Summary
The Fontys ICT InnovationLab (www.fontysictinnovationlab.nl) is the place where teaching, research and industry converge to develop innovative ICT solutions. In this environment, students work in (exploration and) innovation semesters on practice‑oriented research questions with partners from the professional field. These guidelines describe the principles, roles and expectations for all parties involved.

The InnovationLab is characterised by our student‑centred education, based on challenge‑based learning. This is manifested as follows:

• Authentic practice‑oriented research questions with partners
• Differentiated, tailor‑made supervision
• Self‑organising student teams

The semester contains a number of fixed elements that provide structure:

1. Kick‑off with partners and students (Start of the semester – week 1/2)

• Introduction and project exploration
• Aligning expectations and ambitions
• Lecturers are present where possible

2. Sprint demos / interim presentations (throughout the semester)

• Progress presentations
• Feedback sessions with partners
• Project coach of the student team attends sprint demos with the partner
• Planning and realisation are determined by the semester itself

3. Assessments and evaluation (Week 18/19)

• Assessment of student results
• Evaluation of projects with partners
• Coordinators attend the evaluation with partners

4. Innovation Insight Week 18 (to be scheduled for Week 19)

• Final presentation of results
• Knowledge sharing and networking
• Partners, lecturers and students are present

The InnovationLab is designed as an environment in which not only students learn, but all participants:

• Co‑creation – Students, lecturers and partners collaborate on innovative solutions
• Knowledge exchange – Current professional knowledge from partners meets academic insight
• Reflection – Partners are invited to reflect on their own practice
• Innovation – Joint exploration of new approaches generates mutual inspiration
• Network development – All parties build sustainable professional relationships

• Transparent expectations at the start
• Clear points of contact for partners
• Regular check‑ins via sprint demos
• Timely signalling of challenges

What partners can expect:

• Time investment – Student teams work a minimum of 2.5 days per week on the partner project
• Duration – One semester (19 weeks, from kick‑off in week 1 to completion in week 19)
• Team – 3–6 students operating as a self‑organising team on the question
• Supervision – Lecturers provide tailor‑made coaching and stimulate a methodological approach
• Outcome – Research results, innovative solutions, final presentation and hand‑over

What we expect from partners:

• Authenticity – A real, practice‑oriented research question with urgency and relevance
• Availability – Involvement in at least the sprint demos (start, interim, closing) and weekly contact with the student teams for optimal collaboration
• Feedback – Constructive feedback during the process and assessment of the final result
• Openness – Willingness to share knowledge and contribute ideas
• Learning attitude – Partners are also part of the learning process and are open to new insights.

Student

• Works in a self‑organising team
• Takes responsibility for own learning process, including professional skills
• Conducts research on practice‑oriented questions
• Actively seeks interaction with partners, lecturers and fellow students
• Delivers high‑quality results using a research‑based approach

Lecturer

The lecturer role comprises several inter‑related functions that together shape student supervision:

Project Coach

• Unordered List Item First point of contact for the project throughout the partnership
• First point of contact for partners
• Coordinates (in the background) with the partner on sprint‑demo planning
• Holds brief bi‑weekly contact
• Actively shares contact details for escalation / queries / assistance with the partner
• Involved in kick‑off and sprint demos
• Stimulates a methodological approach and research capability
• Facilitates contact moments between students and partners
• Assesses project results and the process

Semester Coach

• Provides personal guidance to (a portion of) a class
• Coaches individual students in their study trajectory
• Supports students’ well‑being and personal development
• Assists with curricular choices
• Encourages reflection on the learning process

Subject‑matter Expert

• Engages with student project groups for subject‑specific queries
• Offers specialised expertise in a particular domain
• Supports technical or domain‑specific challenges
• Shares relevant knowledge and developments within the area of expertise
• Connects students to relevant resources and networks

Partner Coordinator

• First point of contact for the partner regarding new assignments, escalation in the collaboration and/or queries
• Ensures initial assignment formulation with the partner (Meet & Match) and hands over and aligns with the teams and topics where the research assignment takes place

Relationship Manager (cluster / teams – currently PLOU)

• After consultation with the partner coordinator and partner, finalises the assignment’s detailed realisation (based on learning outcomes)
• First point of contact for operationalising the assignment during the semesters
• Together with the project coach, serves as contact point throughout the semester’s execution, with the project coach being substantively involved in the delivery and the student team

Partner

• Provides an authentic research question
• Gives feedback on interim results
• Contributes to the assessment of final results
• Facilitates access to information / experts where necessary
• Actively participates in the learning process and is open to learning themselves
• Shares experiences, knowledge and reflects on new insights