The Strength of TU Delft Education Teams

When it comes to our recognition and rewards system, there exists a deeply-rooted tendency to emphasize and thus acknowledge the performance of the individual, most often in the field of research. Many academics share the view that such a one-sided emphasis on individual research performance leads to the systematic undervaluation of other key areas in academia such as education, impact and leadership. Since the publication of the position paper Room for everyone’s talent (2019), all Dutch universities have on their agenda the modernization of our recognition and rewards system. One aspect of this modernization includes the acknowledgement of collective effort, since many accomplishments in academia and education are the result, not of individual, but collective efforts. 

Here at TU Delft, we have many wonderful education teams that, each in their own innovative way, collectively contribute to the improvement of the education at our university. Each year, the Directors of Education are asked to nominate an education team that the faculty is proud of. Proudly presented to you are this year’s nominated education teams:

The Architectural Recovery Team (ARCH+BE)

What makes the Architectural Recovery Team especially interesting is that it was initiated and is now run by an interdisciplinary and international team of mostly … students! In the wake of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria of February 2023, many students felt the need to do something, to help out. However, there was no existing structure for them to concentrate their energies and talents in order to have real impact. This is when ART was called to life. The ART team brings together students from a wide variety of disciplines – such as e.g. architectural engineering, earth sciences but also psychology – who are united in their drive to rebuild Turkey and Syria in a better, safer, and sustainable way.

ART’s impact on education at TU Delft can be felt at various levels. For instance, ART is a great opportunity for students to bring knowledge and skills acquired from their education into immediate practice. Another example is ART’s influence on the EXTREME Architecture course, which has attracted over 70 students thus far. As such, ART is an inspiring example of how students want and can contribute to creating a synergy between research and education in order to have real-world impact.  

#Meet the Architectural Recovery Team: Meriç Kessaf, Leyla van der Waarde, Alizé Massonnet, Hena Micooğullari van Alphen, Burcu Köken, and Job Schroen 

The Pre-University Chemistry MOOC Team (AS)

The ambition of the Pre-University Chemistry MOOC Team is twofold. On the one hand, the team wants to help high-school students in the transition to university-level chemistry. On the other hand, the team hopes to inclusively inspire learners around the globe in the exploration of chemistry as a key discipline in our transition to a better, more sustainable future. Such grand ambitions require a diverse team, as is the case here: the Pre-University Chemistry MOOC Team includes not only university teachers, but also high school teachers, educational and blended learning specialists and university students. 

The diversity within the team allows for a fundamental exchange of knowledge, which has resulted in a unique education innovation. Building on the various strengths of its diverse members, the team developed a course with a specific focus on chemical engineering. Importantly, the special attention to chemical engineering connects basic chemistry to societal challenges, an insightful connection which inspires a new generation of chemists and chemical engineers. 

#Meet the Pre-University Chemistry MOOC Team: Volkert van Steijn, Cristiano Glessi, Robin de Kruijff, Rienk Eelkema, Laura Janssen, Wilma Elston, Carola van der Muren, Bijoy Bera, Yash Divekar, Cees Breevaart, Stefan van der Griend, Bonny Klop, and Jisca Barbian

The Modelling, Uncertainty, and Data for Engineers Team (CEG)

The MUDE core team consists of university teachers who work in often very different departments and sections of the faculty and includes members with a focus on both education and research. The goal of the MUDE team is to accumulate an ever-evolving catalogue of data and modelling applications that demonstrate the diversity of the faculty, encourage participation of the staff, and spark students’ intrinsic motivation to discover the breadth of knowledge at their disposal. 

The team’s collective effort has resulted in the birth of the MUDE module, which was born out of a desire for the students of CiTG-CEG to have access to a universal language and understanding of fundamental concepts in modelling, uncertainty and relevant data topics. The MUDE module was launched this year for the first time and the team went to great lengths to collect feedback from the students. As we speak, the team is working hard to revise the module accordingly. In this way, the initiative is an excellent example of evidence-informed education innovation. 

#Meet the Modelling, Uncertainty, and Data for Engineers Team: Sandra Verhagen, Robert Lanzafame, Justin Pittman, Riccardo Taormina, Denis Voskov, Frans van der Meer, Alice Cicirello, Patricia Mares Nasarre, Panchamy Krishnakumari, Oswaldo Morales Napoles,  Marco Rinaldi, Elisa Ragno, Winnie Daamen, Gonçalo Correia, Christiaan Tiberius, Alireza Amiri Simkooei, Iuri Rocha, Alessandro Cabboi,  Alfredo Nunez Vicencio,  Bram van den Eijnden,  Oriol Colomes Gene,  Dhruv Mehta,  Hongrui Wang,  Apostolos Tsouvalas,  Roel Schipper,  Victor Knoop, and Fedor Baart