Education Support Centre - Wageningen UR

Welcome on the Education Support Centre Course Registration Website.

The training programme for the Academic Year 2022/2023 (September - January) can be viewed by clicking on the image below. In the PDF of the image you can click on the course titles to register for the course. If you would like to follow one of these sessions, but the course schedule does not offer a suitable opportunity, please send a request to education.support@wur.nl. 

Please note:

With your registration to one of our courses you agree with the Education Support Centre Terms and Conditions.

01. Orientation to teaching and supervision

• Start to Teach
  Start to Teach introduces you to some basic teaching and learning principles, which include topics such as constructive alignment, writing learning outcomes, activating students prior knowledge and understanding the importance of assessment. You will be given the opportunity to practice your teaching skills by presenting a micro/minilesson to the group. This course is designed for teaching staff with little experience in teaching but are appointed by Wageningen University and Research. Because it is designed for PhD candidates, post-docs and teaching assistants, it is considered suitable to form part of your teaching and supervision plan.
• Start to supervise BSc & MSc thesis students
  In this 2,5 hour workshop you will be provided with some general information about supervising thesis students at Wageningen University and discuss good practices, expectations, basic skills. Furthermore there will be room for questions.
• Peer consultation for PhD-candidates who supervise BSc&MSc thesis students
  After completing the workshop Start to Supervise BSc & MSc Thesis Students and in need for some extra peer consultation (intervision) in small groups around 4x per year, you can apply.
• Role of study adviser
  Role of study adviser on guiding personal development of the student. This workshop will be a mix of experts sharing knowledge around students development and sharing ideas around basic service level for sa's on guiding students in their personal development. Target group: study advisers

02. Mandatory courses/activities for the UTQ

• UTQ introduction meeting
  In this meeting you will get information about the University Teaching Qualification trajectory (UTQ; in Dutch BKO). You will get insight in your strengths and points for development in relation to the UTQ competences. After this meeting you will be informed about the trajectory and can book a personal intake.
• UTQ personal intake
  In the individual intake interview you will meet your UTQ supervisor. Together you will translate your personal focus per UTQ competence into a meaningful programme, a provisional planning and a design for the assignments; considering your own teaching practice, the duration of the programme (usually no longer than three years), the time investment of 168 hours and the admission criteria. The contract will be the basis for this meeting.
• (Re)designing a course
  In this 3 day blended learning course you will align learning outcomes, assessment strategy and learning activities for your own course. Taking this course is a good start if you need to redesign your course. For example, because you are facing increasing students numbers, or you wish to re-use online material developed during the Covid-19 pandemic or because your course has an important role in the skills learning trajectories.
• Assessment: Written exams – blended course
  Lecturers who want a better balance between: their exam, the learning outcomes and question types. And who want to improve on the formulation and grading of their open and closed questions.
• Assessment: Written exams – guided portfolio writing
  In this meeting we will discuss the key elements in ensuring exam quality. When you register for the meeting, you will receive the assignment details. Completion of the assignments about the ‘quality of written exams’ (Part IIa) is a pre-requisite for joining this meeting to get (peer) feedback. In this way, you can make further improvements and include these in your UTQ portfolio.
• Assessment: Graded assignments – self study + peer feedback
  In this training you will work on the key elements in ensuring the quality of the assignments in your course for which student get a grade, such as a report, a paper or a lab journal. When you register for this training, you will receive the preparation details and info on the kick-off and the peer feedback meeting. The preparation consists of multiple assignments and completion thereof is a pre-requisite for joining the meeting to get (peer) feedback. In this way, you can make further improvements and include these in your UTQ portfolio.
• University Teaching: Putting theory into practice (Peer Learning Meetings)
  University teaching (peer learning meetings) focuses on getting a deeper understanding of your classroom experiences by comparing and connecting your experiences to educational concepts, models, theory, good practices with fellow participants and ESC trainers. The trajectory consists of self-work assignments in a digital platform (Brightspace) and six themed live meetings (online or face to face, depending on covid regulations). The course focuses on UTQ competence 2. Teaching and supervising.

03. Skills for teaching (also selectable as Elective courses/activities for the UTQ)

• Brain Based Teaching
  Brain based teaching is the state of the art when it comes to approaching classroom teaching. New insights on how the brain works are translated into classroom strategies. During this training you will experience and practice lots of these strategies, so you can apply them to boost both your teaching and your student’s learning.
• Gamified Design
  What can we learn and use from games to make learning more effective? We will explore the underlying mechanisms that make games so engaging and use this as a starting point for rethinking your own education.
• Lecturing
  For those who want to make their lectures more effective by combining engaging presentations with active learning methods. Central in this training is practicing lecture skills. Therefore we work in small groups (4 to 6 participants). The course is given in English.
• Supervising BSc & MSc thesis students
  This two day course is meant for teachers/PhD‘s who have already supervised at least one or two BSc and/or MSc thesis students and want to learn more about supervising thesis students. In this course you exchange experiences, learn theories/models about effective supervising and practice several skills, like giving feedback, switching communication levels and asking open questions. All these elements come together when you will practice everything you have learned in a real life case simulation with an actor who plays the student. Recommendation: apply at least 3 months in advance since this course is fully booked rapidly.
• Supervising Group Work
  In this 2-day course you will learn how to improve group performance and reduce free-riding, by getting all your students active and committed. You will practice with different stages of group development and corresponding roles of a supervisor. Topics are: assigning team roles, team communication, (shared) leadership, creating an inclusive learning environment are also addressed. This course is meant for coaches or teachers who teach a course where group collaboration is an explicit part of the course.
• Teaching an online course
  In this course you will experience what it is like to participate in an online course and you will learn and practice e-moderating skills. This course is intended for anyone who will be moderating an online course in a Distance Learning programme.
• Teaching in the Intercultural Classroom
  Wageningen University is an international university with students coming from more than 100 cultures. Cultural diversity has many educational benefits, such as increased collaboration, successful decision-making, greater creativity. However, cultural differences hugely impact our ability to value diversity, with biases and blind spots unknowingly blurring our view and blocking effective, inclusive teaching behaviour. This course is for lecturers to develop awareness and skills in order to interact effectively and appropriately with the culturally different students in today’s international classrooms.
• Teaching lab practicals
  This course is intended for people who want to improve their lab teaching skills and elements of their practical class. All people who teach lab practicals (technicians, PhDs, post-docs and other staff) are welcome.
• UTQ portfolio writing
  Have you started writing your UTQ portfolio? and/or Do you need to book some time to write your portfolio? This is an opportunity to book time in your calendars to write and to have guidance and instant feedback from UTQ supervisors.
• Boundary Crossing Training for Teachers
  During this hands-on course we will work with a combination of observational learning and experiential learning, relating to theoretical framework of Boundary Crossing.

04. Assessment and Examination

In these courses/activities, you will learn about different functions of assessment (formative and summative use), how to use specific tools & methods (Ans, rubrics, group assignments) and how to imply working procedures (invigilation).

• Writing multiple-choice and other closed question types
  In this workshop you will learn how to formulate closed questions that are valid, reliable and cover the right cognitive level.
• Workshop for Invigilators on BYOD exams
  Is this your first BYOD exam? Then sign up for this workshop. You will learn more about the instructions, how the security software works and how to help students who experience issues before or during the exam. There is a small document available with trouble shooting guidelines. You will learn how a student can get a spare laptop and how you can check if a student has submitted the exam successfully. (More information is available at Student Support https://wur-studentsupport.screenstepslive.com/m/106158.)
• Designing assessments in Ans
  From September 2020 all digital assessment will take place in our new software Ans. In this training, you will learn you can design your assessment with open and/or closed questions in Ans and how to build and manage your question bank.
• Formative use of assessment
  Do you want more insight in student learning during your course? In this online session we will discuss how you can use assessment as a learning activity. And how you can make it activating and informative for both students and yourself.
• Quick Start Ans
  In this online session you will get acquainted with the basics of Ans so that you can develop your own question bank and build your own exams. This session is offered almost every week, so if the available date does not fit, come back later!
• Group assignments: good use and assessment
  In this workshop series you can extend your knowledge and skills on several aspects of group assignments and their assessment. You can take part in one or more workshops of your interest. The series of workshops combined can also form an Elective course for the UTQ.
• Rubrics: How to use and develop them for feedback and assessment
  In this session we will explore how you can design rubrics and use them to facilitate student learning. We will start with a short general introduction on rubrics and have some small exercises to experience different aspects of using and developing rubrics. This workshop is planned on demand. Please contact assessment.quality@wur.nl

05. Teaching tools & methods (Face-to-face)

In these courses/activities, you will learn about teaching methods & tools and learning activities that you can use to create an interactive and activating face-to-face (real life) learning environment.

• Organising feedback on academic writing assignments (large groups)
  In the mind of many teachers, feedback on writing products is a very laborious and tedious process. However, when realizing the role of feedback in the learning process of students it is often possible to alleviate this task considerably. In this course you learn to organise feedback in an optimal way, including peerfeedback and digital tools.
• Boundary Crossing ring
  A Boundary Crossing ring meeting aims to facilitate teachers to learn with and from each other, by sharing their experiences, practices, tools, and resources in a very intentional way to improve their teaching practice concerning Boundary Crossing.
• Course Didactics for Continuing Education
  Universities, in addition to education for initial students, also have Continuing Education as their task. Education for (external) professionals requires a certain design and supervision. In order to support EWUU lecturers in the (further) development of this type of education and to learn from each other, the alliance partners offer the course 'Didactics for Continuing Education’. You register for module 1. If you need further translation to your own CE, you can then register for the rest of the course.

06. Teaching tools & methods (online/digital)

In these courses/activities, you will learn about our Learning Management System Brightspace and other online/digital teaching tools that can help you shape your online and blended education. Activities can cover technical aspects of how to use the tools as well as didactics of online and blended learning.

• Brightspace Introduction Training
  To give all teachers and educational supporters a smooth start in Brightspace, all can follow the Brightspace Introduction Training. Main topics in this training are: navigation, organizing and adding content, setting up online activities, such as assignments and discussion fora, setting up groups and following student’s progress.
• Brightspace Introduction Training (Self-study)
  If you want to get familiar with Brightspace, but do not want to sign-up for a live session, you can sign-up for this self-study version. You will get access to the Brightspace and go through the materials at your own pace while doing the exercises in your practice course. Main topics in this training are: navigation, organizing and adding content, setting up online activities, such as assignments and discussion fora, setting up groups and following student’s progress.
• Using Brightspace Analytics to support students` learning
  Are you looking for a way to reflect on and improve your course based on evidence and not just on gut feeling? Then this is the place to be.
• Using H5P for course design
  How can H5P help you to make your courses more attractive, creative and varied? Learn about these simple tools that give you immediate results.
• Workshop: Boost your Brightspace
  Do you want to be updated on what’s new in Brightspace and related tools? Looking for some inspiration to improve your Brightspace course?
• Producing your own knowledge clips (Self-study)
  Knowledge clips are short video clips (5 to 7 minutes) in which the teacher explains a theory or concept or shows a skill or procedure. The course is a self study course, in which you do get feedback from a trainer.
• Getting started with YuJa
  YuJa is the video platform of the WUR. It is accessible via Brightspace, for both teaching staff and students. In this training you will get to know the most important basic functionalities in YuJa. 
• Teaching and Designing a Blended Course (self-study)
  Learn effective design and teaching methods that blend synchronous and a-synchronous learning activities in online or partially on-campus courses. This is a short self-paced course and teaching reference.

07. Events & Other activities

In the events organised by ESC, you will discuss about good practices in teaching, get introduced to new learning technologies, and have the opportunity to learn from and exchange experiences with other educators.

• Inspiration Lunch workshops (2022-2023)
  Want to know more about technology enhanced learning or blended learning design, learn about new didactical concepts? Visit one of our Inspiration workshops. Participation is free of charge. Workshops can be on campus, online or hybrid.
• Teachers Day
  The annual event is organised by and for WUR teachers. Check intranet for the full programme of this day: https://intranet.wur.nl/Project/TeachersDay

08. Study advisers

• Interactive theatre as work form
  Through the help of interactive theatre, Matthijs Kool and Pablo van Neste will be taking study advisers on a journey to reflect upon mental barriers we create around ourselves and our work. After experiencing it, we will take a moment to share how this work form can be used while working with your students.
• Start-to-SA-trajectory for new study advisers -part 2
  In this follow-up meeting, you will dive deeper into working as a study adviser at the WUR and your tasks and skills needed. If you were not able to join in September, at part 1, you can still join this meeting. Target group: new study advisers
• Role of study adviser on guiding personal development of the student
  Role of study adviser on guiding personal development of the student. This workshop will be a mix of experts sharing knowledge around students development and sharing ideas around basic service level for sa’s on guiding students in their personal development. Target group: study advisers
• Motivation Compas (MC) refresh course for existing MC-coaches
  Motivation Compas (MC) - refresh course (bijscholing) for existing MC-coaches at WUR. Facilitated by MC-trainer Jolanda Peyron. Target group: Study advisers who are MC-coaches
• Communication with compassion / Non violent communication
  Communication with compassion / Non violent communication A workshop on how to communicate in a non-violent way, provided by study adviser Carlotte Cruijsen. Target group: study advisers
• Knowledge bite on theory of Transactional Analysis (TA)
  Knowledge bite on theory of Transactional Analysis (TA) supported by some short exercises. In this workshop you will learn the basics of the theory of Transactional Analysis, how to commuicate with your student in an 'adult-to-adult' manner and to avoid the pitfall of the 'drama triangle'. This workshop is facilitated by sa-competence supporters Nynke Post Uiterweer & Marieke van Schaik Target group: study advisers
• Knowledge bite around career perspective development
  Knowledge bite around carreer perspective development. A meeting to hear about the current job market situation, how to guide your students towards entering the job market and making career choices. This meeting is facilitated by Coordinator Student Career Services Astrid van Noordenburg. Target group: study advisers
• Study advice in an intercultural setting
  Study advice in an intercultural setting.Wageningen University is an international university with students and staff coming from more than 100 cultures. This meeting is for study advisers to recieve knowledge in order to interact and communicate effectively with the culturally different and diverse student population while meeting students in 1-to-1 sessions and in groups. How to recognise and deal with it. This lunchmeeting is facilitated by student psychologist Neirada Ordovas Garcia. Target group: study advisers
• 113 Suicide prevention gatekeeper training
  113 Suicide prevention gatekeeper training provided by trainers from Rino Groep. Target group: study advisers, student deans, student psychologists The course is January 30 in Dutch, and March 30 in English
• DARE\ECHO training How to create safe environments, topic `racism`
  What can you do to recognize, address and counter racism? In this session you are engaged with questions regarding racism, what it means in theory and what it looks like in practice. In addition, you will be guided in developing strategies to counter racism in your own context. This training is facilitated by DARE/ECHO. https://www.wur.nl/en/about-wur/integrity-and-social-safety/dare.htm Target group: study advisers & student deans
• Basic course: successfully guiding students with AD(H)D
  In company training by Elke Schrijen, Training en Advies. She also provides the training on AD(H)D for the LVSA. Target group: study advisers
• Knowledge bite on gifted students /hoogbegaafde studenten
  In the meeting we will discuss what is giftedness, how to recognise gifted students, and how to support gifted students. There will also be some gifted students to talk with them about their experiences and their needs. This training is facilitated by Ruur Boersma, student dean at WUR. Target group: Study advisers
• Social Safety training by Sexmatters
  The training focuses on several themes; social safety, how to create a more safe social environment, and the themes of discrimination and inclusion and (sexual) transgressive behaviour, and bystander behaviour. Intervention techniques are practiced extensively, focussing on cases, to discuss and practice recognizable situations that deal with all kinds of social safety, both between students and employees and between employees themselves. This training in facilitated by Sexmatters Target group: Study advisers
• From stress to success by Mirjam Pol
  Many students suffer from stress: perfectionism, fear of failure, chronic fretting, presentation stress. It doesn't necessarily lead to lower performance, but it certainly doesn't feel nice. Fortunately, stress can be reduced, by learning to manage thoughts and emotions and changing behaviors. Guided by the booklet "From Stress to Success," this active inspiration session presents a six-step program to help students reduce stress. Trainer and author of the booklet: Mirjam Pol Target group: Study advisers
• Knowledge bite on (students from) China
  In this session you will learn more about the background of our Chinese students, their values and how they differ from our Western ones. We will study several cases and you will receive practical advice on how to support your Chinese students best. This meeting is facilitated by study adviser Puck Stamps. Target group: Study advisers
• Knowledge bite on decision anxiety / keuzestress
  Students often experience decision anxiety. In this workshop, study adviser/skills trainer Annemarie Teunissen will explain to you the underlying processes of this decision anxiety and how you can help students with it. Target group: Study advisers
• Effective Message Writing Workshop
  Would you like to write effective, well-composed, and pleasant-to-read messages to students? Join the Effective Message Writing Workshop, where you will write under direction, receive feedback as you go, and learn some useful tips and tricks. This short training is facilitated by Izabela de Groot, redactiemedewerker myWURtoday Target group: Study advisers
• Signaling addictional behaviour, by Iriszorg
  What to do when you suspect addictional behaviour? How do you start the conversation, what can you pay attention to when it comes to signaling with students? This training is facilitated by Iriszorg. Time for lunch together and after talk after the training. Target group: Study advisers
• Integrating Mindfulness when guiding students
  During this knowledge bite you will learn about what mindfulness essentially is and how to practically incorporate mindfulness while guiding students. This training is facilitated by mindfulness trainer and study advisor Femke Hilhorst. Target group: Study advisers

09. On demand

These courses or activities are organised on demand. Depending on whether it is an individual support activity or course, we will try to plan an occurence when there is interest. Please send an e-mail to education.support@wur.nl. 

• (re)designing a course: self-study modules for exemption trajectories
  This course teaches you the basics of designing education. It is open for self-study; all knowledge clips and readings are accessible, the discussion fora and course analysis are not open. If you are interested in joining the full course, check our schedule: https://esd.crs.wur.nl/courses/details/257/
• Redesign Lab intake
  There may be all sorts of reasons to renew your education. Often you can do this yourself. If you need help – perhaps because you do not know how to handle it or the task is too great – we would be happy to help in facilitating the process of re-design. You can e-mail education.support@wur.nl for an intake to discuss the possibilities.
• Introduction Knowledge clips
  For teachers that are interested in the possibilities of knowledge clips in their courses and the development process of such a knowledge clip. Central questions are: - What is a knowledge clip? - What type of knowledge clip am I going to make? - How do I prepare a knowledge clip? - What kind of support can I get? - How do I organize it?
• Camera training
  Knowledge clips are becoming more important as teaching activity within the WU. They are used as short video clips (5 to 7 minutes) in which the teacher explains a theory, concept or show a skill or procedure. In two half days you improve your skills in developing and recording a knowledge clip in front of the camera in the Greenroom Studio.
• Organising IT in your course design
  This is an advanced course for teachers. Registration to this course is only possible when you have participated in the workshops “Online teaching methods to activate your students” and “Orientation on digital tools”.