News item | 28-03-2023 | 06:30
There is a lot of interest in pilots for a ‘smarter academic year’. These should offer students, lecturers and researchers more peace and space during the academic year. Fifteen educational institutions will work on smarter organization of existing educational activities and responsible reduction of the number of weeks with education and/or exams. Today is the national start at the University of Amsterdam.
Minister Dijkgraaf (Education): “I am very pleased that there is so much enthusiasm and interest in these pilots. It is a good indication of the great need among students, researchers and lecturers for more breathing space. Many students suffer from overcrowded study weeks, lecturers experience a lot of work pressure and researchers do not get enough time to do research. We really need to improve that situation. These pilots should offer them more peace and space. My ultimate goal is to scale up successful initiatives.”
Long and intensive year
An analysis by De Jonge Akademie shows that the Dutch academic year is relatively intensive and long: on average up to 9 weeks longer than at other comparable universities in the EU (including teaching and exam weeks). This leads to a high workload for lecturers, researchers and students.
In response, Minister Dijkgraaf invited universities in particular (where the problem mainly occurs) to participate in pilots to reduce the workload of lecturers, researchers and students. Almost all universities have registered for one or more pilots, which will run until 2026. These are fourteen universities (including the University of Humanistic Studies and the Theological University of Apeldoorn) and one university of applied sciences (Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen). There are 42 projects in total, each institution could participate with a maximum of three pilot projects.
Shorter and smarter
The pilots involve responsible reduction of the number of weeks of education and exams and smarter organization of existing education activities – or a combination of the two. This gives researchers and lecturers more time to conduct research, other scientific activities and improve education. Students are given space for internships, educational projects such as challenges, extra curricular activities, or summer schools, for example.
Ten projects concern a reflection on and the conversion of curricula, i.e. thinking critically about the content of the subjects, the amount of material and the prevention of unnecessary overlap at curriculum level. Nine projects are about innovative forms of testing and resit weeks. Think, for example, of better timing of exams that should create more rest for students, but also a responsible reduction of the number of resit weeks. In addition, four projects are about the wider and better use of ‘blended learning’ to increase the learning results of students. Four other projects involve concentrating or distributing teaching and research tasks. The challenge here is to make certain periods of education free so that students can work on student projects (challenges), for example, and lecturers on research or improving education. Fifteen projects are a combination of all the above projects.
Preserve educational quality
Naturally, the pilots must not have a negative impact on the quality of education, the final level of students and the final qualifications of the participating study programme. In the pilots, the same number of hours of lectures may not be planned in fewer weeks. After all, it is about smarter design of education, which benefits students, researchers and lecturers alike.
Students can actively participate, for example through student panels and participational bodies. As coordinators, Erasmus University Rotterdam and the University of Amsterdam ensure knowledge sharing, monitoring and accountability. Two years after introduction, the initial results of the pilots will be assessed and whether adjustments are desirable. Minister Dijkgraaf is making almost 13 million euros available for the pilots.
More peace and space
A ‘smarter academic year’ is one of the government’s measures to create more peace and space for students, researchers and lecturers. For example, substantial investments are being made in universities, colleges and secondary vocational education, so that, for example, more teachers and (young) researchers can be hired. In addition, Minister Dijkgraaf will soon present the plans for amending the binding study advice and an integrated approach to student welfare at universities of applied sciences and universities is expected to be ready before the summer. Research is also being done into the broad causes of stress and pressure to perform. Finally, the reintroduction of the basic grant and the expansion of the supplementary grant will provide students with more financial peace of mind.