News

Last October, TU Eindhoven was visited as part of the 4TU.CEE Learning Spaces Tour. During the day attention was paid to the current student journey with challenge based learning (CBL) at TU/e, aligned with the educational vision of the university towards 2030.

The 3rd of October is all about 'eat-work-rave-repeat' during a 24-hours Education Hackathon at TU Delft. In 24-hours the future of education will be co-created together with students, innovators and educational enthusiasts. The hackers work on 5 challenges introduced by teachers of TU Delft. The aim of the Education Hackathon is to identify key challenges for education and co-create innovative solutions with students. The Hackathon kick-starts these projects and may lead to potential educational startups. This event is co-organized by 4TU.CEE, Leiden Delft Erasmus Centre for Education and Learning, Teaching Academy and YES!Delft.

Many teachers would like to improve their teaching by making use of media that enhance their learners’ experience, but fear that it might take a lot of time or not knowing which tools to use, can make it difficult to actually do so. At TU Delft, lecturers had the opportunity to join in a ten week programme that helped them to effectively embed media in activity and assessment. This pilot, called EdMedia Protégé (EMP) programme was made possible by 4TU.CEE and TU Delft Teaching and Learning Services. TU Delft was the first university in the Netherlands to pilot this development programme.

Online support for biomedical labs (or other labs) can help save teacher efforts and expensive lab time according to Cornelise Vreman-de Olde, Janneke Alers and Chris Rouwenhorst (University of Twente) as can be read in their conference article 'E-learning on the lab with lab education software; Deeper learning & more efficiency?' for SEFI Budapest.

On the 28th of August, Aldert Kamp, 4TU.CEE leader of TU Delft, was invited by the Swedish Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) in Stockholm to join their 100-year Jubilee Seminar for a keynote, a seminar presentation and a contribution to three workshops. He presented his vision on the future of higher engineering education and also discovered that in Sweden 4TU.CEE is seen as a role model of universities working together in enhancing engineering education.

No less than six articles on architecture and built environment design education have been published in the latest open access issue of the International Journal of Technology and Design Education. It is the result of the call for papers of 4TU.CEE in 2017 on the ‘Latest developments in architecture & the built environment design education’. Twenty staff members from all over the faculty Architecture and the Built Environment (A&BE) at TU Delft contributed to broad range of topics, from disciplinary and pedagogical developments to interdisciplinary learning and the cultivation of the next generation designers.

In 2015 the physics curriculum was updated for upper secondary education. Reasons for this update were: declining numbers of students that continued studying sciences at University, lack of clarity for students what physics is actually for, and a consensus that the curriculum contained too much 18th century physics. There was hardly any room for achievements of modern physics. The updated curriculum contains topics such as quantum physics and relativity.

One of the main goals of 4TU.CEE is the dissemination of knowledge about Engineering Education. Numerous PhD students have been or are conducting research within Higher Engineering Education, but they are rarely familiar with each other’s research. On the 4TU.CEE website an overview can be found of these (former) PhD students and their thesis. Amongst them are also PhD students who are conducting research for 4TU.CEE. They are highlighted here:

At Eindhoven University of Technology, students participate in different courses to obtain their degree in engineering education. But what do they actually learn during their time at university? And how do they perceive their own learning? To answer these questions, TU/e developed a ‘learning gains framework’ for engineering education. Leaning on the CDIO framework as a basis, Martina van Uum and Birgit Pepin were inspired by other frameworks, such as the mathematical proficiency framework of the National Research Council, and a general learning gains framework (Vermunt et al., 2018). The framework developed by Van Uum and Pepin consists of five strands that are interwoven: 1) Disciplinary conceptual and procedural knowledge, 2) General cognitive learning, 3) Attitude, thought and learning, 4) Teamwork and communication, 5) The enterprise (see the figure below).

We are proud to inform you that the renewed Innovation Map is online. The new Innovation Map makes it easier for lecturers and support education staff to find tools, tips & tricks and background information on innovations in engineering education. A total of 179 innovations are posted,  on topics such as: interdisciplinary engineering education, blended learning and virtual labs, future engineering skills, dealing with the diversity, coaching students and sustainable & active education.

The second Twente group of 12 colleagues finished their SUTQ (SKO) projects in which they designed and researched aspects of their education. In the same ceremony six colleagues finished their Senior Examination Qualification (SKE) trajectory with assessment related topics being studied in-depth. Results were shared and discussed in an informal poster market after receiving certificates and flowers from Mirjam Bult (Executive Board UT). All project summaries will be available through the 4TU.CEE innovation map.

4TU.CEE has evolved from a starting centre of expertise as part of the sector plan for engineering, into a stable, recognised and mature centre. In the past two years, 4TU.CEE invested in a variety of themes to contribute to the innovation of engineering education: future engineering skills, curriculum development, interdisciplinary engineering education, emerging technologies, engineering education for all (sustainable engineering education) and teaching excellence. In the Progress Report 2017-2018 you will find a selection of highlights under each of the mentioned themes.

The new 4TU.CEE strategic plan 2019-2021 has been approved by the 4TU Education Board. The strategic plan describes the topics and projects that 4TU.CEE will be working on in the period that lies ahead. 4TU.CEE is eager to support the development of future engineering education and help in establishing an empirical knowledge base on innovation in engineering education. We look forward to doing so with 4TU lecturers, researchers, support staff and our (inter)national partners.

Internationalisation and cross cultural communication skills are essential for all 4TU engineering students, due to the international student population and international setting they will work in. Workshops provide you with a practical, skill-building environment, engaging you in activities and receiving significant feedback from the instructor and other participants. It is the best and most efficient way to quickly develop a new skill!

At the Royal Academy of Engineering (London) Ruth Graham presented the 'Roadmap for Change' with respect to improving university reward for teaching on 13 & 14 May. This topic is high on the agenda of Dutch Higher Education (4TU, VSNU & Ministry of Education) with a new NL-wide strategy to be presented in September. Besides the 4TU four more Dutch universities were represented in this event discussing next steps among university leaders and experts from 29 different countries. Overall outcomes of a Teacher Culture Survey with 8000+ academics participated showed clear commitment to change from academics with expectations being high. Reports per participating university (including 4 TU’s) will become available in June. The Roadmap was commissioned by 4TU.CEE.