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Commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Dialogic recently conducted the midterm evaluation of the Acceleration Plan for Educational Innovation with ICT 2018-2022. The Acceleration Plan involves the VSNU, VH, and SURF collaborating on educational innovations with ICT. In eight different zones focusing on specific themes, 39 higher education institutions work together. Additionally, in response to the impact of COVID-19 on higher education, two working groups have been established regarding remote digital assessment and online education in practical skills.
The overarching ambition of the Acceleration Plan is 'to maximise the opportunities that technology offers to higher education in the Netherlands'. This broad ambition is divided into three sub-ambitions: 1) improving the alignment of education with the job market; 2) making education more flexible; 3) smarter and better learning with technology. For the midterm evaluation, Dialogic examined the extent to which the Acceleration Plan has so far succeeded in contributing to the stated ambitions, what the expectations are for the next two years, and to what extent (new) ambitions can be pursued after the conclusion of the Acceleration Plan.
The interviewed stakeholders are convinced of the added value of their contributions to improving higher education and are satisfied with what has been achieved so far. In the initial phase of the Acceleration Plan, much time was devoted to getting to know each other, developing action plans for the different zones, and reaching common ground. Now that two years have passed, various zones seem to be gaining momentum; over 100 concrete products have been delivered, significant funding requests are being submitted, and new pilots have started or are about to start. Regarding the ambitions of the Acceleration Plan, we note that these are not always recognised at the zone level. Where the stated ambitions are recognised, stakeholders perceive them as very broad, with the ambitions not providing a clear task or specific direction on what exactly needs to be achieved. This breadth is seen as a strength as it allows room for innovative activities with outcomes that are not yet determined. However, it also means that the impact of the Acceleration Plan on the ambitions cannot be accurately assessed.
Participants broadly express their appreciation for the products and the network. The collaboration between institutions, where institutions themselves contribute to educational innovations, is seen as a significant strength. Several stakeholders emphasise that maintaining this has added value for higher education. The expectation is that this is unlikely to be fully (bottom-up) adopted by institutions on their own, and both support and encouragement from institutions will remain important. Yet, few stakeholders see merit in a second Acceleration Plan following the same structure. It is suggested that while the Acceleration Plan has provided an impetus, continuing in the same manner could struggle to maintain this energy and effort.
Based on our research, we formulated five recommendations for the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Acceleration Plan:
- Set concrete objectives for zones for 2023.
- Continue investing in disseminating and communicating results, also to the participants themselves.
- Invest in maintaining focus and activities on digital education and educational innovations post-COVID-19 crisis.
- Secure the prerequisites for educational innovation with ICT after the conclusion of the Acceleration Plan.
- Explore a more stimulating role for the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
For a deeper insight into the results of the midterm evaluation and further details about the recommendations, please refer to the report recently submitted to the Dutch Parliament. See the report here: rijksoverheid.nl.
For more information about the Acceleration Plan, visit versnellingsplan.nl.
Interested in learning more about this evaluation? Then please contact Max Kemman.