Quality and Research
Educate-it works together with teachers to evaluate all innovations in their courses, regarding their contribution to improving the education. This is done in various ways:
- Casestudies using CIMO-logic
- Student experiences with tools
- Longitudinal research into Educate-it as a programme
Case studies are always done through the CIMO-logic method. This method uses a specific context (C) to explore an intervention (I) which is implemented. The thought behind this is that the intervention activates certain mechanisms (M) which in turn lead to certain outcomes (O). This method encourages teachers to think about the 'why' of starting to innovatie, or using a specific tool. Improving results in both tests and learning behaviour in students is the most important consideration.
Bron: Denyer, D., Tranfield, D., & Van Aken, J. E. (2008). Developing design propositions through research synthesis. Organization studies, 29(3), 393-413.
All courses that have been innovated using blended learning tools are evaluated through a student questionnaire. Between 2016 and 2018 1,867 students filled out the questionnaire. They participated in a total of 41 courses, in which 11 different innovation tools were used. This evaluation provides us with a benchmark on themes as motivation, learning activity, perceived learning and the coupling between preparatory and contact education. We are currently working on embedding these results in our tool-guide, infographics and a scientific publication.
At the start of the Educate-it programme in 2014 we started a longitudinal research into the effects of the programme. It focusses at the adaptation behaviour of teachers, and the perceived effects of innovations by teachers on students. We use the innovationcurve by Rogers to explore these topics.
Based on Educate-it's results in 2014-2017 it's assumed that we passed the chasm, and that the early majority has been reached. The efforst untill 2020 will be mainly into reaching the early and late majority, which consist of about 60% of the teachers. Our ambition is to reach every teacher at the university, though we do not expect to reach the latest population, the late mass (16%) before the end of 2020.
Would you like to (have someone) research your own course? Or would you just like to bounce some ideas of someone? Contact dr. Renske de Kleijn, projectleader Quality and Research. If you have already done research into your education(innovation) we would love to hear about it as well. We like to help you share your results, and we're always curious to see how your results compare to our own.
You can also contact the Centre for Academic Teaching for support, if you want to develop yourself in the area of evaluative course design, see Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
Contact:
Dr. F.C. (Femke) Kirschner
F.C.Kirschner@uu.nl
Tel: 030 253 4806 / 06 405 29402