Learning in Interaction

The Master Learning in Interaction in Groningen offers

• solid, research-based insights into what works—and what doesn’t—in learning and education
• a deep theoretical understanding of how learning occurs—through interaction with others, with artefacts like books, apps, and virtual reality, and through self-reflection
• working in small groups on your research project guided by a committed staff member
• close collaboration with staff in their research project
• the opportunity to apply your academic training in a hands-on internship, where you'll tackle a real-world challenge as an educational scientist.

Courses marked * are general courses

In today's rapidly evolving job market, there is a growing demand for experts who understand learning processes and can optimize educational and professional learning environments.

As a Learning in Interaction graduate, you will be well-equipped to work across various sectors, including education, corporate training, and research, in roles that focus on analyzing learning processes and improving learning experiences. With your expertise in learning and interaction, you’ll be prepared for a career where you can make a real impact on how people learn and grow.

Career services BSS
Where do you want to work after your studies? You can contact Career Services already during your studies. They will help you orientate on your career, develop your skills, apply for jobs and find an internship.

Thesis project

Your master’s thesis projects will be supervised by researchers active in the field: your project will be closely connected to a larger research initiative.

Some examples of thesis topics:

• Support of beginning teachers
• Beginning teacher's fulfilment of psychological needs and well-being
• Addressing ethnic-cultural diversity in Dutch classrooms
• Effect of a Virtual Reality on Classroom Management Strategies
• Differences in need-supportive teaching between students with and without special educational needs
• Culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy of teachers that educate newcomers in the Netherlands
• Critical thinking in education: State of the art and practical approaches
• Self-regulated learning and responsibilities for learning in higher education

Research

Our research is conducted within the Groningen Institute for Educational Research (GION). Relevant current research is categorised under the theme Learner, teacher and instruction (web pages in Dutch). Projects in this theme:

‘Assessment of collaborative learning/group work in higher education researches’ researches how to effectively assess collaborative learning in higher education, considering current practices, challenges faced by instructors, and available tools, while balancing individual accountability and teamwork.

‘The effects of different variants of feedback on learning to read and understand philosophical texts’ seeks to improve the difficulty many vwo students have in reading and understanding philosophical texts by designing an online programme and evaluating its effectiveness through experimental research.

‘The development of self-regulated learning among secondary vocational (vmbo) students’ maps the self-regulation development of vmbo students, providing insights for teachers and curriculum improvement to better prepare students for vocational education where self-regulation is key.

‘Everyone at work! Classroom engagement as a collective process’ is a literature review of collective engagement in secondary classrooms, examining its definition, mechanisms of change, and the teacher's role in regulating collective involvement processes.

Emerging talent in learning communities: the role of students explores how, when, and under what conditions ‘talent moments’ emerge in higher education learning communities, aiming to help educators foster interactions that support students' talent development.

Order in the Virtual Reality preschool classroom uses an interactive VR preschool classroom to help prospective teachers practice and refine classroom management strategies, bridging the gap between theory and practice in a safe, immersive environment.

Professionalizing Online/Blended/Hybrid Education searches for new insights into how to professionalise teachers in online/blended/hybrid education, exploring course design, student impact, and effective innovations to support university and higher education in Groningen and beyond.

Staff members

prof dr Jan-Willem Strijbos
expertise: technology-enhanced learning; collaborative learning; peer assessment and feedback.
prof dr Alexander Minnaert
expertise: motivational social-emotional, neurological, and (meta)cognitive aspects in development and (gifted) student learning, implementation of educational innovations aiming at development, self-regulated, collaborative learning and inclusion.
dr Jasperina Brouwer
expertise: higher education; workplace learning.
dr Marjolein Deunk
expertise: teacher-child interactions; language and literacy development; early childhood education and care; discourse analysis; cultural diversity in education; differentiation.
dr Danny Kostons
expertise: self-regulated learning, executive functioning, eye-tracking.
dr Mayra Mascareño Lara
expertise: classroom interactions; instructional quality; development in early childhood.
dr Alma Spijkerboer
expertise: developmental psychology, neuropsychology, executive functioning, digital learning environments, self-regulating learning and reading comprehension in secondary education.