文档介绍：THE CONTEXT OF ACTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE LEARNING
IN HIGHER ENGINEERING EDUCATION
Hans F. van Aalst
KEYNOTE TO THE SEMINAR OF THE
SOCIÉTÉ EUROPÉENNE POUR LA FORMATION DES INGENIEURS (SEFI)
"ACTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE LEARNING IN HIGHER ENGINEERING EDUCATION"
1-3 NOVEMBER 1995
UNIVERSITY OF TWENTE
HERLANDS
1. INTRODUCTION
The theme of this seminar: "active and productive learning" is an excellent choice. It is an expression of a more general trend in higher education which has been described as "from subject-based teaching to student-centred learning". The Dutch National Advisory Council of Education (ARO) mended a shift in those terms in recent reports to the Dutch govern ment about the future of higher education in her lands. One of those reports does indeed carry the title: "From higher teaching to higher learning". Until recently I was the General Secretary of that Council and that explains why I am here. I do indeed think that such a shift deserves support. Support from you as lec tures, but as well from students, researchers, business-people and the govern ment.
For such a support are good reasons. Problem- based learning, project-oriented work and design-based learning are considered to improve motiv ation, to make learning more permanent and to enhance transfer of what is being learned in one situation to another context. Through such factors efficiency and effectiveness of educa tion might improve. That is why those approaches in educational design share a long tradition of good practice. Many of the presenta tions in this seminar do really show the wealth in experience and know-how in this field.
The empha sis on generic skills, muni cation, is more recent. It stems from the desire to qualify learners for social settings, in business, industry and in social life. A desire, not only expressed by educators, but also by business representatives.
However: one question remains to be asked: if the advantages are so convincing, if the need for it is e