Get ready for a smart world: Student's views on future-proof education

One of the tasks for higher education is to prepare students for their role in a changing world and to stimulate them to develop broader competencies than only in their own discipline. There are many initiatives in which existing curricula are redesigned to prepare students for this changing world. These new curricula oftentimes contain hybrid learning configurations, in which theory and (authentic) practice are intertwined, such as in project-led education, innovation labs, or workplace learning. But what are -according to students- key ingredients of future-proof education? Within Saxion University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, an explorative, qualitative study was conducted amongst 74 bachelor students from >20 programs, including technology and engineering programs, such as mechatronics, industrial design, or biomedical engineering. Focus group interviews were held with 24 groups, of different group sizes from 2-7 students. Interviews started with the question: What are -according to you- key ingredients of future-proof education? The interviewers directly during the interview coded the reported ingredients deductively, following a prespecified scheme based on literature. New themes were added inductively, when necessary. Next, interviewers prompted on the first answers, asking for clarification or examples. The report follows the outline of the adapted coding scheme. Distinction was made between 1st/2nd year students versus 3th/4th year students since the latter provided more in-depth and experience-based information. According to students, main ingredients of future-proof education are: authentic projects (mentioned in 22 out of 24 groups), blended/online learning (16), self-directed learning (15), teacher as coach (15), active learning (13) and collaborative learning (11). Results were used as input for the formulation of a new educational vision and Education Model, specifying ingredients for our future education

Opbrengst en Effectiviteit van Saxion Honoursprogramma’s

Onderzoek naar voorwaarden die succesvolle ontwikkeling en implementatie van honoursprogramma’s (HP’s) ondersteunen is nog schaars. In dit onderzoek zijn kenmerken in kaart gebracht om een succesvolle implementatie van HP’s te bevorderen. In eerste instantie is vanuit de literatuur een raamwerk opgezet met ontwerpprincipes voor HP’s. Dit raamwerk vormt de basis voor het vervolgonderzoek. Middels gestructureerde interviews en documentenanalyse, zijn de HP’s (n=8) binnen Saxion gescand en beschreven. Vervolgens zijn vragenlijsten afgenomen onder alle betrokken studenten (n=112) en docenten (n=29) om hun meningen, ervaringen en verwachtingen van de HP’s te inventariseren. De conclusies worden eerst per HP geformuleerd en vervolgens, waar mogelijk en wenselijk, overkoepelend over alle Saxion HP’s

Personal resources conducive to educational success: high achieving students’ perspectives

This study was explorative in nature and aimed at in-depth understanding of the personal resources students use to reach self-defined success. To gain an in-depth understanding of personal resources that benefit students’ performance in the demanding context of honors education, we used qualitative methods.Becoming successful in higher education demands a lot from students. Considering the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, a model that is also applicable in education because of the similarities between work and study, it is expected that personal resources help students succeed in demanding situations. In this study, we explored which personal resources benefit students’ performance in the demanding context of honors education. Using a preparatory digital questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, we asked 13 honors students of three Dutch Universities of Applied Sciences which personal resources had helped them to achieve success. The results suggest that the personal resources used varied among honors students. The most frequently mentioned resources could be grouped around five themes: self-directiveness, inquiry-mindedness, perseverance, social involvement, and motivation. Especially resources in the themes self-directiveness, inquiry-mindedness and perseverance were perceived as important facilitators for educational success, like passing exams. The outcomes of this study may inform interventions to help students develop personal resources needed to handle high educational demands. Further research is needed to identify the most effective interventions