Meeting of the Directors General for Higher Education

1. Meeting of the Directors General for Higher Education Student centred learning: new challenges Cyprus 2012

2. Excellence in Teaching • Problem-based learning as a model • Development of evaluation methods • The use of new technologies • Teaching excellent student by stimulating their research participation

3. Maastricht University (UM) • Founded 1976 • Medicine, Law (1981/82), Economics (1986) •  Now 6 faculties including social sciences and arts, psychology and humanities and sciences •  All faculties use PBL •  BUT enormous changes in student population since the establishment of the UM •  From a Dutch to an International student population •  Use of English as the main language of instruction at a Dutch university •  Consequences for PBL •  Consequences of technical innovations on the learning process

4. Problem-based learning (PBL) as a model Which are core elements of PBL? What type of students do you need? What type of professors do you need?

5. Core elements of PBL • Student centered • Small groups • Interactive • Case based •  Students should be in charge of the learning process

6. Core elements of PBL • Learning by doing (skills) • Learning by teaching peers • Activate prior knowledge • Intrinsic motivation • Active student participation • Selection of students

7. What is PBL at the Law Faculty of Maastricht University? Is it different to PBL at other faculties?

8. Philosophy of PBL • Make a core “Philosophy of PBL” in each Faculty/University • Update this every 3 years with some “fresh staff members” • communicate and evaluate key elements and formulate PBL challenges

9. What is done to improve PBL • Course evaluations • Increase of self study hours • written preparations • Staff development • Student involvement in improvement of PBL • Selection procedure students – matching and binding  numerus fixus and selection at the port

10. Student involvement • By student evaluations • By representation in: • Planning Groups of courses • Programme Committees • Faculty Board/Faculty Council • By alumni (alumni council)

11. Use of new technologies • Blackboard (or other electronic learning environments) • Digital teaching and examination • Co-teaching across borders • Distance-learning

12. Relationship with research • Involvement of students in research • Honours programmes • Marble: extended thesis, organization of a academic conferences, publications of papers/thesis:Bachelor level • Premium: involvement of students of various faculties in setting-up business and multi-disciplinary research projects: Master level

13. Relationship with professional life • Internships • Moot Courts • working at a real law firm, legal clinic in the faculty • Alumni network and alumni council

14. Excellence in teaching • Finding the best method for each faculty • but also for each individual student • Creating interest for the own field of expertise by involving students in research projects • Awareness on the life-long learning process – new digital teaching methods

15. Excellent teaching: Professional perspective • Excellent teaching must have professional consequences •  Selection criteria of professors not only based on the passed performance in research but also on quality of teaching •  Teaching Awards on faculty and university level •  Budgetary insentives for innovative teaching proposals