No success without experimenting

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24 september 2012 | In the past Maastricht University led the way with its Problem Based Learning. Now the UM wants to bring e-learning into this proven educational practice. The new EdL@b is where the experimenting will take place.

“EdL@bis an educational laboratory”, Ingrid Wijk, the University LibraryDirector said at the opening. “The laboratory is not about theeducational innovation itself, it’s about experimenting with ITtools, with applications, with new tools of delivering education.” 

The EdL@b consists of a physical and virtual environment at thesame time. Ingrid Wijk continues: “EdL@bis there not only for the university. We already set up anagreement with Océ and Document Services Valley to also promoteregional possibilities to include companies entrepreneurs to tryout projects.”

Science fiction

The directions the experimenting take, can be remarkable. The ITcompany Qbengo showed 3 D projections of skulls and human hearts,that might be used by the medical faculty. However, the exact wayof applying the flying and turning skulls in an educationalsetting, remains still to be discovered.

Other projects EdL@b is currently working on, cover interactionduring lectures with the help of voting software and comparingportfolio management in electronic learning environments.

Collaboration is key

Jeroen van Merrienboer, professor of learning and instruction,stated that the success factors of these type of innovations lieprimarily in the field of collaboration, communication andteamwork. The success depends less on the quality of the idea.

“The big challenge now lies in the use of e-learning toreinforce Problem Based Learning”, Van Merrienboer said. “A goodexample of this integration is the SHARE IT project, used byPHD-students in Maastricht to explore new ways of sharinginformation.”

Ingrid Wijk concluded by inviting not only students and teachersto jump on board of the EdL@b, the leboratory also invites othercompanies and entrepreneurs to share in the experimenting.