At Maastricht University, EDLAB is dedicated to improving the quality of education. We collaborate with other institutions of higher education to share knowledge and experiences, with a specific focus on integrating technology into education. Additionally, we actively seek out opportunities to participate in national programmes and secure funding for our projects.

We strive to keep the UM teaching and learning community up-to-date and engaged in the latest developments in Education and Information and Communication Technology (EDICT).

Maastricht University will participate in the upcoming national Npuls programme, aimed at improving the quality of education and enhancing digital skills among both teachers and learners. As part of this eight-year initiative, participating institutions will collaborate on creating a joint IT and knowledge infrastructure.

View the Npuls infographic.

A total of 113 vocational education and training institutions, universities of applied sciences, and research universities are participating in the initiative in collaboration with organisations such as SURF, the NRO, and other education and non-education partners. At Maastricht University, EDLAB will be spearheading our university’s participation in the programme. We will work in collaboration with UM faculties and other units to invest in education quality and enhance digital skills among teachers and students.

We will keep you informed of Maastricht University’s progress in the Npuls programme. If you’re interested in receiving regular updates, you can sign up for the monthly Npuls newsletter by selecting ‘Subscribe to newsletter’.

The first edition of the newsletter is available here, both in Dutch and English.

We will share newsletters on this page as well:

• Newsletter April 2023, 2
• Newsletter April 2023, 1
• Newsletter March 2023
• Newsletter February 2023

In 2019, the Netherlands Association of Universities, the Netherlands Association of Universities of Applied Sciences and SURF initiated a four-year programme aiming at making optimal use of ICT for higher education in the Netherlands: the Acceleration Plan for Educational Innovation with ICT.

The project had three main ambitions:

• Improving the connection of higher education institutions to the labour market.
• Stimulating the flexibility of education.
• Enabling smarter and better learning with technology.

UM in the Acceleration Plan: Open Educational Resources

One domain of the Dutch Acceleration Plan focused on working Towards (open) digital learning material to offer lecturers and students the opportunity to determine and use an optimal mix of (digital) educational resources for learning and teaching processes.

As a participant in this programme, Maastricht University started building the technical and organisational infrastructure for sharing material and integrating OER in the library collection for (re)use in education. We also initiated a project (still running) on the digital accessibility of the content we offer to our students.

From strategic visions to practical tools

After four years of work, the Acceleration Plan for Educational Innovation with ICT delivered a wide range of products, from strategic visions to practical tools to training courses for professional development and research publications. The infographic below summarises the primary outcomes of the various programmes. Click on the image to open the interactive file.

Some topics will be on the agenda of the upcoming national NPuls programme.

SURF is an organisation that collaborates with educational and research institutions in the Netherlands to advance the use of ICT in education. By working with SURF, we can use ICT to innovate education and take advantage of the knowledge, experiences, and services that SURF is developing in partnership with other institutions.

One of SURF’s primary areas of expertise is IT for education. When there is a need for exploration and innovation, SURF regularly offers various incentive programnes to support this. Maastricht University has been a successful recipient of grants from SURF’s incentive scheme for open and online education for several years.

OCW/SURF incentive programme for open and online education

The significance of open and online education has been highlighted by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, which has incorporated this subject into its Strategic Agenda for Higher Education and Research 2015-2025. The ministry also provides funding for a national incentive programme aimed at promoting innovation in education, particularly in the creation, sharing, and (re)use of open learning resources.

UM projects in the incentive programme

• Open anatomical 3D model in education: 3D models of human anatomy help students understand the human body (submitted by Leiden University Medical Centre, in collaboration with Leo Köhler, FHML)
• Blended learning environment for medical Dutch: the effect of peer-feedback and buddy support (project leader Maryam Asoodar, FHML, in collaboration with the UM Language Centre)
• INTER-ACTIE: Kolom-overstijgende, online peer feedback in interprofessioneel werkplekleren (project leader Anneke van Dijk–De Vries, FHML)
• Learning by Doing: An Interactive Online Space for Thesis Trajectory Management (project leader Lauren Wagner, FASoS)
• Online Laboratory calculus with automatic/instant Feedback (OLaF) (project leaders Herman Popeijus & Leo Köhler, FHML)
• PE(E)RFECT VAARDIG, submitted by the Open Universiteit in collaboration with Natasja van der Meer (FL).
• Web of Law (project leaders Gijs van Dijck & Gwen Noteborn (FL)).
• TOOL Anatomy Platform: Maastricht University (UM) and Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) have joined forces with Dutch and Flemish anatomy departments to develop an open learning platform in which quality-controlled anatomy content and learning resources have been made freely available to all.
• We-Mediate: skills such as negotiation and mediation are important for lawyers. UM (FL) has developed modules to train and enhance these learning skills in a multimedia environment.
• Leading to success – Smart choices & smart tools: online modules to help prospective students of UNU-MERIT decide if the programme is a good choice, current students select their specialisation track, and alums and practitioners refresh their previous studies and receive information on new topics (project leader Mindel van de Laar).

Please connect with your colleagues to discover their findings and results!

SURF Special Interest Groups

SURF also facilitates various Special Interest Groups (SIGs) that dive into topics, share experiences and organise events for teachers. Examples of SIGs include AI in education, Learning Spaces or Digital Assessment.

Note: Information is often only shared in Dutch. To gain access or follow specific SIG pages, you sometimes need to sign in via SURF Connext using your UM credentials. And last but not least, students and staff can get access to educational software at SURF-spot in case it is not offered by your faculty.