News
28-04-2025
About the research call
The research programme “Significant questions in vocational and higher education” aims to answer questions that arise from educational practice. The programme seeks to contribute to the innovation and improvement of the entire education sector in the Netherlands. The research is conducted directly within educational practice and takes place in close collaboration between researchers and practice professionals throughout the entire process.
The themes funded by Npuls investigate educational innovation with digitisation, where researchers and teachers in vocational, higher professional, and academic education sectors collaborate closely. This means that projects for these themes must address all three sectors.
For more information about the research call, conditions, and planning, see the website of the NRO.
More information about the Npuls themes
Themes 8 and 9 of the research call “Significant questions in vocational and higher education” are the Npuls themes. Below is summary of the theme and a detailed explanation.
Theme 8: Learning without barriers
Based on the close collaboration between vocational training schools (mbo), universities of applied science (hbo) and research universities (wo), this theme explores what it means to learn without organisational and administrative barriers for learners in tertiary education in the Netherlands and what they need to develop to their full potential.
Examples of research questions are: What are the criteria the educational institution has to meet to be able to offer learning without barriers? What do educational institutions need to know to organise a coherent educational programme and what does this mean for education professionals? What do learners need to have agency over their learning pathways? And to make use of the options of flexibly organised education? And how can vocational education and training schools (mbo), universities of applied science (hbo) and research universities (wo) work closely together and learn from each other?
Explanatory text about Theme 8
The Dutch education system needs to continue to develop itself to contribute to a rapidly changing society and labour market. These changes are driven by digitalisation and knowledge innovation. To make the education sector future-proof, resilient and innovative, Npuls has partnered with vocational education and training schools (mbo), universities of applied science (hbo) and research universities (wo) in the Netherlands. Npuls works on the future of tertiary education by jointly building a solid infrastructure, making use of digital opportunities and entering into sector-wide agreements. Learners are continuously offered the best possible education and can learn without barriers.
For more information about Npuls: https://npuls.nl/en/why-npuls/
In this theme we want to study in more detail what ‘learning without barriers’ truly means – both for the organisation of educational and for the learners. What do learners need to develop themselves to their full potential in the context of education without organisational or administrative barriers? In other words: in an agile and flexibly organised education system?
An agile and flexibly organised education system is a system in which the learner has agency over their own learning pathway and has more options than in existing study programmes. Because learners have more options, they can tailor their learning pathway better to their specific learning needs and requirements – at any point in their lives and careers. The term ‘flexible’ is not about the education offered (the range of courses, the study programme or the educational process at the educational institution). It is about the way in which education is organised. Educational institutions are working towards a system in which learners can design their own learning pathways without any organisational or administrative barriers.
The educational sector focuses on offering education to all learners. This could be a student who has just completed secondary education, but also an employee who has been working for many years and would like to retrain or specialise. Everyone has the opportunity take part in a quality, up-to-date pathway that suits their own needs and wishes. This could either be a learning pathway that is aimed at obtaining a certain qualification, or a trajectory for a specific element of their professional field.
There are already many examples of innovative practices in which educational institutions in the Netherlands collaborate with other study programmes, institutions and/or sectors beyond the boundaries of their own institution. We also see co-creation between educational institutions, companies and the professional field. By analysing these – often complex – practices from various perspectives we gain a much clearer picture of what works and what does not work within different educational sectors and contexts. For example: the perspectives of the learners and teaching staff, but also the organisational, policy, legal and technological perspectives. By studying current initiatives, we will gain a better understanding about what is needed to move towards flexibly organised education. What can we learn from these innovative practices? How can we move towards learning without barriers more quickly and successfully?
Theme 9: The impact of new technologies on the quality of education
Research into the impact of new technologies on the quality of tertiary education is necessary to gain more insight into the opportunities and pitfalls. Relevant questions for the collaboration between vocational training schools (mbo), universities of applied science (hbo) and research universities (wo) in the Netherlands are for example: What could these technologies mean for designing the learning processes and the learning environment? How can these new technologies help to improve the quality and inclusivity of education? How can these new technologies contribute to making learning materials more easily accessible and easier to use? What are critical success factors? And: What do these new technologies mean for the digital literacy of education professionals?
Explanatory text about Theme 9
Dutch education needs to continuously develop itself to contribute to our rapidly changing society and labour market. These changes are driven by digitalisation and knowledge innovation. To make the education sector in the Netherlands future-proof, resilient and innovative, Npuls is collaborating with vocational education and training schools (mbo), universities of applied sciences (hbo) and research universities (wo).
Npuls works on the future of tertiary education by jointly building a solid infrastructure, making use of digital opportunities and entering into sector-wide agreements. Learners are continuously offered quality, up-to date education and they can learn without barriers.
For more information about Npuls: https://npuls.nl/en/why-npuls/
In this theme, we want to study how new technologies can contribute to the promise of continuously offering the best possible education for learners. The technologies that can be use are widely varied.
One example of new technology is AI. Thanks to AI, more personalised learning trajectories can be offered, education data is used responsibly, and teaching staff are given new tools to guide their students even more efficiently. This means that all learners are given the opportunity to develop themselves to their full potential.
Another example of new technology is immersive technology, such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR). These technologies allow learners to experience complex issues and learn in realistic and controlled settings. This will further improve the quality, accessibility and effectiveness of education.
New technologies also include adaptive learning systems, learning analytics and digital certification. Other new technologies contribute to making open educational resources more widely accessible and reusable.
By working with standardised processes and platforms, knowledge and educational content can be shared quickly and easily. This contributes to an efficient and sustainable use of educational resources. This will also provide learners and teaching staff with access to quality, up-to-date educational resources which can, in turn, have a positive impact on the quality of education.
Conducting research is essential to determine the actual impact of these technologies on the quality of education. We want to gain more insight into the conditions that are essential for new technologies to contribute to better education.
- How do these technologies work in practice, and what are critical success factors?
- How can we make the best possible use of these new technologies to ensure equity in education and reusability of educational resources?
- What do new technologies mean in terms of digital literacy of teaching staff?
By conducting research, we can make well-founded choices. We can also make sure that technology offers a valuable contribution to the quality and accessibility of education in the Netherlands.
More information
Register and find more information on the NRO page: Significant questions in vocational and higher education 2025 | NRO
More information about Npuls? See: Why Npuls | Npuls
