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On behalf of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Dialogic conducted the midterm evaluation of the Acceleration Plan for Educational Innovation with ICT 2018-2022. The Acceleration Plan involves collaboration between the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU), the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences (VH), and SURF on educational innovations with ICT. In eight different zones focusing on specific themes, 39 higher education institutions are working together. Additionally, in response to the impact of COVID-19 on higher education, two task groups have been set up to address remote digital assessment and online teaching of 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 goals: 1) improving the alignment of education with the job market; 2) increasing the flexibility of education; 3) enhancing learning smartly and better with technology. For the midterm evaluation, Dialogic examined the extent to which the Acceleration Plan has so far succeeded in contributing to the stated goals, what the expectations are for the next two years, and to what extent (new) goals can be pursued after the completion of the Acceleration Plan.
Stakeholders interviewed are convinced of the value of their contributions to improving higher education and are satisfied with the achievements to date. In the initial phase of the Acceleration Plan, much effort was put into getting to know each other, developing action plans for the different zones, and reaching common ground. Now, two years have passed, and various zones seem to be gaining momentum; over 100 tangible products have been delivered, significant funding requests are being submitted, and new pilots have started or will begin soon. Concerning the ambitions of the Acceleration Plan, we observe that these are not always recognised at the level of the zones. Where the stated goals are recognised, stakeholders find them very broad, lacking a clear definition or concrete direction on what exactly needs to be achieved. While this broadness is seen as a strength as it allows room for innovative activities with uncertain outcomes, it also means that the impact of the Acceleration Plan on these goals cannot be accurately determined.
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. Various stakeholders emphasise that maintaining this has added value for higher education. The expectation is that this is unlikely to be fully bottom-up from the institutions, and therefore both support and drive from institutions will remain necessary. However, few stakeholders see value in a second Acceleration Plan following the same structure, indicating that while the plan has provided impetus, sustaining the same energy and efforts might be challenging.
Based on our research, we formulated five recommendations for the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) and the Acceleration Plan:
1. Drive towards concrete goals for zones by 2023.
2. Continue investing in disseminating and communicating results, also to participants.
3. Invest in maintaining focus and activities on digital education and educational innovations post-COVID-19 crisis.
4. Ensure the prerequisites for educational innovation with ICT post the Acceleration Plan.
5. Explore a more stimulating role for the Ministry of OCW.
For a deeper understanding of the evaluation results and further reasoning behind the recommendations, please refer to the report recently submitted to the Dutch House of Representatives. View the report here: government website.
For more information about the Acceleration Plan, visit accelerationplan.nl.
