The learning route of the future: how Windesheim puts student in control
How do you give students real control over their own learning? At Windesheim, information manager Anton Meijer and business architect Hans Kok have been working on an education model that puts the student at the centre since 2018. By now, over 2,800 students follow a personal, flexible and challenging learning route. How does that work in practice?
Key facts
Name and position: Anton Meijer (information manager), Hans Kok (business architect)
Organisation: Windesheim University of applied sciences
Theme: Interoperability
Challenge: How can Windesheim give students control over their own learning process while ensuring a coherent, qualitative and well-supported educational model?
Solution: Windesheim developed a student-driven educational model based on learning outcomes, supported by a flexible process and IT architecture, in which students actively shape their learning route and the institution plays a supporting role.
Anton Meijer, information manager at Windesheim
In 2017, Windesheim's executive board presented a bold ambition: education that no longer focuses on the programme, but on the student. "Our vision is that every student is unique and entitled to their own learning route," Anton explains. "To realise that, we give students control over their learning process. That is the starting point for everything we do."
Learning outcomes as a starting point
That starting point meant a major turnaround. Windesheim had to move away from a programme-centred approach. "Instead, we think from the student's point of view," Anton explains. This requires not only a new educational structure, but also adaptation of support processes and IT systems.
At the heart of Windesheim's approach lies in learning outcomes. "We organise student choices around learning outcomes, which set the standard and quality of education," Anton explains. "A student can demonstrate learning outcomes in different ways, they are really the pivotal point in our approach. That gives direction to both education and our IT structure."
Student part of business processes
Hans Kok, business architect at Windesheim
A second, essential part of the approach is the student journey. Hans Kok explains: "Because we give students control, they become part of our business processes. This requires a new process design. In this, students are the driving force behind their own learning route, with Windesheim being the supporter. Of course, we at Windesheim have also had the discussion about whether students can carry that responsibility. This is what I call 'learning outcome 49': the skill of taking control of your own career, an extra learning outcome in addition to the regular 48 ECTS credits. This skill students also have to learn, just like all other competences."
"Taking charge of your own career is a skill that all students need to learn, just like all other competences."
From vision to practice
Implementing this new way of working requires an integrated approach. To this end, Windesheim has set up several initiatives:
- Process tables bring together staff from different disciplines to analyse and optimise processes, across the boundaries of their own domain or study programme.
- Teaching teams formulate policy and monitor consistency.
- Implementation managers ensure the connection between IT and the organisation. They guide their colleagues in the change process.
Building solutions yourself
To implement the IT infrastructure, Windesheim developed an 'architecture diagram' based on the student journey. For this, existing models were consulted, such as the HORA and the MORA. As these existing reference architectures are not yet student-driven, Windesheim developed its own appropriate model.
"We are building a system in which information is recorded per student," Hans explains. "That is necessary for stacking learning outcomes and for Lifelong Development. But our approach makes procurement quite complicated. Suppliers often respond with: 'Nobody else is asking for this. You shouldn't want that.' That's why we regularly conduct market surveys and work closely with smaller suppliers. In many cases, we have to build the solutions ourselves."
Visualization of the implementation of the ICT infrastructure: Windesheim's architecture diagram.
"We are building a system that captures information per student"
Own development strategy
Windesheim chooses to develop its own solutions that really make a difference, for example for interaction with students. Think of an application in which students plan their learning route, and a dashboard (MijnWindesheim) in which they track their progress. Many institutions use standard portals from suppliers for this, but Windesheim develops this in-house.
For more basic functionalities, such as recording results, Windesheim buys standard packages. "Or we partner with a supplier to create a new standard package," says Anton. "However, we do develop all the links ourselves so that the systems match our vision."
A changing IT department
This transformation has also greatly changed Windesheim's IT department. "Six years ago, we had 80 employees, many of whom were functional administrators," says Hans. "Now we have about 130 permanent staff, supplemented by external staff." Anton adds: "This growth of the department was a conscious choice, because we wanted to get more expertise on-premises. Besides functional administrators, we now have more software developers and analysts in the team. We are shifting towards development and design, which is necessary to realise our vision."
The changes within the IT department focus not only on technological innovation, but also on guiding students and training towards the new way of working. This has led to two parallel information chains: a traditional chain and a new information chain, matching the Own Learning Route.
"The direction we are taking with Windesheim with its own learning route offers potential for national cooperation from different perspectives!"
Two worlds within one organisation
"Working with two parallel information chains brings both opportunities and challenges," says Anton. "Our ultimate goal is to say goodbye to the old information chain, but we let education set the pace. In fact, it takes a lot of thought and effort to make learning outcomes and educational offerings fit well with the vision of the Own Learning Pathway. What is paramount is that students do not suffer from this transition."
The coexistence of two different ways of working within Windesheim creates a special dynamic. Some staff switch between the two information chains, while others focus entirely on the new way of working. This requires not only a practical adjustment, but also a cultural change. Implementation managers play a key role in this.
Hans stresses, "The tendency to stick to the old way of working is strong. We have been doing it this way for years and it is difficult to break free from that. We have not yet passed the critical tipping point; we still have to push a lot of 'carts uphill' to get there". Staying on course and sticking to a consistent message is very important, according to Anton and Hans.
Looking to the future
In February 2025, the first associate degree students will graduate through the Own Learning Route. The aim is that from September 2025, all first-year students will start with an Own Learning Route.
"Our focus now is on local interoperability so that students can switch smoothly between programmes and domains," Anton explains. "Working with learning outcomes and decoupling these outcomes from the educational offerings are crucial in this regard. Collectivity and collaboration are important goals for Windesheim. The direction we are taking with the Own Learning Pathway offers potential for national cooperation from different perspectives!"