TAG Scholarship of Teaching and Learning grant

This SoTL project investigates which aspects of a Lesson Study in teacher education contribute to history teachers' pedagogical content knowledge of historical contextualization, drawing on data from interviews, learner reports, and questionnaires. It aims to identify key factors that support effective teaching practices in history education. An expert panel acts as a critical friend and writing group.

To reduce marking pressure on teachers and encourage learner autonomy, we investigate controlled use of ChatGPT by French learners revising written assignments. Provided with non-detailed feedback, learners will autonomously use ChatGPT as a tutor to resolve their errors, leading to deeper learning. Most effective strategies will be identified and encouraged. 

We will be integrating an AI chatbot into the Biomedical Research  Laboratory Course, enabling students to learn to troubleshoot experiment failures. This tool helps in teaching problem solving skills effectively, with the added benefit of preparing students  better. This grant will be used to evaluate this blended learning approach.

The Principles of Entrepreneurship course although is aiming to foster entrepreneurial skills, it lacks applicability. LEGO Serious Play - a gamification technique - can empower students to unlock their entrepreneurial potential. An action research approach will assess how this teaching method can help students achieve their desired learning outcomes.

The project introduces an innovative teaching practice using fine-tuned Large Language Models with Retrieval-Augmented Generation to simulate realistic interview personas. Students will interact with diverse, AI-generated personas, practicing their interviewing techniques in a controlled environment. This approach ensures improved skills, greater confidence, and a deeper understanding of qualitative data analysis.

This project investigates the effects of structured article discussions compared to traditional seminar-based instruction on enhancing scientific literacy in UCG BSc students. Using a quasi-experimental design, the study employs the Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS) and qualitative evaluations to assess and improve teaching strategies in a disease-focused course.

Changing the guessing correction in Multiple-Choice Questions

This SoTL project aims to conduct a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) to show the benefit of applying a different guessing correction for Multiple Choice Questions at the Faculty of Economics and Business. A guessing correction which discourages gambling, better differentiates students, and is more transparent.

Oral exams in teacher education

How can we implement an oral examination, instead of a written report, as one of the final assessments in our teacher education program? We aim to investigate examiner and student experiences regarding the practical implementation, learning outcomes, validity, reliability and fairness of oral examinations compared to written exams. 

Teaching and Flourishing

Resilience is an essential factor that helps pre-service teachers deal with their challenges. We developed a series of workshops that address strategies to enhance resilience and well-being. This SOTL project examines how the workshops have helped our pre-service teachers develop their resilience and well-being.

Developing an inclusive learning environment when working in a team

The Process Improvement and Change course at the Faculty of Economics and Business is selected as a case study for this research. This course is chosen due to its emphasis on group work and its primary focus on enhancing students' social rather than technical skills. 

The intervention will use the current course structure, with alterations being made at various levels. These modifications will primarily concern group design and composition but will also encompass learning activities (lectures, tutorials, and workshops) and course materials.

Inclusivity in the Master Population Studies: A Participatory Action Approach

Students in the Master Population Studies have signalled that traditional socio-cultural norms shape the demographic theories and methods they learn. For instance, demographic indicators are typically disaggregated by sex (“males” vs “females”), and theories on family and household dynamics usually focus on opposite-sex couples, which may leave some students feeling excluded. Such biases related to, amongst others, gender, sexuality, ethnicity and nationality compromise inclusiveness and could negatively affect students’ learning experiences. Ideally, our concepts, definitions and data should be inclusive and representative of the population. Students’ lack of relatedness may extend further in the classroom through different learning experiences between Dutch- and non-Dutch-speaking students. With this project, we want to evaluate and enhance the inclusivity in the Master's program. The Master coordinator, 2-3 course coordinators and ± 40 students will be involved.

The Critical Creativity Toolkit: thinking-through-making as a critical practice at the MA-level

The first theoretical pathway course within the Master’s programme Media Studies: Media Creation and Innovation is “Cultures of Creativity.” I have taught this course since September 2019. The course consists of two-hour weekly seminars and combines critical theory discussions with a hands-on approach to creativity theories. Students are assessed based on a final individual essay and a Creative Demo. This Demo asks and/or answers a specific question about creativity. Students use a self-chosen, justified, creative method for their Demo presentations.

While students respond well to the class, I want to optimize my pedagogical practice further to raise students' critical skills. I want to investigate how creative practice, critical thinking, and writing can be more closely connected to achieve synergy. This also fits part of my current research agenda into pedagogical practices (Aasman et al., 2022).