluators and supervisors within an authentic academic workflow.

In the developed prototype, the focus is on collaboration between humans and AI, where generative AI helps ease routine tasks and provides in-depth insights during the assessment process. The AI not only supports educators in evaluation but also offers opportunities to enrich the supervision of students.

'Slim bekeken' seeks a balance between technological innovation and academic quality, exploring how AI can play a valuable role in educational innovation. This project provides a unique perspective on how generative AI can be a valuable addition to higher education, aiming to elevate the quality of supervision and assessment to a higher level.

Speaker
Hubert Vogten, a member of the Expertise Centre for Education of the Open Universiteit, leverages his IT and educational technology background to explore generative AI's impact on education. He plays a pivotal role as one of the project leads for the 'Slim bekeken' initiative.

Ellen Davids is an education coordinator at the Science Faculty of the Open Universiteit. In this role, she aids the dean, vice-dean, and other support staff with policy making, administration, and quality control. She is one of the project leads for the ‘Slim Bekeken’ initiative.

3D scanning for education and research – fossils, fieldsites and more

Our world is becoming more digitised by the day. This development brings unique teaching and research opportunities with it as well. Recent innovations made 3D digitisation widely applicable for non-experts and teaching practices, whilst the quality and usability of 3D scans has improved drastically. From scanning big and small objects like fossils, archeological artifacts or machine parts, to entire rooms and even landscapes, the digital realm is now relatively easy to create and access. Unique objects can be shared online, where many users can simultaneously manipulate the object without the risk of damaging it. We use 3D scans of rare fossils and archeological artifacts or even entire fieldwork sites for research-based education. This includes 360 scans to simulate fieldwork areas abroad for the students, visualisations of the “Hunebedden” burial mounds to calculate the structural integrity, and scanned hundreds of fossils to analyse subtle shape variation to better understand evolutionary changes. During this workshop, you will see and use state-of-the-art scanners on the market today and discuss their potential for implementation in research-based learning applicable to all the sciences.

Speakers
Maastricht is home to the Mosasaur, one of the most enigmatic fossil monsters you can find in the Netherlands. Dr. Jesse Hennekam and Prof. Leon Claessens are palaeontologists at the Maastricht Science Programme. Both are experts in 3D digitisation using various techniques, and teach the Maastricht students the potential of scanning and its incorporation within research and society.

Global citizenship education

Maastricht University is a European network university with a global outlook and thus a strong advocate of internationalisation of education. In 2019, UM committed to building a repertoire of global citizenship education activities for all undergraduate and graduate students. To this end, lecturers from all faculties were invited to contextualise global citizenship, resulting in a hospitable global citizenship framework for the university. The framework and supporting activities help faculties to make explicit where global citizenship competences are already (implicitly) addressed in educational programmes. The framework also helps to identify opportunities for diversification of the educational offering, in line with a recently developed Global Citizenship for Sustainable Development narrative.

At first sight, integrating GCEd in curricula appears to be more challenging within Science & Engineering programmes than at other faculties. In this workshop, we will explore how Science and Engineering staff (and students) can address global citizenship within their education and explore which obstacles need to be cleared in the process.

Speaker
Herco Fonteijn is an associate professor at the Department of Work and Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University. He has extensive experience in designing and implementing education with various active learning formats. Special areas of interest are educational innovation, internationalisation, and capacity building. After completing a Comenius leadership project on global citizenship education, he is currently chairing UM’s Global Citizenship for Sustainable Development steering group.

Einstein Telescope Education Centre (ETEC)

Discovery Museum, as the science museum of the south of the Netherlands, wants to show students with the Einstein Telescope Education Centre (ETEC) that the research needed for the Einstein Telescope is not a ‘faraway show’. But that much of the physics they learn in secondary school finds its application in this challenging research.

Physics on the scale up format at quantum physics bachelor year 1

We are teaching a course in quantum physics for the 1st year of the joint VU and UvA Physics and Astronomy Bachelor program. In the past we were teaching in a standard lecture followed by working group configuration, but in the 2023-2024 season we choose for a more intense Scale-Up version of teaching.

Fundamental physics concepts can be complex and require full engagement of students to construct understanding and to develop problem-solving skills.

The lectures are based on a collaborative group-learning pedagogy, where the students are asked to work in small groups on exercises after a short instruction by the teachers.

Students work within their group and then group results are discussed for the full classroom, leading to a dynamic teaching experience to directly digest quantum physics. During this workshop we will discuss how we experienced this method and we reflect on the positive, but also the negative experiences (and a few unknowns). Both from a teacher and from a student perspective.

Speaker
Prof. dr. A.P. (Auke-Pieter) Colijn is an astro-particle physicists that worked on CERN experiments to discover the Higgs boson, and who is now trying to find Dark Matter in underground laboratories. He is an experienced lecturer at the University of Amsterdam, where he has taught many courses in several of the BSc programs, with a focus on the 1st year physics courses.

Engaging STEM students through Problem-Based Learning

Are you or your colleagues struggling to engage students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses? 

This workshop explores how to apply the design principles of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) – constructive, collaborative, contextual, and self-directed learning – to increase student engagement in STEM fields. You will learn how these principles can help STEM education by actively involving students during their learning process. The session includes hands-on activities to illustrate how PBL can foster deep learning and critical thinking, tailored to STEM topics. Through group discussions and practical exercises, you will leave with actionable strategies to enhance student motivation, foster a collaborative learning environment, and support independent learning in classrooms. So are you looking for inspiration to make STEM courses more interactive and engaging? Then join this workshop!

Speaker
Stefan Jongen is an experienced educator and researcher in higher education. With a background in teaching, researching and facilitating professional development of teaching staff in higher education, he focuses on designing and supporting learning experiences that are student-centered, collaborative, and meaningful. He leads the domain of Teacher Professional Development and Support at the Center of Expertise in Teaching and Learning of the Open University.

Challenging students to break free of their comfort zone

Some feel that in today’s educational climate, students are frequently seeking shortcuts and easy solutions to learning or are often asking for exceptions. They have become accustomed to an increasingly personalised and flexible world. The latest technologies as well as accommodations made during COVID, such as remote learning, assessment exceptions and increased flexibility, have further shaped these expectations.

While a safe learning environment is essential, true learning often requires struggle and discomfort. How can we, as educators, encourage students to step outside their comfort zones, embrace challenges and build resilience?

Join this session to contribute your insights, hear other experiences and debate the balance between comfort and challenge. Together we will discuss our ideas for practical strategies to encourage deep, engaged learning, even when it’s difficult.

Speaker
Dr. Donna Carroll is the Senior Coordinator of Professional Development for Teaching and Learning at Maastricht University. Donna is responsible for developing training designed to help teaching staff in creating effective learning experiences. As a former Physics and Mathematics lecturer in the UK and the Netherlands, and expertise in Higher Education assessment, Donna brings valuable insights into the challenges educators face, for example in fostering resilience, meaningful assessment and the effective use of AI in teaching.

Robotics

Have you ever heard about robot-centered learning?

Would you like to explore how you can maintain high engagement and stimulate curiosity-driven research of students during educational activities (and beyond)? How you can provide more individual educational experiences for students? How robots and AI can be used to encourage collaborations and to support students during their learning experience? In this workshop we will provide concrete examples on how we tackle these questions in some of our courses at Maastricht University using robot-centered learning. We also explain how our passion for teaching and research led to an interdisciplinary interfaculty research collaboration in which we are transferring our insights into new experiences for primary school students. And of course, we will bring robots for you to try out.

Speaker
Dr. Möckel is an Associate Professor for Cognitive Robotics and Intelligent Systems at the Department of Advanced Computing Sciences at Maastricht University. He has a strong passion for teaching and research in education, artificial intelligence, and robotic technologies. Together with teachers in Limburg and colleagues from Maastricht University he is building innovative educational robots to help students and teachers enjoy learning and teaching.

Student engagement with AI

Reimagining Student Interaction: Harnessing AI in the Classroom

Delve into the transformative power of artificial intelligence in education during this interactive workshop designed for educators eager to embrace new technologies. How can we harness AI to reimagine student interactions and foster a more dynamic classroom environment? After some opening examples, this session emphasizes open dialogue and collaborative exploration. Participants will engage in discussions, share experiences, and collaboratively brainstorm innovative strategies for integrating AI into teaching practices. Through group activities and real-world examples, we'll explore the potential of AI tools to enhance student engagement, personalize learning experiences, and address common educational challenges. Whether you're tech-savvy or just beginning to explore AI, this workshop offers a supportive space to exchange ideas, ask questions, and develop practical approaches to effectively incorporate AI into your course.

Speaker
Phil Brüll is a seasoned teacher at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience at Maastricht University. He draws on nearly 15 years of experience as an emergency paramedic before embarking on his academic journey in 2006. Today, Phil coordinates various courses across different faculties. In his leisure time, he enjoys traveling and capturing breathtaking landscapes through photography and videography. A lifelong martial artist since the age of 14, Phil continuously explores different styles and their underlying philosophies.

Visit Discovery Museum

Discovery Museum is the largest museum for science and technology in the south of the Netherlands. This museum is all about the themes of Earth, science, and technology. It is the perfect place to dive into the past, experience the present, and learn about what the future could look like. Explore interactive exhibitions and displays at the Discovery Museum.

iGEM

Synthetic Biology: how students build Genetically Engineered Machines for a better future

Join us for an engaging session, where we dive into synthetic biology and the exciting world of iGEM, the ‘International Genetically Engineered Machine’ student competition. Every year, more than 400 student teams from around the globe participate in this prestigious competition on synthetic biology. In this workshop, we will give some insights into this relatively new field of science and will show how synthetic biology enables the design and construction of new biological systems. Through the lens of iGEM, we will showcase some inspiring student projects that offer innovative solutions to global challenges in environment, health, biomanufacturing, etc.

Whether you are a seasoned researcher or new to the field, this workshop will provide valuable knowledge and inspiration on how to harness synthetic biology for a better future.

Speaker
Erik Steen Redeker is an assistant professor at the Maastricht Science Programme of Maastricht University, where he teaches courses in biochemistry and molecular biology. His research revolves around the use of synthetic biology to solve real-world issues. As the Principal Investigator, he yearly leads a team of students to participate in the iGEM competition since 2019. Erik will be accompanied by students participating in iGEM who will tell about their adventures and accomplishments in the competition.

How to make calculus not boring?

This workshop focuses on applying Problem-Based Learning (PBL) principles—constructive, contextual, collaborative, and self-directed learning (CCCS)—to create meaningful calculus assessments. 

Participants will begin by examining examples of authentic assessments, such as designing beer glass shapes using integrals or analyzing motion with derivatives, developed for an engineering calculus course. These examples illustrate how CCCS principles align assessments with learning outcomes and real-world challenges. Attendees will then collaborate in small groups to evaluate or redesign one of their own assessments, with support from facilitators. The session concludes with a plenary discussion to share insights and strategies. Participants will leave with concrete ideas and a framework for implementing CCCS principles in their STEM courses to enhance student engagement and learning.

Speaker
Martijn Boussé is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Advanced Computing Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University. With a background in mathematical engineering, he specializes in teaching courses like calculus, linear algebra, and numerical methods. This workshop stems from his work on an EDLAB education grant, where he collaborated with students to design innovative, real-world assessments that integrate Problem-Based Learning principles into STEM education.

360-degree videos in healthcare education

At Maastricht University, the educational method of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is utilized, where students collaborate in small tutorial groups, tackling real-world cases through Maastricht's renowned structured seven-step approach.

 Ideally, healthcare educators would bring students directly into real-life settings. However, due to factors such as the large number of students and the potential impact on clients’ lives, field visits are often unfeasible. To address this, we have developed 360-degree videos to bring real-world cases into the classroom. In this workshop, you will learn about the rationale and development process behind these videos and accompanying educational materials. Participants will also have the opportunity to experience the 360-degree videos firsthand using a VR headset.

Speaker
Nynke de Jong is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Services Research at the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. Her primary research field is Extended Reality (XR) in Problem-Based Learning for Healthcare. 

Future learning spaces

Since interactive and activating teaching methods improve students’ learning, many teachers aim to implement such methods in their teaching. However, often the existing classrooms offer limited availability for teaching methods other than classical lectures with tables in rows, or, let’s go wild, a U-shape. In this hands-on workshop we’ll actively dive into the possibilities of flexible active learning spaces and how they can support your teaching, whether you have access to advanced audiovisual options, or only simple by tweaking what is available.

Speakers
Nina Scheres and Julia Dawitz are part of team Education Innovation at the TLC Science of the UvA Science Faculty, and have been teaching in the Psychobiology and Biomedical Sciences programmes for several years. They are experienced in activating teaching methods and always busy to develop, and implement, something new.