P-36

Background and purpose

Companies in the industry have an ever-growing need for professionals with lifelong learning, analytical, conceptual, creative, collaborative, and interpersonal competences [1]. Employees, who -as T-shaped professionals [2] - can operate in interdisciplinary teams. Educational programs in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) need to design leaning environments through which students can develop these inquiry, professional, and interdisciplinary skills. Real-life practices and challenges from industry are regarded as important vehicles for learning, since theory and practice are intertwined. Such problem-based or project-led learning environments depart from constructivist learning principles in which the learning process of the student is put central. For Saxion, the Smart Solution Semester is one of the places in the curriculum where students work on interdisciplinary projects, often from external clients or lectoraten and where the teaching is supposed to be learner-oriented.

Relevance of research

Learner-oriented teaching implies coaching and facilitating students through the working process, encouraging them to take responsibility for their knowledge construction and reflect on their identity, and helping them evaluate their learning processes and the outcomes [3]. At the same time, current research [4] shows that although many teachers do believe in learner-oriented teaching, many of them are not able to put their beliefs into concrete behavior, for many reasons, including feeling insecure and lacking competence [5]. It, thus, is important to support teachers in creating a positive learning environment and to help them develop and apply learner-oriented teaching skills.

Main research question and purpose

What are theory-informed and evidence-based principles to strengthen the constructive alignment [6] between vision, learning environment, and assessment of learning for the Smart Solution Semester? And what are ingredients for the support of teachers, including a training program, to help them develop learner-oriented teaching behavior?

During the poster session we will:

- report on the findings from our literature study

- show how they steered the development of a teacher training program

- present the findings and experiences of the first training session

Questions to discuss with fellow researchers

- What are good ways to conduct the research during implementation, without intervening in the learning process, and taking the time of teachers into account

- What are other programmes within Saxion we can learn from (such as Top Talent) or include in the research?

- What are good ways to share the results with other teachers within Saxion?

References

[1] Dochy, F., Segers, M., Van den Bossche, P., & Gijbels, D. (2003). Effects of problem-based learning: A meta-analysis. Learning and Instruction, 13(5), 533-568.

[2] Guest, D. (1991). The hunt is on for the Renaissance Man of computing, The Independent, September 17.

[3] Savery, J. R. (2006). Overview of Problem-based Learning: Definitions and Distinctions. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, 1(1), 9-20.

[4] Assen, J. H. E., Meijers, F., Otting. H., & Poell, R. F. (2016). Explaining discrepancies between teacher beliefs and teacher interventions in a problem-based learning environment: A mixed method study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 60, 12-23.

[5] Id.

[6] Biggs, J. & Tang, C. (2011, 4th ed.). Teaching for quality learning at University. Open University Press.