How do you evaluate quality of teaching?
What do we really know about educational quality and its measurement? This was the subject of the first Higher Education Knowledge Café.
At the initiative of ICLON, in April, about 40 staff, teachers and students from various faculties and from central services discussed what quality of education is and how to measure it. Mario de Jonge (education scientist), gave an overview of what we know about the topic from education research. Then, led by Arjen de Vetten (researcher), the attendees engaged in a discussion about what this means for their own educational or policy practice. It produced lively discussions, perhaps further fuelled by the recent critical piece in the Mare on course evaluations by students (in Dutch).
There appears to be a great need among lecturers, students and policy staff to engage with each other about education and what we really know from educational science. These knowledge cafés are a 'conversational space', a space and moment to talk about and reflect on the core mission of our university: education, learning and teaching.
The next Higher Education Knowledge Café is planned for October 2024 and will be about interdisciplinary education.
The Higher Education Knowledge Cafés summarised
- Interaction: Share your experiences, provide input and get inspired. We will have a plenary discussion and talk in small groups.
- Input from experts: Academics from Leiden University who are involved in research into higher education share scientific insights on a topic of interest.
- New topics: Propose a topic for the next Higher Education Knowledge Café.
- Drinks: Take time to share your insights with others.
