Interactive engagement

We observe strong indications that small-scale, intensive education aiming at enlarging (self-) study time is successful in qualitative (level of interaction, motivation) and quantitative (ects) terms. Small-scale teaching like a.o. problem-based learning, thematic learning, project-steered education, learning communities, excellence programs (e.g. honours and university colleges) show successes. Especially when combined with sequential blockwise education with a limited number of parallelprogrammed subjects it seems to increase student careers. In this research line we prefer to follow students through their educational career, from secondary to higher education, from (professional) bachelor to master programmes and into the labour market.

The focus is on three major factor clusters that presumably will play a crucial role in explaining successful careers: the students themselves, their lecturers and the curriculum. 4 The objective will be to determine what (small-scale) variants of teaching in combination with which specific organizational arrangements will be most successful in terms of interactive engagement, student motivation and study success. Special attention will be given to the role of teacher characteristics and skills.

Key publications

• Jansen, E. P. W. A., & Suhre, C. J. M. (2015). Factors influencing students’ perceptions of graduate attribute acquisition in a multidisciplinary honours track in a Dutch university. Higher Education Research & Development, 34(6), 1138-1152. 10.1080/07294360.2015.1024626.
• Barend van Wyk, Wiecher Hofman & Cecilia Louw (2013): Mathematics: A powerful pre- and post-admission variable to predict success in Engineering programmes at a University of Technology. In: Perspectives in Education, 31(4), 114-128.
• Suhre, C.J.M. , Jansen, E.P.W.A. & Torenbeek M. (2013) Determinants of timely completion: The impact of bachelor degree programme characteristics and students’ motivation on study progress. Higher Education Research and Development, 32(3) 479 – 492. DOI:10.1080/07294360.2012.684374
• Torenbeek, M., Jansen, E., & Suhre, C. (2013) Predicting undergraduates’ academic achievement: the role of time investment and self-regulated learning. Studies in Higher Education 38(9), 1393-1406.
• Kamphorst, J.C. Hofman, W.H.A., Jansen, E.P.W.A. & Terlouw, C. (2012): The relationship between Perceived Competence and Earned Credits in competence-based Higher Education. In: Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education. DOI:10.1080/02602938.2012.680015.
• Steur, J.M., Jansen, E.P.W.A. & Hofman, W.H.A. (2012): Graduateness: An Empirical Examination of the Formative Function of University Education. In: Higher Education, 64(6), 861-874.
• Roelande, H. Hofman, Jan de Boom, Marieke Meeuwisse & W.H. Adriaan Hofman (2012): Educational innovation, quality and effects: an exploration of innovations and their effects in secondary education. In: Educational Policy, DOI: 10.1177/0895904811429288.
• Heijne-Penninga, M., Kuks, J.B.M., Hofman, W.H.A., Muijtjens, A.M.M. & Cohen-Schotanus, J. (2012). Influence of PBL and open -book tests on knowledge retention measured with progress tests. In: Advances in Health Sciences Education. DOI 10.1007/s10459 -012-9386-8 5
• Suhre, C.J.M., Jansen, E.P.W.A., Harskamp, E.G. (2007). Impact of degree program satisfaction on the persistence of college students. Higher Education, 54 (2), pp. 207 - 226 . DOI: 10.1007/s10734-005-2376-5. W.H.A. Hofman & M.N. van den Berg (2004): Highbrows in University Education. Higher Education in Europe, Volume XXIX, Nr. 4, December 2004.
• Jansen, E.P.W.A. (2004) The influence of the curriculum organization on study progress in higher education Higher Education, 47 (4), 411-435