Pre-Conference Workshop A1
Optimising the Use of ICT in Educational Innovation: An Open Discussion Based on the University of Twente’s Experiences
Date Wednesday, Nov 23 Time – Price: 90.00 € Status: places available
Workshop leader
Leon Cremonini
Senior Policy Advisor, University of Twente, Netherlands
Leon Cremonini is a Senior Policy Advisor at the University of Twente’s Strategy and Policy unit. Leon has extensive experience in policy and programme design, trainings, and stakeholder engagement, particularly in higher education and lifelong learning.
Over two decades, Leon has worked in Europe, the United States, Africa and South East Asia. He focuses mostly on higher education policy reform and lifelong learning, including the effects of technology on quality of learning and teaching, and flexibilization of education.
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Speakers
Frank Snels
University Information Manager , University of Twente, Netherlands
Frank Snels is an experienced digital business policy advisor and architect in the digital world. Frank has worked as a senior consultant and information manager in several large organisations where digital is essential. Recently, Frank made significant contributions to the digital strategy of the University of Twente and is responsible for the architectural aspects of education.
Currently, Frank is working on digital policies for education, together with Chris Rouwenhorst, Leon Cremoni and Koen de Pryck.
Koen DePryck
Head of Centre of Expertise in Learning and Teaching, University of Twente, Netherlands
Dr. DePryck is head of the Centre of Expertise in Learning and Teaching of the University of the Twente in the Netherlands. He is an internationally acknowledged expert in Challenge Based Learning, Research and Innovation in Higher Education and Adult Education. His record includes projects and consultancy in Europe, the US, Africa and the Caribbean, focusing on local and global capacity building for environmentally, technologically, socially, economically, culturally and institutionally sustainable and innovative education.
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Chris Rouwenhorst
Strategic Policy Advisor Education, University of Twente, Netherlands
Chris works as a strategic policy advisor education at the department of Strategy & Policy at the University of Twente.
He has a background in Educational Science & Technology and Teachers Professional Development. hris also works as a programme coordinator for the Centre for Engineering Education for the four technical Universities in the Netherlands.
This interactive session is about learning from the University of Twente's experiences on how to ensure long-term post-pandemic innovation in educational design and delivery through optimised use of ICT.
Background
The UT (University of Twente, the Netherlands) has the ambition to remain a frontrunner in educational innovation. A number of vision documents attest to this ambition, including a 2015 vision on ICT in education: our mission and vision "Shaping 2030", and the Digital Roadmap. The new integrated education vision, including a new Master Vision, will complement these documents in 2022.
However, an extensive engagement with stakeholders in 2021 concluded that the vision of the UT on the role of ICT educational innovation should be sharpened, especially in light of the experiences in the context of COVID-19. To address this challenge, we conducted an analysis of internal and external (vision and policy) documents and defined a number of assumptions on the future use of ICT.
These assumptions were vetted in a series of focus group discussions across the university, with bodies representing all stakeholders (students, teachers, e-learning experts, programme directors, the Centre of Expertise in Learning and Teaching, the Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning & Teaching etc.).
COVID-19 was an unpredicted and unprecedented emergency which led to an almost overnight switch to blended and synchronous hybrid delivery of education all over the world. This was an extraordinary testimony of the adaptability of higher education communities. Lecturers were often in the lead: they (re)designed their courses and decided how to deliver them. At the University of Twente, the prevalence of bottom-up initiatives supported the university's reputation of digital preparedness.
To this date, however, a number of areas of operation are not translating into institutional action, whilst others are still entirely unchartered. The former includes, for instance, learning analytics and open educational resources, the latter the application of virtual reality to education. This is concerning because these areas are instrumental in realising institutional, national and international policy priorities on education and science. Arguably, then, the pandemic has exposed and exacerbated the misalignment between guiding vision documents, both internal and external, and educational practices.
Overview
In this interactive session we want to share our experiences and lessons learned. We also want to learn from others and hear what the main uncertainties that have appeared in other university contexts are.
Our preliminary findings suggest that ICT is effective in educational delivery only if certain (pre-)conditions are met. A comprehensive notion of readiness that goes beyond acquisition of equipment, clarity across the entire university community in defining teaching modalities such as blended or hybrid, strategic investments, and an adaptive use of the campus are but some examples we will discuss.
Participants will gain deeper insights into the core question of how to bridge the gap between high-level and ambitious educational visions and daily educational practices through developing and adapting the use of ICT, thus promoting innovation and development of all our operations.Starting from the case we (the University of Twente) present, participants will discuss major uncertainties and assumptions that have emerged particularly as a result of the COVID-19pandemic. And in particular, regarding the balance between blended, synchronous hybrid, and physical delivery. Participants will get to know the current practices of our and other universities as well as the common dilemmas we face.
Outcomes
- Use the tools designed by the University of Twente to identify gaps between policy documents and educational practice.
- Critically appraise major uncertainties and assumptions that affect how teachers design and deliver education in the post-Covid world.
- Reflect on your own structures to balance the use of ICT with the campus environment, in order to foster an inclusive and socially connected learning environment.
- Identify how an optimised use and development of IT can contribute to the quality of learning and teaching in higher education.
Agenda
This session uses the case of the University of Twente to discuss the following questions:
- What are the conditions for successful delivery of education in a post-COVID world, in particular regarding the balance between blended, synchronous hybrid, and physical delivery?
- How can a university ensure educational practice and “guiding visions” reinforce each other rather than exist on parallel paths?3. How can a university optimise the use of ICT in educational delivery to ensure demands for new forms of learning and teaching are fully addressed?
Audience
- Policy advisors and institutional policy makers
- Education advisors
- Instructional designers
- Lecturers
Level: advanced