Her chair is part of the Instructional Technology (IST) section of the Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS). In her role, she will connect different types of knowledge and expertise related to learning and technology and inspire, innovate and accelerate the use of technology-enhanced learning in society.
She will continue the high-quality research on technology-enhanced learning and instructional design of the IST section.
Technology-enhanced learning
Technology can enrich education. It can ensure that students are more engaged in the lesson and process the material more deeply. "In the studies we do within the IST section, we look at the learner, the learning processes they go through and how they process information. The question we always ask is how to use technology to offer effective instruction so that the learning process is optimised." This could include inquiry-based learning through simulations, computer-based collaborative learning, learning through games, and so on.
Adaptive learning environments
However, with modern technologies, we can also go a step further. "Every student should be given the opportunity to get the most out of themselves. This means that every learner should be given assignments that are challenging while also receiving appropriate support. To this end, we are developing adaptive learning environments, using technology to adapt instruction to the needs of the learner. This can be done proactively, e.g. based on prior knowledge, skill level, or level of self-regulation, but it can also be done reactively based on what the learner is doing in the learning environment or how he is feeling." Tessa wants to further develop these research topics within the section where the use of AI techniques and learning analytics are indispensable. "In this regard, I see great opportunities for collaboration with the other sections in the LDT (Learning, Data analytics and Technology) department, which includes IST."
About Tessa Eysink
Tessa Eysink has a long history with the University of Twente. She started with a PhD trajectory at UT and has stayed there ever since. After her PhD, she progressed from UD to UHD and is now professor. She has coordinated several national and international research and development projects, such as LEMMA: Affordances for learning in multimedia learning environments, STIP (Collaboration during Task, Content and Process Differentiation), BE COOL! (Promoting Excellence through Cooperative Inquiry and Design Learning) and Surrounded by Science: Learning paths towards science proficiency. Tessa is also chair of the Instructional Technology Section and currently programme director of the Educational Science and Technology master's programme.
