Best practices in Teaching and Learning at BSS

What makes an educational method successful? And which type of education reaches students best? This year, four teaching methods at BSS were awarded the title of Best Practice in Teaching and Learning. The staff members and students of the education committees are responsible for the nominations.

Three individual lecturers and one lecturer duo were awarded the label Best Practice for their teaching methods. This is because the emphasis is on the teaching designs and methods and less on the teacher himself, the group size or the number of respondents. Teaching and learning practices can be designed in different ways. The title Best Practice is intended to inspire instructors on how to set up their own classes.

Gijs Huitsing, Sociology

With his way of teaching, Gijs knew how to distinguish himself and how to create a bond, even or especially during the difficult period of a full online course. This was because, especially during the corona pandemic, he adapted his lectures to the needs of his students. He listened to the input they gave and built a good and interesting foundation for the students around this. By emphasizing the importance of interaction during live lectures, it resulted in 99% attendance every time. He also started Sociology Matchmaker: every week two random students were paired up to meet each other in order to still get to know new people.

Michelle de Jong, Teacher Education

For subject teacher Michelle, her personal approach sets her apart from other teachers. Future teachers of Spanish follow, besides general subjects such as the Basic Course and Pedagogy, 'Vakdidactiek Spaans'. Spanish is a so-called 'zero language'. This means that most children have not learned a single word of the language before they start learning Spanish. This is in contrast to, for example, Dutch and English. Also for some students it is true that they only learned Spanish when they went to university. This requires a specific approach from the teacher. Michelle does this in a very personal way that students really appreciate.

Mark Nieuwenstein, Psychology, subject biopsychology

Mark's students have not only embraced the subject itself, they also appreciate his teaching style and him as a teacher. This is about the whole package: from quality of delivered material, the clear structure of the course, the content of the lectures and use of Gather Town. It's about the combination of good study material, content of the lectures, personal enthusiasm and answering the questions that are asked.

Rozemarijn van der Ploeg and Tina Kretschmer, Pedagogical Sciences, subject Youth and Social Development

This course successfully applied the idea of the 'flipped classroom'. The idea is that students are actively engaged in the material, which gives them a good understanding of the subject matter and promotes their academic attitude. This has been done successfully. Another important aspect is that the course has made a significant contribution to establishing connectedness among students and between students and the program. This is extremely important, especially during the last two years, both for student learning and for their well-being.

UG Best Practice in Teaching & Learning Award 2022

On 8 April at noon there will be a presentation of the university's Best Practice in Teaching in Learning Award. On behalf of our faculty Rozemarijn van der Ploeg and Tina Kretschmer are participating. A further explanation of their Best Practice can be seen in the video.