The UAS application supports various processes within educational planning, such as requesting educational programs, timetable preferences, and study guide texts.
Improved insight into curriculum structure and quality
A small group of degree programmes is currently working with a team of lecturers, students, educational experts and Student & Educational Affairs (SOZ) process coordinators on curriculum visualizations. These visualizations (also known as curriculum mapping) show where key themes such as academic skills, subject knowledge or critical thinking are addressed in the curriculum, and how they vary in level across different courses.
The visualizations often take the form of a matrix: clear, colour-coded and linked to existing digital course data. They provide an effective tool for programme directors and lecturers to identify overlaps and gaps, and to improve educational quality in a focused and well-informed way.
View this example of curriculum visualization (PDF).
Towards a standard tool across VU Amsterdam
Charlotte Meijer (educational adviser at VU Centre for Teaching and Learning) and Chantal Bot (SOZ process coordination) are leading the project. “We’re still in an experimental phase,” says Meijer. “But the goal is to align it closely with the Visible Learning Lines design approach developed by the VU Centre for Teaching and Learning, which several programmes are already using. In the long run, the visualizations could also support students, helping them plan and shape their studies more flexibly.”
Questions or want to know more?
Contact Charlotte Meijer via onderwijswerkplaats@vu.nl.