Inhoud
Team of Educational Specialists
Summary
In support of curriculum development and delivery within Fontys ICT, a team of educational specialists (OWK’s), led by the Team Manager Educational Specialists (TM OWK’s), is embedded in the teaching organisation. Below is a description of the purpose, tasks and responsibilities, required resources and contacts of the OWK team and the TM OWK’s.
Purpose
The OWK team at Fontys ICT makes a significant contribution to sustainable teaching improvement and innovation. This concerns both the design and the delivery of our student‑centred teaching and the associated staff professional development.
The role, position and authority of the OWK’s are structurally embedded within Fontys ICT, enabling them to work proactively and effectively across locations based on their expertise. The OWK’s initiate and facilitate evidence‑informed development trajectories, with student focus, staff professional growth and quality assurance at the core. In an egalitarian partnership with students and staff, the OWK’s are strategically positioned and visible within the teaching organisation, guided by six core values:
| Core values – team of educational specialists | |
|---|---|
| 1. Strategic awareness | “We are convinced that effective teaching improvement and innovation require a sound understanding of the teaching vision and strategy. We think ahead, see connections and are prepared to give solicited and unsolicited advice from a professional standpoint. We ensure that every step we take fits within the wider picture.” |
| 2. Student‑centred thinking | “We believe that all teaching improvement and innovation, including the necessary staff professional development, must ultimately contribute to better teaching for the student. We actively seek contact with students and incorporate their perspective into our advice. The student is not only an end‑user but also a partner in the development process.” |
| 3. Development‑driven learning culture | “We are convinced that continuous development is the foundation of good teaching. We create an environment where collaborative learning and experimentation are central. We actively support the professional growth of staff and of one another, using our vision of learning from student‑proximate teaching as a starting point.” |
| 4. Connecting partnership | “We are convinced of the power of co‑creating and innovating, actively linking teaching, research and the professional field. We work with staff on an equal basis. We are visibly present on the shop‑floor and actively build sustainable relationships with all stakeholders.” |
| 5. Role modelling & authenticity | “We believe we can only be effective if we ourselves embody what we advise others to do. This means applying our own principles and methods in our daily work. We are visible, approachable and transparent in our approach.” |
| 6. Quality‑driven | “We are convinced that genuine teaching improvement and innovation can only succeed when quality is placed above quantity. This means we prefer to do fewer things exceptionally well rather than many things half‑heartedly. We have a professional responsibility to safeguard quality and to act proactively on it.” |
Based on these values, the collective core mission of the OWK’s within Fontys ICT can be expressed as: Implementing our student‑centred teaching vision in a staff‑centred manner within our teaching practice, whereby the continuous interaction of curriculum development, curriculum delivery and staff professional development is optimally stimulated.
Tasks and responsibilities
Within Fontys ICT a self‑organising OWK core team has been established, consisting of OWK’s under the leadership of a TM OWK’s. The TM OWK’s reports to the Operations Manager.
The core tasks and responsibilities of the OWK team, which are addressed through allocation across the various teaching teams in the clusters at the different Fontys ICT locations, are:
| Curriculum development | - Support and advice in formulating Fontys ICT’s teaching vision. - Translate and embed the student‑centred teaching vision into curriculum design. - Support the design of (new) teaching programmes using the ADDIE model (Analyse, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate). - Assist in securing continuous learning pathways and pedagogical justification of the curriculum. - Advise and critically spar with Curriculum Owners (CE’s) | |
| Curriculum delivery | - Support and advice in implementing Fontys ICT’s teaching vision. - Translate and embed the student‑centred teaching vision into delivery. - Support and advise on peer‑review and calibration. - Assist in improving and substantiating delivery in line with the ADDIE model. - Didactic safeguarding of digital systems (e.g. Canvas). - Advise and critically spar with Cluster Managers (CM’s). | |
| Staff professional development | - Professional development of teaching staff in didactics, pedagogy, assessment and research. - Coach, inspire and support staff in BDB/MKO (e.g. through lesson observations). - Provide advice on didactic issues. | |
| Quality assurance | - Support the execution of evaluations. - Co‑determine follow‑up actions after evaluations and support their implementation. - Participate as a delegation in the Quality Platform meeting organised by the Quality Coordinator of Fontys ICT. |
- Translate and embed the student‑centred teaching vision into curriculum design.
- Support the design of (new) teaching programmes using the ADDIE model (Analyse, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate).
- Assist in securing continuous learning pathways and pedagogical justification of the curriculum.
\\- Advise and critically spar with Curriculum Owners (CE’s). |
- Translate and embed the student‑centred teaching vision into delivery.
- Support and advise on peer‑review and calibration.
- Assist in improving and substantiating delivery in line with the ADDIE model.
- Didactic safeguarding of digital systems (e.g. Canvas).
- Advise and critically spar with Cluster Managers (CM’s). |
| Staff professional development |
- Coach, inspire and support staff in BDB/MKO (e.g. through lesson observations).
- Provide advice on didactic issues. |
| Quality assurance |
- Co‑determine follow‑up actions after evaluations and support their implementation.
\\- Participate as a delegation in the Quality Platform meeting organised by the Quality Coordinator of Fontys ICT. |
The core tasks and responsibilities of the TM OWK’s are:
| Strategic adviser |
\\- First point of contact for advice to the (Extended) Leadership Team on strategic, tactical and operational pedagogical matters, and responsible for delegating this responsibility to other team members. \\- Member of the OWK core team and the Development Forum (OO). \\- Advise within the OO on approaches to curriculum development, both pedagogically and project‑wise. \\- First point of contact for the teaching‑innovation contacts of Fontys R&D. |
| Facilitator & team coach |
\\- Co‑ordinate the allocation of OWK’s across clusters and strategic portfolios in consultation with the self‑organising OWK core team. \\- Inventory and prioritise pedagogical tasks. \\- Facilitate professional development (BDB, MKO) in alignment with CM’s. \\- Coach team members to enhance personal quality (talents), effectiveness and motivation. |
| Resource manager |
\\- Co‑draft and advise on short‑ and long‑term staffing plans. \\- Select and advise on the appointment of (new) colleagues (OWK’s). |
In addition to the above core tasks and responsibilities, a member of the OWK core team holds an active role in a strategic portfolio, which has been defined as follows:
Teaching vision & didactics Assessment Research Coaching Within the strategic portfolios, pedagogical support is provided at the institutional level. The OWK team jointly determines the focus of portfolio projects based on Fontys ICT’s strategic plans.
To make the tasks and responsibilities of the OWK core team feasible, the current weekly time distribution per OWK can be used:
Coordination: OWK’s, locations/teams, team professionalisation (calibration, etc.), ad‑hoc projects, etc.
The above tasks and responsibilities relate to the matrix below, which involves the entire teaching provision within Fontys ICT.
Authorities
The authorities of the OWK’s stem from the role they fulfil, for example as project leader of a project. The TM OWK’s is primarily advisory and facilitating.
Contacts
CE’s (OO) & CM’s; TO; Teaching staff; Students; Student+; PO Taskforce; Quality Coordinator; Chairs; LT members and project leaders (responsible for specific Fontys ICT projects); Colleague‑educational specialists inside and outside Fontys; Central Fontys services and programmes, such as Fontys Education & Research (R&D); External contacts, such as other colleges, suppliers of digital systems (e.g. Drieam) and the professional field (WAC).