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The department of Educational Development & Research was initiated in 1977. Since then the department has experienced a rapid growth to form today an interfaculty department of more than 70 staff members.
Mission:
The mission of the department in general is to support educational development, to offer educational training programs and to conduct educational research. The department provides educational service or support concerning educational development activities to most faculties of the Universiteit Maastricht and to parties outside the university by a special Center for Active Learning. The department is divided into sections each serving specific educational programs. To exchange information and expertise across section units, task forces are active. These include: faculty development, assessment and quality management. On an ad hoc basis working groups are appointed to address specific issues of research and development.
Part of the mission of the department is also to provide educational training programs. Two programs are offered: a distance-based Master Degree in Health Professions Education (based in the Faculty of Health Sciences) and a full day program in Educational Sciences (based in the Faculty of Psychology). Furthermore, several national and international short courses on educational innovation are provided. Although each of these programs are embedded within a particular faculty, departmental members from different sections contribute to these programs.
A final part of the mission of the department is educational research. The research program and the departmental researchers involved are part of a nationally accredited research school (Interuniversity Center for Educational Research). Three research groups are formalized within the department and exchange information: learning processes and expertise development, evaluation of learning and teaching and characteristics of powerful learning environments. Furthermore, a PhD group is active mentored by a senior staff member. The group addresses educational issues and peer mentoring of research.
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