“LES’s success illustrates the power of didactic innovation”
Didactic innovation using a learning technology ecosystem
Offer course participants greater learning successes and independence by making the best use of the electronic learning environment. This is the aim of LES or ‘learning technology ecosystem’. LES is a didactic innovation project that has recently been successfully introduced to all In’to Languages courses. Both course participants and teachers are reaping the benefits. Kasper Maes, a member of In’to Languages’ innovation team, talks more about it in this blog. He also hints at the next innovation project because the team is far from inactive!
Didactic innovation team
Digital and didactic innovations have always played an important role within In’to Languages. It involves improving existing offerings, but also developing new courses, teaching methods and learning materials. The innovation team, known as the ‘i-team’ for short, was established in 2019 to further embed innovation in the organisation. This team is made up by colleagues from different departments.
“The i-team has two main tasks,” Kasper explains. “The first supports colleagues with technical and didactic questions. The second keeps track of digital and didactic innovations in education and determining which ones are relevant to In’to. For example, the i-team may initiate a project and then implement it, together with colleagues. The LES project is a great example of this.”
“Only using Brightspace to post course materials is a waste when it can do so much more”
Learning technology ecosystem
The learning technology ecosystem (LES) is all about better utilising and using the electronic learning environment. An example of such an electronic learning environment is Brightspace, the system that Radboud University, Wageningen University and In’to Languages all use. Kasper: “Lots of courses used to have only assignments and course materials on Brightspace. It’s a shame, because environments like Brightspace can do much more. When teachers know how to make better use of the functionalities, it makes the course and learning environment more accessible and clear. And, in turn, this challenges course participants to work on the material independently, so that they get even more out of the course.”
How is LES used?
LES is a way of redesigning existing courses to improve their quality. To do so, the i-team has created a ‘basic format’, a kind of blueprint, for each course. The layout is clear and inviting. “For example, lecturers are able to add a welcome message and a video on how to use Brightspace to the landing page of the course,” Kasper explains. “This way, students can immediately see who their lecturer is and what the purpose of the course is. You can link straight to the content from these videos.” Teachers can also use options such as checklists and weekly learning objectives, so course participants immediately see what is expected of them. Kasper: “You can even add quiz elements to the course. This allows course participants to check whether they have met the learning objectives.”
“This innovation adds value to both participants and teachers”
The power of didactic innovation
“What makes LES special is that it is a project being implemented on a large scale. It’s an innovation that we can apply in all courses and one that benefits all parties, course participants and teachers,” Kasper says. The i-team asked course participants to complete a survey to determine how LES affects their learning experience, with positive results. And it is valuable for teachers too. “Lecturers design their courses in basically the same way at the moment. This ensures a common language, uniformity and, as a result, clarity. LES’s success illustrates the power of didactic innovation.”
Looking towards the future: a teaching space that brings together online and in-person teaching
LES is far from the only innovation the In’to Languages team has been working on. Their next project, Oneroom, is already in the pipeline: a new, state-of-the-art teaching space that combines online and in-person teaching. Later this year, a room equipped with state-of-the-art technology (cameras, microphones and screens) will be set up so that students can participate in the class either in the classroom or remotely. In this way, lecturers can simultaneously teach course participants who are present in-person and online. Enthusiastic lecturers are already being trained to teach this way. “One of the challenges of this form of teaching is how to ensure good interaction between the two groups - those present in the classroom and those attending the online class. We are developing new modes of instruction and assignments for this together with our lecturers,” says Kasper.
“We are also collaborating with the universities in Tilburg and Leuven for this project. They have experience in this area that we are pleased to be able to learn from. This way of teaching is also still very new. We are hugely ahead in creating this kind of dedicated space.” It is expected that the first courses can be taught in In’to Languages’ new ‘Oneroom’ by autumn 2023.
