Professional development of teachers

What was the main goal of your project?
The primary goal of this project is to support the personal and professional growth of lecturers and educational leaders. We aim to achieve the same with junior lecturers, PhD candidates with teaching responsibilities, and students involved in teaching (Students as Partners). We have developed a comprehensive offering, allowing lecturers and educational leaders to either follow individual components or pursue a specific pathway to become an assessment specialist, teaching coach, educational designer, or educational leader. To this end, we have created short and long programmes, workshops, peer supervision and coaching sessions, 24-hour events, and seasonal activities.

What concrete results have you achieved with your project?
During the Quality Plan period, we developed short programmes such as Building Strong Educational Teams and courses on curriculum-level design. Through the Senior Teaching Qualification (SKO), we trained over 200 VU lecturers to lead educational projects at the curriculum level, focusing on educational improvement and innovation. With the Basic and Senior Examination Qualifications (BKE and SKE), we promoted assessment quality at both subject-specific and cross-disciplinary levels. We also developed introduction programmes for PhD candidates and programme directors, initiatives to enhance student guidance, 24-hour design sessions, and retreats. Additionally, we revamped the Educational Leadership Programme (LOL).

What did you personally find the most beautiful or special moment during this project? 
It’s always inspiring when participants feel motivated to delve deeper after completing a programme. Something has resonated with them, and they passionately want to further develop their skills, often committing themselves to educational innovation on a larger scale. Some choose to follow a VU CTL development path, aiming to grow into roles such as assessment specialist, teaching coach, educational designer, or educational leader. Others dive into educational research, which is equally encouraging. It’s also heartening to see a growing number of VU CTL alumni who have been awarded a Comenius grant.

How has this project contributed to the improvement of education at VU Amsterdam?
The programmes we’ve developed aim to strengthen participants in both didactics and leadership, helping them to deepen their vision of academic teaching. As a result, they feel more competent in their roles. Their growth in expertise enhances the educational climate at VU Amsterdam, improves the quality of teaching, and ensures better alignment with VU’s educational vision. Ultimately, this benefits the development of our students, which is, after all, our primary goal.