Learning and Innovation: knowledge for a dynamic professional practice | HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht

Our society is in constant flux. This also has an impact on professional practice in a variety of domains. Research in the field of learning and innovation helps people and organisations to optimise their actions in today and tomorrow’s dynamic professional practice and society.

Which knowledge and competences do people require to optimally participate in their organisation and society? We seek to answer this important question in our practice-based research. We focus on professional practice and specifically on professionals in education.

Project

Worldview education and normative professionalisation

We are using narrative-biographical research to describe the connection between a personal worldview and the normative professionalisation process.

Project

Learning to speak in a foreign language using improvisational drama techniques

Project

Studying teachers and professional practice

How is the 'agency' of studying teachers impeded and promoted in professionalisation processes in which education and professional practice work together?

All research projects

“We focus on the quality of the provided education and professional practice and create added value for lecturers and other trainers, professionals and organisations.”
Elly de Bruijn Director of Learning and Innovation and Professor of Vocational Education

We use our research to develop innovative approaches and learning content for students, professionals, trainers and organisations. Through these efforts, we facilitate the effective connection between education and specific professional practices.

We immediately implement our insights and results within the HU’s teaching institutes. Besides working together with the education sector, we also partner with research institutions and the private sector: in a society where things can no longer be taken as a given, further education and retraining are the order of the day.

Vocational Education
Learning, teaching and professionalisation in the context of professional practice.
Foreign Language Education
Strengthening of language education in teacher-training and educational practice.
Science and Technology Education
Appealing, in-depth science and technology education for all students.
Mathematics Education
Contributing to the quality of the mathematics teacher-training programmes.
Normative Professionalisation
Developing the professional identity of lecturers and other professional groups.
Co-design
Bringing people with different perspectives and skills together in the joint development of new technological innovations.
Digital Smart Services
Supporting professionals in the development of significant and relevant digital services.
Methodology of Practice-Based Research
Contributing to the further professionalisation of practice-based research in the Netherlands.

Daan Andriessen

Professor Methodology of Practice-Based Research Show profile

Cok Bakker

Professor Normative Professionalisation Show profile

Elly de Bruijn

Professor Vocational Education Show profile

Anita Cremers

Professor Co-design Show profile

Paul Drijvers

Professor Mathematics Education Show profile

Anita van Essen

Professor Co-design Show profile

Rick de Graaff

Professor Foreign Language Education Show profile

Dan Greve

Professor Methodology of Practice-Based Research Show profile

Remko van der Lugt

Professor Co-design Show profile

Nicolien Montesano Montessori

Professor Normative Professionalisation Show profile

Listte Munneke | Senior lecturer | Methodology of Practice-Based Research

Lisette Munneke

Professor Methodology of Practice-Based Research Show profile

Elwin Savelsbergh

Professor Research group Science and Technology Education Show profile

Marlies van Steenbergen

Professor Digital Smart Services Show profile

Johan Versendaal

Professor Digital Smart Services Show profile

All professors and researchers

We believe in working together with experts from the field on the joint development of knowledge relevant to the complexity and dynamism of professional practice. This has resulted in numerous partnerships with knowledge institutions and educational institutions, public organisations, government agencies and international partners in the business services sector. Do you have a research question relating to learning and innovation? We would be happy to discuss it with you.

We work together with various Labs and Centres of Expertise to exchange and disseminate specific knowledge and expertise. See what they can do for you:

Centre of Expertise: Smart Sustainable Cities
People should be able to live healthily and safely in sustainable urban environments. Smart Sustainable Cities works on solutions for the complex challenges entailed by this ambition.
Blockchainlab
The HU’s Blockchainlab is an innovative centre for the development, sharing and application of blockchain knowledge in the Utrecht region.
Centre of Expertise: U CREATE
Lead a healthy life and remain happy in old age: U CREATE works to make this a reality by optimising care and welfare even further, in partnership with care professionals, researchers, designers, policy-makers and entrepreneurs.