Teaching & Learning Center

In Learning Networks, learners have to engage in social interactions for sharing knowledge to achieve their personalized learning goals. When working on complex tasks, self-organized knowledge sharing imposes too much cognitive load and this is detrimental to learning. According to pedagogical guidelines of cognitive load theory, learning environments should not only avoid activities that distract learner attention but also focus learner attention on relevant activities that contribute to learning. This paper applied these ...

In Learning Networks, learners need to acquire knowledge through knowledge sharing with other participants. However, without support, learners have to self-organize knowledge sharing by finding a relevant knowledge sharer, structuring the interaction and maintaining the communication process. According to cognitive load theory, these activities could induce extraneous load because they are not directly relevant to learning itself but to the learning environment. When working on complex tasks, extraneous load becomes detrimental to ...

Self-directed lifelong learners often intentionally look for non-formal learning opportunities. Learning Networks (LNs) provide them with an online social network to share knowledge with others. Lacking a formal social structure, the educational environment of non-formal LNs is different from formal learning settings. Thus, knowledge sharing becomes difficult because the learning environment of LNs could induce cognitive load, especially when learners deal with complex learning actions. A possible solution is to provide a structure to ...

In Learning Networks, learners need to share knowledge with others to build knowledge. In particular, when working on complex tasks, they often need to acquire extra cognitive resources from others to process a high task load. However, without support high task load and organizing knowledge sharing themselves might easily overload learners' limited cognitive capacities because learners first have to find relevant peer tutors (ie, those who provide help) and then maintain the social interaction. We propose to design a peer- ...

Learning Networks are particularly suitable for lifelong learners as Learning Networks are online social networks designed to support non-formal learning. Lifelong learners want to learn what they need, when they need it and at a place and pace that suits them. Combined with the heterogeneous background of the learners, it is very hard to meet these needs with traditional curriculum based formal education. Instead the learner needs to be put central. Moreover, learners in a LN need to rely on learning through and with others, by sharing ...

In Learning Networks, learners need to acquire knowledge through knowledge sharing with other participants. However, without support, learners have to self-organize knowledge sharing and this could induce extraneous load. According to cognitive load theory, this self-organized knowledge sharing becomes detrimental to learning effectiveness and efficiency when working on complex tasks. This study investigated the effect of using peer tutoring to support knowledge sharing on different levels of task complexity in the Learning Network ...

Learning Networks are designed to support the lifelong learner. In such settings, learning needs to be guided for self-organisational processes to emerge. Using a cognitive load approach it is argued that without guidance, learners have to allocate cognitive capacity to structuring the cooperative process of knowledge sharing, thus diminishing the capacity available for knowledge sharing and learning. In the domain of online information-seeking, it is investigated whether peer-tutoring can be used as guidance and how peer-tutoring is ...

Learning Networks are online social networks designed to support non-formal learning; they are therefore particularly suitable for self-directed learners. In Learning Networks, learners need to acquire knowledge through knowledge sharing with other participants. However, without a support structure, learners have to organize knowledge sharing themselves and this could induce extraneous cognitive load. When working on complex learning tasks, this organizing process could have a detrimental effect on knowledge acquisition. To optimize cognitive load, we propose to use a particular type of collaborative learning, peer tutoring, as a support structure. Its mechanisms reduce, we argue, the extraneous load imposed by organizing knowledge sharing as well as induce germane load by directing the freed cognitive capacity to processes that contribute to knowledge acquisition.

It is widely recognized that matchmaking for group formation is one important factor that determines the effectiveness of peer learning. Finding peers with certain peer learning skills and content expertise is likely to induce interaction that contributes to learning performance. However, there has been relatively little attention to how students self-select their peers to work on a collaborative task while this is particularly important for university students who need to form groups by themselves. This study aims to explore (i) how students self-select peers to prepare a collaborative speaking assessment, (ii) how students perceive the peer learning process with self-selected peers, as well as (iii) the differences in students' perceptions of the assessment interaction and performance between working with self-selected and randomly assigned peers. Results show that students choose peers from classmates whom they have interacted with before. Students are more satisfied with the interaction process and their own language skills with self-selected partners than with randomly assigned peers. The results of this study provide implications for future research to match peers for peer learning.

In a non-formal learning network, knowledge sharing is often desirable when working on complex tasks. However, without support, learners need to first find a tutor and then maintain social interaction, which, according to cognitive load theory, may hamper learning. After all, the extraneous load imposed by these two activities and the intrinsic load imposed by the task itself might easily overload learners' cognitive capacity. We compared the effects of using a peer support system with an automatic tutor assignment and an interaction tool (wiki) to a forum and control group (without any support) on learners' cognitive load and learning efficiency for simple and complex tasks. The results did not significantly show that this peer support system was instrumental in reducing cognitive load and improving learning efficiency. However, the study did shed an illuminating light on how to apply instructional guidelines of cognitive load theory to non-formal learning networks.

   Character building (CB) is important for basic psychologists. This study aims to investigate the implementation and interpretation of character building (CB) in the three-year Bachelor of Psychology program at Tilburg University. Five dimensions of CB, including intellectual independence, critical mindset, social responsibility, scientific responsibility, and entrepreneurship, were analyzed using a review and template thematic analysis as part of the regular quality assurance assessment in 2021-2022. The results of the full program assessment plan and additional data collection on course practices revealed that the five dimensions of CB were well-integrated into most educational processes at both the program and course level. We submitted this previously as a preprint and received the following comments:  Nicholas's comment: Dear Dr Sabita Soedamah, Thank you for your interest in Advance, the preprint server for social science research offered by SAGE Publishing. We have succ...

PurposeIn the Netherlands, thesis assessment quality is a growing concern for the national accreditation organization due to increasing student numbers and supervisor workload. However, the accreditation framework lacks guidance on how to meet quality standards. This study aims to address these issues by sharing our experience, identifying problems and proposing guidelines for quality assurance for a thesis assessment system.Design/methodology/approachThis study has two parts. The first part is a narrative literature review conducted to derive guidelines for thesis assessment based on observations made at four Dutch universities. The second part is a case study conducted in one bachelor’s psychology-related program, where the assessment practitioners and the vice program director analyzed the assessment documents based on the guidelines developed from the literature review.FindingsThe findings of this study include a list of guidelines based on the four standards. The case study res...

The didactic principles of collaborative learning, peer learning, and the process and social interaction of writing are becoming increasingly important in Dutch Higher Education (HE), with the uptake of undergraduates' theses at the exit level (Elbow, 1998; Rajagopal et al., 2021; Romme & Nijhuis, 2002). Following these, peer review, defined as "an instructional writing activity in which students read and provide commentary on one another's writing, and the purpose of this activity is to help students improve their writing and gain a sense of audience" (Breuch, 2004, p. 1), has been an important learner-centered activity in the context of thesis circles, a form of group supervision, in which a number of students are supervised under one or two academic supervisors in the process of writing their graduation thesis (Rajagopal et al., 2021; Romme & Nijhuis, 2002). In thesis circles, students often receive feedback from multiple peers to compensate for little and targeted supervisor feedback (Romme & Nijhuis, 2002). Starting from student independent work and critical thinking, students de facto act as non-formal co-supervisors of their peers and co-regulate each other's learning (Romme & Nijhuis, 2002). We have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Character building (CB) is a crucial aspect for basic psychologists who need to carry out their consultation tasks effectively. At Tilburg University, lecturers have the freedom to interpret the five CB dimensions and implement them in courses, including intellectual independence, critical mindset, social responsibility, scientific responsibility, and entrepreneurship. This study aims to investigate how the five CB dimensions are interpreted and implemented in the three-year Bachelor Psychology program at Tilburg University. As part of the regular quality assurance of assessment, we made a full program assessment plan in 2021-2022 and collected extra data on course practices of CB. At the program level, the five CB dimensions were related to the 13 program learning outcomes by reviewing the self-reflection report. At the course level, a template thematic analysis was used to code the course learning goals, instructional activities, and assessment. Two-thirds of the courses formulated CB-related learning goals, mostly delivered through interactive lecture forms. The instructional activities were categorized into six themes: academic standards, application, evaluative judgment, self-regulation, societal relevance, and taking initiatives. The five CB dimensions were mostly assessed by coursework method, but there was a lack of assessment of CB elements such as reflection. The five CB dimensions were implemented in most educational processes at the course and program level, despite the absence of a standardized implementation plan. We advise to focus on the assessment design for character education, particularly through the use of more authentic and performance-based assessment methods