Education itself is in charge of EdTech: ‘The pilothub EdTech supports and promotes’

Until last year, this was achieved through Startup in Residence (SiR) EdTech, among other initiatives, and since this year through the Co-Creation Lab (CCL). Judith Vennix, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences: ‘The programme enabled us to take the much-needed steps towards a constructive, sustainable collaboration with startup SkillFull.’

Real-life example

Screens, levers and buttons of all shapes and sizes. Steering a ship is complex, both technically and in terms of communication. Because what if something goes terribly wrong: how do you respond? ‘I want students to be aware of how they communicate, what the underlying patterns are and to be able to reflect on them.’ These are the words of Monique van der Drift, lecturer and researcher at the Rotterdam Mainport Institute (RMI), part of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. Together with students from the technical computer science programme at the same university, she designed a prototype VR game to practise stressful situations on the bridge (the wheelhouse) of a ship. ‘The RMI has a physical bridge for training. But in a technical environment, students tend to look for technical solutions. They are less likely to look at their own actions. With a VR game, they can do that.’ Together with start-up SkillFull, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences developed the prototype into a scalable product.

Innovating from educational practice

This case study from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences is a good example of educational innovation with technology. And many other educational institutions are working on innovation, according to Jelle Kok, quartermaster of the EdTech pilot hub. "Teachers are constantly looking for ways to improve education. However, the potential of what is technically possible is still underutilised. This is not surprising, because different norms apply in education than in commercial sectors, for example. But it is a great shame. In tech land, alongside the big players, there is a whole range of start-ups doing the same thing as schools, only on the other side of the table." By working shoulder to shoulder with these kinds of start-ups, solutions are created that seamlessly match what a school or educational programme needs. Moreover, educational institutions can remain in control and safeguard the public values they stand for. This is quite different from when educational institutions leave innovation to large tech companies, not all of which are familiar with education. Jelle: "However, startups and schools are still only finding each other in small numbers. Collaboration between large educational institutions and small companies is difficult. This is partly due to complex processes and stringent requirements in schools' purchasing conditions."

Innovating from educational practice

This case study from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences is a good example of educational innovation with technology. And many other educational institutions are working on innovation, according to Jelle Kok, quartermaster of the EdTech pilot hub. "Teachers are constantly looking for ways to improve education. However, the potential of what is technically possible is still underutilised. This is not surprising, because different norms apply in education than in commercial sectors, for example. But it is a great shame. In tech land, alongside the big players, there is a whole range of start-ups doing the same thing as schools, only on the other side of the table." By working shoulder to shoulder with these kinds of start-ups, solutions are created that seamlessly match what a school or educational programme needs. Moreover, educational institutions can remain in control and safeguard the public values they stand for. This is quite different from when educational institutions leave innovation to large tech companies, not all of which are familiar with education. Jelle: "However, startups and schools are still only finding each other in small numbers. Collaboration between large educational institutions and small companies is difficult. This is partly due to complex processes and stringent requirements in schools' purchasing conditions."

A good match

From the EdTech pilot hub, Npuls works with educational institutions and start-ups to identify areas for improvement. For example, by connecting them in the field of educational technology, such as Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and SkillFull. Judith Vennix was involved in this from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. ‘Monique already had a well-functioning prototype. But more knowledge was needed to further professionalise the product.’ Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences was looking for a party to further develop the prototype into a (scalable) product, which could then also provide professional management and updates. Judith: ‘Within the university, I had contact with the right departments, such as IT and procurement. Outside the university, I didn't have these kinds of connections.’ Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences decided to participate in Startup in Residence (SIR) EdTech, one of the pilot hub's programmes that focuses on co-creation. Judith: ‘The pilot hub helped us enormously in formulating our question properly.’ Within the university itself, the lines of communication for this project also became shorter. "When you are working on innovation, the outcome is partly uncertain. What you create may be successful, but it is also possible that you will not achieve the expected result. And that's okay, because you learn from that too. Because we take a structured approach to this collaboration, partly thanks to the pilot hub, the importance of this is increasingly recognised within the organisation. Joost Modderman is the founder of start-up SkillFull. ‘By developing directly with the education sector, we validate our solution immediately. Moreover, as a small player, it is normally very difficult to get noticed by the education sector. Thanks to the pilot hub, we now have that access.’

Working on valuable solutions trough co-creation

In six months' time, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and SkillFull, together with partner Enversed Studios, further developed the prototype into a user-friendly and well-functioning product. Monique: ‘This further development has also led to more practical possibilities. For example, the VR game can now easily be used outside the classroom. And we are continuing to develop it further. Soon, as a teacher, I will be able to choose content myself and practise new situations.’

SkillFull and Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences are talking to other parties about further development. Thanks to the professionalisation process, the product is now scalable. This means that the VR game can be useful for other courses, both at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and other educational institutions, as well as for companies such as Boskalis. This allows the development costs for the game to be shared. Monique: ‘Precisely because we are working with SkillFull as a university of applied sciences, we are developing something that is really useful to us. You can never achieve that if you purchase a standard product. The result of this co-creation process is incredibly valuable.’ Jelle: ‘As the quartermaster of the EdTech pilot hub, I notice that what a start-up or educational institution needs differs from organisation to organisation. That's why we are flexible in what we do and how we do it, and we are constantly adjusting. In fact, the pilot hub is an innovation process in itself. Its goal is to help education utilise technology to its full potential. We support that.’

Co-creation – what’s next?

Co-creation is a common thread in the EdTech pilot hub. By enabling public and private parties to collaborate in new ways, the education sector regains more control over the development of new EdTech solutions. Public values are the guiding principle here. Both educational institutions and innovative EdTech companies experience obstacles to working on innovative EdTech in co-creation. For example, how do tech parties gather the right input from the education sector? And how do educational institutions effectively shape mutual cooperation in the areas of content, demand articulation and procurement? Over the coming year, the EdTech pilot hub will investigate these questions in the Co-Creation Lab (CCL). Together with all parties in the field, the pilot hub will formulate preconditions and success factors for co-creation, develop masterclasses and community events for start-ups and educational institutions, and design a possible approach to co-creation for phase 2 of Npuls. In this way, the EdTech pilot hub contributes to more sustainable innovation with ICT and better safeguarding of public values.