Teaching Methods

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Experiential Education

Many colleges around the world take up the notion of ‘problem-based learning’, and this is an exciting development. However at UCG we go a step further, focusing on experiential education.

At our faculty, learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door. We believe that real understanding comes from doing. That’s why we actively integrate experiential learning into our teaching methods.

Whether through internships, fieldwork, simulations, or project-based assignments, you’ll have the chance to apply what you learn in real-world settings. These hands-on experiences help you build practical skills, deepen your understanding of the subject matter, and prepare you for life after graduationExperiential learning calls for the unique methods of teaching and learning described in this section.

Project-based Learning

Projects provide the context for experiential learning. Here, existing and new scholarship is applied to practical situations, using collaborative problem-solving skills. In so doing, students make sense of the world and their role within it.

UCG is the only University College in the Netherlands to require students to work on interdisciplinary projects throughout their bachelor studies. Projects are a special type of course in which students are curiosity-driven scholars. In projects, students collaborate with faculty and experts to tackle real-world issues. Studying at UCG is about creating enduring and meaningful experiences rather than memorising - and forgetting - facts.

Students are deeply involved in every step of the project process: from research design to planning final project deliverables. They learn to analyse complex situations and identify the causes of problems lurking within. Then, students develop realistic and innovative recommendations and communicate those in a compelling way. Many of our projects collaborate with organizations, agencies, and firms, who participate in project evaluations.

Interactive and Small-scale Learning Environments

We want our students to integrate and further develop knowledge, rather than just store it. Our small-skale, interactive classes foster an engaging environment where you activley participate in discussions, critical writing, and presentations. This approach helps you to develop strong critical thinking skills while encouraging you to integrate exisitng knowledge with new insights.

Small-scale and interactive classrooms also provide a safe and stimulating environment for taking risks, exploring, and helping students make received knowledge their own. At UCG, we acknwledge that students come with a rich background of experiences, ideas, and knowledge. In our classrooms, we encourage students to test their instincts and intuitions, and to update and integrate what they already know with new insights.

Focus on Societal Issues

All knowledge is ultimately meant to be used, and students learn most effectively when knowledge is presented in the context in which it is used.

UCG affords students and teachers the opportunity to apply knowledge to complex real-world situations. Further, we recognize that it is the ethical responsibility of the scientist to operate in the world.

Interdisciplinarity

The 21st century’s complex situations, like the energy transition, the refugee crisis, or the future of capitalism, cannot be addressed by a single discipline.

Our vision is to give our students both specialized expertise and a broad interdisciplinary perspective. For this, we aim to turn classrooms into laboratories: spaces where students and teachers work across disciplines to diagnose and provide solutions to these complex problems.

In the Liberal Arts and Sciences programme at UCG we embrace interdisciplinarity across our courses and project curricula. Our approach includes grafting genuiney interdisciplinary courses, such as our Core Electives, that encourage you to explore connections between different fields of study, enriching your academic experience. Our goal is for our graduates to be uniquely positioned to participate in, and lead, the interdisciplinary teams tackling the issues of tomorrow.