Trending Topics in Educational Science & Technology
In this core course, several lecturers present their field of expertise, in line with the current scientific research areas in our research groups. This course is compulsory for all EST students and the topics presented will cover both Educational Design & Effectiveness (EDE) and Human Resource Development (HRD). They include:
- Talent management / talent development
- Data-based instruction and decision making
- Lifelong learning skills
- 21st-century skills: the school of the future
- Leadership for learning
- Professional learning communities.
Designing Learning & Performance Support
In this course, you will engage in a challenging design task: creating effective instructions that enable people to do things quickly. You are free to select your own task, such as using a cash register, carrying out a web search or designing online help. As in creating job aids, you will develop instructions that enable people to self-regulate their actions. You will be expected to adopt a systematic approach, drawing largely from the theory you have learned, and report on your progress. The values of minimalism and the importance of motivation will be central. Other models discussed include the 4C model and CRAP.
In seminars, you will be introduced to the three main components of the course: (a) theories & design guidelines, (b) exercises, and (c) student progress reports. You are expected to have regular individual meetings with your instructor. During the final session, your product and that of your fellow students will be displayed and your design trajectories will be presented and discussed. You will work in pairs on the design task, establishing a clear division of roles, both in creating your end-product and completing the design report.
Assessing, Monitoring & Improving Student & School Performance
In this course you will focus on how to carry out valid measurements of student performance and how to benefit from the results of student test data and other data for improving educational quality. You will also look at ways of measuring teacher and school quality and become aware of the problems associated with the instruments used for that purpose.
This first six lectures focus on measuring student performance and utilizing the results, focusing on how to construct a good test (lecture 1), a framework for evaluating the quality of tests (lecture 2), the difference between classical test theory and item response theory, and its implications for measuring student ability (lecture 3), the Cito student monitoring system for primary education (lecture 4), the challenge of linking assessment data with instruction (lecture 5), and what scientific literature tells us about the decisive factors for the impact of feedback provided to teachers/schools (lecture 6).
Lectures 7 to 9 focus on monitoring teacher and school quality, and the challenges associated with of the instruments used for this purpose: how to evaluate teacher quality (lecture 7), value-added measures for measuring school quality (lecture 8), and school inspections as an instrument for monitoring and improving school quality (lecture 9). In the final lecture, you will participate in a general discussion of how to benefit from student evaluations and other monitoring data.
Innovative Technology-Based Learning Environments
Two leading questions in this course are: Is learning with technology more effective than learning without technology? How can we successfully implement and integrate innovative technology-based learning environments in the school, classroom, or workplace? This course explores the field of educational technology from different perspectives, including schools, teachers, and students. Theories of learning, instruction, and performance will be discussed and illustrated with examples of innovative technology-based learning environments. Students will be asked to take on the perspective of one or more stakeholders in assignment that revolve around the selection, implementation, and integration of educational technology.
Teacher Learning & Development
The quality of teaching and teachers is crucial for how much pupils learn in schools, yet these factors can vary considerably between and within schools. When working to bring about educational reform, it is essential to pay careful attention to the knowledge and skills of teachers involved in the reform process. In this course, you will explore the various kinds of knowledge and skill that are crucial to quality teaching. You will also examine the effectiveness of different forms of professional development, as well as important conditions for teacher learning and change.
Learning & Instruction
In this course the psychological principles of learning and instruction are introduced, ranging from basic theories of learning reading, writing, math and science to means of fostering learning by means of instruction in the widest sense of the word. Instruction includes giving feedback, design of learning activities, providing examples and supporting collaborative learning and problem solving. Finally it will be shown how these theories can be utilized in the design of learning environments
EST Research Proposal
As its name suggests, this course prepares you to tackle the final project of the Master’s programme. As a full-time student you will start the course in quarter 1 (if you enrolled in September) or quarter 3 (if you enrolled in February). If you are taking the programme part-time, the course will be scheduled in conjunction with your final project.
The aim of the course is to help you design an optimal research project and write a research proposal. You will attend general lectures and seminars which look at the factors that determine the design quality of a research project and research proposal, including information skills, ethics and publication skills. You will also become part of a small community based on shared research interests. Under the supervision of a member of staff, you will collaborate on your research plan and research proposal.
EST Final Project
In your final project for the EST programme, you will design an education/training-related intervention and evaluate it in the context of a school or workplace environment. Alternatively, you can perform an empirical study using an existing design. This project can be performed as part of a departmental research programme or at an external organization. Your final project will be individually supervised by two staff members of the EST programme and, if applicable, by an internal and an external supervisor.