Martin van der Hoef wins Brinksma Innovation Grant with innovative approach to active learning

Martin van der Hoef, Associate Professor at the University of Twente, has been awarded the Brinksma Innovation Grant for his innovative approach that enables students to learn more actively and receive immediate feedback on their own thinking process.

The foundation of his educational innovations lies in a simple principle: students learn most effectively when they first attempt to solve a problem themselves and then receive direct feedback from fellow students or the lecturer. This approach is reflected in so-called tutorial tests, in which students work together in small groups on problems and discuss their answers.

Martin van der Hoef

What excites me most is seeing students actively engage. When the answers are discussed, you sometimes even hear cheering from groups who got it right. During these discussions, you can really see students making progress in their understanding of the material. That is wonderful to observe.

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Another example of his innovative approach is the experiment in which students mark their own exam papers. What started as a pilot proved to be surprisingly successful. “When I saw that there was virtually no difference between the marks students gave themselves and the grades I would have awarded, I realised that this only has advantages. Sitting the exam, marking it, and discussing it all take place in a single process. Students gain a much better understanding of their mistakes, while the reliability of the assessment is maintained.”

According to Martin, educational innovations do not emerge behind a desk, but primarily through interaction with students. “What I keep noticing is that students are generally eager to learn and truly want to understand the material. The challenge of good teaching is to trigger that desire. How you do that varies from one generation to the next.”

The award of the Brinksma Innovation Grant means a great deal to him, particularly because he consciously chose a career path focused on teaching years ago. “As an Associate Professor, I decided to focus on education rather than an academic research career that could ultimately have led to a professorship. I therefore see this recognition mainly as an acknowledgement of the commitment I have shown to education and educational innovation over the past ten years. It feels like confirmation that I made the right choice at the time.”