A few years ago, Active Blended Learning (ABL) was introduced as one of the main educational initiatives at the School of Business and Economics (SBE). The goal of ABL is to actively engage students in their own learning through new technological opportunities, encouraging collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. How did this idea come about and how does VU Amsterdam approach it? Associate professors Norman Seeger and Ella Hafermalz share their vision.

Author: Mika Linse

The pandemic brought about profound changes in all aspects of VU education. With the closure of the university campus and the discontinuation of face-to-face classes, teachers and students were forced to adapt to virtual learning environments. Hafermalz: "While this was certainly challenging, the period led to a rethinking of our teaching methods and set the ABL project in motion. We found that online education is more efficient in some cases, but the campus still remains essential for face-to-face meetings. And that is an important aspect of ABL at SBE: which form of education best suits the learning process of the students? For example, 1-on-1 conversations or knowledge clips are very suitable for online education, while with in-person education the subject matter can be discussed in more depth." Norman Seeger agrees: "We see that students are a very diverse group, so a uniform approach is not desirable. Students have different preferences; some thrive better with in-person education, while others prefer online lectures."

ABL offers teachers a range of opportunities to enrich their teaching, but do they implement this in their teaching? "We organised workshops in which teachers could share their experiences and methods with each other. That was incredibly valuable, because lecturers often have no insight into how others shape their lectures. Not only do they learn from each other, but they can also better align their lessons, giving students clearer learning pathways. The VU Centre for Teaching and Learning also makes an important contribution by helping lecturers integrate ABL into their lessons," says Hafermalz. Seeger also sees the added value of the workshops. "We want to prevent teachers from getting stuck in the same bubble and doing the same thing for 20 years. By making contact with other lecturers within the study programme, they can exchange knowledge and get to know each other's working methods. It is important that there is some consistency in the learning experience so that students are not constantly confronted with new structures. But within that framework, teachers have the freedom to use certain tools and structures that suit their field of study and the needs of the students. This diversity makes the learning process richer."