THE PARTNERS
The partners in this education technology consortium have two aspects in common: a coherent vision on active learning and sufficient support and resources to implement it.
WHY THIS CONSORTIUM EXISTS
To accelerate the implementation of active, blended and online learning designs: Consortium partners firmly believe in transforming traditional, passive learning into an active and engaging learning experience. This is realised through redesigning course pedagogy and by implementing activating learning activities. The challenge that our partners face is that they often need to make concessions in the implementation of ‘active course designs’, primarily due to poor technological support.
WHAT IS A LEARNING ACTIVITY?
It is a pedagogical application supported by one of the developed LMS modules, containing details such as the description of the activity, the didactic value of doing it, and an outline of how it will be organised.
HOW DOES IT ALL WORK?
Imagine a shared pool of learning activities that instructional designers and teachers can pick from to implement activating learning designs in their LMS: The number of available learning activities is constantly growing since new partners are joining the consortium and teachers keep coming up with new successful use-cases to be supported. Available learning activities are related to pedagogical themes such as peer feedback, 21st century skills, collaborative learning and interactive study sessions.
WHAT CAN ONE EXPECT FROM JOINING THE CONSORTIUM?
Current and future LMS modules to support a variety of activating learning activities. The LMS modules are related to the five themes below:
HOW ARE THESE MODULES CREATED?
Via the so-called 'Do-Tank Process', which is a development method based on agile and design thinking principles:
THE DEVELOPMENT PHASES
I. DEFINITION ⤑ of the didactic problem.
II. DESIGN ⤑ We look at the problem and we come up with the design for a suitable solution.
III. DEVELOPMENT ⤑ The design is converted into code; in this phase the tool is actually being built.
IV. VALIDATION ⤑ Once the tool is finished, it is tested and incrementally improved on the basis of feedback.
V. DEPLOYMENT ⤑ The new teaching tool is finished and can now be used by all consortium participants.
We firmly believe that in our co-creative partnership we can drive innovation at a pace that would be impossible for each partner to achieve individually.
LMS COMPATIBILITY OF MODULES
DEEP API INTEGRATION FOR THE LMS
WHAT PARTNERS SAY
"We see a clear need for validated educational solutions that can be integrated into the existing LMS, as also indicated in the SURFnet report: A flexible and personal learning environment. The products of FeedbackFruits match this need and are now available for education through a framework agreement. Collaboration between the university, university college and FeedbackFruits within the EdTech DoTank means that the products have also been tested for their applicability in education."
Jan Bakker, Director of SURFmarket
"Together with FeedbackFruits we are working on very interesting educational innovations. The advantage of the Education DoTank is that the education renewed concept is put into practice immediately. In a consortium we see the added value that multiple institutions are working on new technology, which can then be shared. What is now being built with our effort, knowledge, expertise and resources can also be used by other DoTank participants."
Jan Haarhuis, Director Educate IT, University of Utrecht
"The EdTech DoTank offers the possibilities to provide the new ideas of teachers with the necessary IT tools in the form of FeedbackFruits components, which can be used in the Wageningen electronic learning environment. Moreover, the Education DoTank offers a unique opportunity to work with fellow institutions to shape the higher education of the future."
Chris Blom, Educational Consultant, Wageningen University
CONSORTIUM EXPERIENCES
