The future of the world is in my classroom today.
Ivan Welton Fitzwater
Many students find it daunting to make the transition from student to professional. They wonder what they really have to offer the job market. As a senior lecturer, it is my ambition to prepare students for their professional future so that they can face it with confidence. This ambition fits into the renewed Utrecht educational model that no longer focuses on study success, but rather on student success. I am committed to help students develop themselves into confident professionals, who know who they are and what they have to offer. In short: employees everyone is waiting for! For this purpose, I develop innovative blended educational programmes in which students:
- learn professional skills that will benefit them throughout their lives, e.g. communication skills, reflection, feedback, coaching, trainer skills, career skills and intervision;
- are given the space to actively experiment and learn rather than merely consume and produce; and
- are challenged to learn together and form communities of practice that are self-sufficient in terms of learning.
By using modern technology and an active experiential learning approach, I try to design my teaching for the current generation of βGen Zβ students, ditigal natives who grew up with the Internet, smart phones and social media, and who want to be actively involved in education. I make my education relevant to them by designing it from the principle of backward design: I first determine what students need to be able to do in practice (learning outcomes) and subsequently determine what programme we need to offer them in order to get there.
The current generation of students is facing major societal challenges. I approach all students with confidence that they are able to meet those challenges. From my knowledge of psychological resilience, I support them in gaining perspective and in enhancing their self-efficacy. This is necessary because many students struggle with mental problems.
In developing education, I actively seek collaboration with colleagues from other educational programmes and faculties. We join forces and share materials. This aligns with Utrecht University's strategic plan that advocates an open attitude and interdisciplinary collaboration. We inspire and strengthen each other by jointly investing in developing high impact education, and involving students as partners. In this way, we work together to give students the best possible start to their professional future!