UM Education: a PBL foundation, enriched by technology

PBL has been a core value ever since the university was founded. It is reflected in all aspects of UM, from the infrastructure to our flexible support systems and the content of our teacher professionalisation programmes (CPD and UTQ). The core values of PBL are – and will remain – constructive, collaborative, contextual and self-directed (CCCS). Through EDLAB, our Centre for Teaching & Learning, we are constantly working to further develop the PBL approach, particularly by enriching our education with digital technology.

The amalgamation of PBL and technology gives rise to the concept of technology-enhanced education. This involves using technology to achieve the intended learning outcomes in an effective, efficient and appealing manner aimed at flexible and adaptive education. Examples include the use of blended learning and the hybrid virtual classroom. We are facilitated in this effort by Canvas (our learning management system) and through experimentation with innovative hardware, such as devices for virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) and specially equipped spaces for digital collaboration (active learning classrooms).

Enriching our education through technology is not an end in itself. Our education is campus-based: we consider academic and social connection a prerequisite for optimal learning and the student experience. Nonetheless, the combination of face-to-face and technology-enhanced education opens up a space for diverse educational formats. UM has frameworks that help educators determine which technology could be used, when and how.

We are constantly conducting research focused on education innovation under the banner of EDLAB, which brings together educational researchers from different disciplines and faculties. Naturally, lecturers play a crucial role in technology-enhanced education. They are facilitated in their daily work by good information provision, teacher professionalisation initiatives (including attention to digital literacy) and an efficient quality assurance system. Also indispensable are technologies that promote independent study by making materials and resources available to students when needed. We are investing in a learning environment and a teacher portal that provide insight into students’ progress, make recommendations to optimise their studies and support them with tailored follow-up activities. To this end, we are working on a virtual academic environment for both students and staff.

Education at UM flourishes when supported and facilitated by a quality assurance system that draws on reliable data and analyses. At the same time, it is essential that our education logistics – a crucial factor in our small-scale approach – continue to develop. This calls for harmonisation, simplification and transparency, three core values for which we have already laid strong foundations with the ITK and CeQuInt accreditations. In the coming years, we will intensify our efforts in this area.

Source: UM Strategic Programme 2022-2026