Renewal IN EDUCATION POLICY
Education Portfolio Adjustments in the Management Team
In September 2009, Professor Ramses Wessel took up his position as the new Education Portfolio Holder, taking over from Bas Denters in the Faculty's Management Team (MT). The Management Team saw this as a golden opportunity to enrich the function. In recent years, the Education Portfolio has been expanded to the extent that it was no longer possible to combine with the responsibilities of Education Director for one SMG programme. Moreover, there was a need for one portfolio holder to be 'first among equals' among the education directors, and whom would share, as member of the MT, in the responsibility for part of the faculty policy. The education portfolio now includes: integral education policy for SMG; the representation of the Faculty at a managerial level in the central education committees; directing the content and policy direction for the education manager; and, leadership of the Education Directors. In essence, the Education Portfolio Holder advises the Dean and Management Team members about all educational matters and takes over when necessary as Vice-Dean.
Learning to Learn is Fun
Students receive a great deal of individual attention at the University of Twente. Making the transition to a university can be a time of great anxiety for some. At the UT, this step is not made alone. As an example, students in the programmes of Public Administration, Industrial Engineering and Management and Health Care Sciences learn what it means to study at university with the 'Learning to Learn' course. The programme matches first-year students with existing students studying the same subject. Under the guidance of the more experienced student and with others in their year, first-year students learn how to manage their study time, how to find information more quickly, what speed-reading is, and how to prepare for examinations. 'Learning to Learn' provides ample opportunity for first-year students to share their experiences with others and senior students can give new students tips about student life in Enschede.
Professionalisation of Study Counselling
Study counselling has since 2006 been the focus of increased attention at the School of Management and Governance. In 2008 and 2009 two new study counsellor positions were created to facilitate the reorientation of horizontally-orientated task allocation among the advisors to a vertical, or per programme, division of tasks. Every study advisor is now responsible for one or more programme(s). This reorientation offers transparency for the students, and increased involvement in 'their' programme(s) for the advisors. This intensification also stimulates professionalisation among the advisors, both individually and among the study advisors of the University as a group.
Additionally, the focus is now on informing students, the timely identification of problems, effective answers to questions, appropriate referrals and challenging good and excellent students. This requires ongoing adjustments and improvements in guidance methods. Moreover, regular monitoring of students aids in the effort to provide active guidance, in terms of form and content. This new approach taken together with the new administrative system (OSIRIS) provides new opportunities in study guidances. An important facet of the tracking system, for example, is that students must outline their study planning before the beginning of the semester.
Projects in Business, Trade and Industry
A project coordinator has been in post at the School of Management & Governance since December 2008. Organisations can approach the project coordinator with potential research topics in management, governance, IT, logistics, health care or marketing (as an example, there may be final-year students available for the investigation of processes). In addition to being good communicators, our students are capable, creative and entrepreneurial. Both degree levels are rounded off with research projects for commercial or semi-governmental organisations. The duration of such projects can vary from three to six months and may be carried out in either Dutch or in English. The School of Management & Governance's faculty has a strongly international profile. Dutch students are encouraged to expand their vision beyond borders with English-language programmes in which they sit alongside not only their Dutch peers, but also with students from across the world. For more information, please contact Sietie Zuidema (project coordinator: s.zuidema@utwente.nl of 053- 489 3514).
Blackboard in Brief
From the beginning of the 2009-2010 academic year, the University of Twente has supported its educational programmes with a new Electronic Study Environment called "Blackboard". In the Blackboard system every course has its own website where students are able to enrol.
Blackboard offers opportunities for:- communication and collaboration (synchronous and asynchronous);
- instruction and guidance for students;
- diagnostic testing;
- archiving of important teaching material.
The functionality of Blackboard is comparable to its predecessor "TeleTOP". Blackboard has a large user group within academic circles which helps facilitate exchanges among universities. The development of new functionality for the system is also easier and cheaper. In 2010 Blackboard will be connected with OSIRIS, the new student information system, and further linking with Syllabus Plus is planned for 2011. At the moment, we have separate programmes for class schedules and examination enrolment and scoring. Bringing the different programmes together into one system is less confusing for students and will improve oversight.
Contact information Blackboard Support MB
J.A. (Johnny) Lammers van Toorenburg
Telelearning Office MB
Capitool, Room C005
Telephone 053 - 489 (1159)
E-mail address: teleleren@mb.utwente.nl
Website: www.mb.utwente.nl/teleleren/