J.F.H. Nijhuis

Collaborative learning in logistics and transport: The application of 3WIM

The article reports on the development of a collaborative learning method in two master’s level courses given as part of a logistics track within an international business degree programme. The method, termed the three‐way interaction method (3WIM), combines traditional case teaching and problem‐based learning through high intensity three‐way interaction between student groups. The method involves one group taking the role of problem‐solvers (presenters/consultants), another group taking the role of decision‐makers (company executives/board of directors), while the third group evaluates the performance of the other two groups (skill development/quality improvement). As usual in collaborative learning, the 3WIM is student‐driven, so the tutor takes on the role of a facilitator rather than the main disseminator of knowledge. Comparing the course evaluations of the previous approach to learning and the 3WIM, a statistically significant improvement was detected in satisfaction among students. What is more, the method solved other problems, such as increasing the intensity of the learning experience, reducing passenger tendencies and absences.

Learning about Teaching Information Systems in a Problem-Based Curriculum: An Exploratory Study of the Impact of Students’ Individual Differences on their Conception and Perception of Problem Tasks

Todd (1999) describes the late 20th Century as the “Age of Information”, where an emphasis is placed on the external organization, transformation and communication of information. He argues that the 21st Century will be the “Age of the Mind”, where the key success factors of organizations will be the extent to which they are able to use, share and create knowledge. It is well acknowledged that in order to comply with the demands of the Age of the Mind, it is imperative for educators at all levels to develop learners with cognitive and meta-cognitive, as well as social, competencies. As Birenbaum and Dochy (1996) indicate, cognitive competencies include problem solving, critical thinking, formulating questions, searching for relevant information, making informal judgments and ensuring the efficient use of information. Since schools and universities are preparing students for society, both the new role of information and the new required competences should be taken into account when developing courses. Within a variety of disciplines, innovations in education are implemented. For informatics, new ways of teaching are described by Davey and Tatnall (1994), Jurema et al. (1995) and Penjam (1997) and are discussed at gatherings organized by the Information Systems Education Conference (ISECON).

School of Business and Economics: Research-Based Learning – An Implementation Journey

This case study reports the journey that the School of Business and Economics (SBE) of Maastricht University has taken to implement research-based learning (RBL) in its multidisciplinary environment. The MaRBLe research project at SBE is a mixture of a community of learning (CoL) and a community of practice (CoP), which are complementary. The main focus of the journey was to find a good structure for the community with respect to learning and conducting research. The initial plan was to create separate tutorial groups for MaRBLe students within courses. However, due to the large number of courses and the limited student inflow, this was not possible. As a result, the MaRBLe research course was introduced, bringing MaRBLe students together. The challenges for this course are timing and finding topics that suit all students. After 2 years of experimentation, the MaRBLe programme has found its place within the SBE curriculum. A coordinator has been appointed, a website and a Facebook page are online and successes are made public.