Designing a âGlobal contextâ learning line that motivates students
At TU/e Johanna Höffken initiated a project to design a USE (User Society Enterprise) learning line on âresponsible innovation in a global contextâ last year. The project aims to explore and implement stimulating learning approaches, which link and integrate university education with the global context. Central in this approach is the idea to truly engage with the context when designing technical solutions. This is why close collaboration with companies and other societal stakeholders is sought throughout the learning line. Höffken and her colleagues received funding from the innovation fund of 4TU.CEE Eindhoven to carry out the project.
USE Learning lines
USE-learning lines educate engineering students to think and work beyond their technical specialisation. Höffken: âTodayâs big challenges cannot be solved by only working on the technical solution. Other aspects, such as social and economic issues must be considered simultaneously. Only then will innovations work in and for society.â Although these are skills that employers are increasingly looking for in engineers, lecturers often encounter a lack of motivation with their students for non-specialist engineering knowledgeâ. This project intends to get a grip on how these learning lines can be made more attractive, and uses this knowledge to design a new learning line.
Real-life learning
It is known that context-based learning helps to motivate students. âTeaching theory by using real-life situations in society makes students enthusiastic, since they actually experience how theory âworksâ in practiceâ, says Ellen Hoefsloot, who is also involved in the project. This is why much effort is put into co-designing real-life cases on which students will work throughout the learning line. Höffken: âStudents want to engage with âreal-lifeâ innovations that matter and make a difference in peopleâs life. Besides this, the close collaboration with companies and other external stakeholders gives students an opportunity to gain work experience already during their study.â
Place-based learning
In the responsible innovation in a global context learning line much effort is also put into place-based learning, which is also known to be a motivational factor. Students will be exposed to new learning environments, mainly in form of TU/eâs newly established Innovation Space which facilitates creative, project-based education and collaboration. The innovation Space is an ideal space where university education meets âthe outside worldâ. Höffken: âWe are in contact with a number of companies that see the advantage of working with our future engineers to tackle challenges. It is a win-win situation: students are eager to work on âreal casesâ and companies value the input from young, critical and engaged students.â
Ambitious and innovative
The new USE learning line will kick off in September 2018. Höffken already feels that the project is successful: âThe fact that we were given a âgreen lightâ for setting up this particular learning line is a success on its own already. With this, the theme âresponsible innovation in a global contextâ is put more prominently on TU/eâs agenda and steps are made to link university education to global contexts. Besides, designing courses that aim for transdisciplinary learning and designing is ambitious - but needed, in university contexts- and beyond. Enabling these new ways of education, shows TU/eâs commitment to support such innovations.
More information & contact
Johanna Höffken is assistant professor at the department Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences. Ellen Hoefsloot works as junior researcher at the department Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences. Are you interested to hear more about this project or are you working on a similar project and would you like to exchange ideas, please contact Johanna at: J.I.Hoffken@tue.nl.