Similar to the institutional level, an explicit vision and policy at the programme level can be leading in terms of co-creation with the professional field.

Community-driven education provided by PXL University of Applied Sciences and Arts (PXL-Digital department) using the iSpace incubator: rather than building bridges between the world of education and the business world, the day-to-day practices of the business community and of the knowledge centres are being integrated into the programme. The programme structure revolves around collectively creating education for and by the community of junior colleagues, colleagues, businesses, and researchers. The programme offers a rich and challenging learning environment via realistic projects, fed from contextual queries from the professional field and from society. The projects are problem-driven, enrich previous learning experience, and offer the possibility of applying knowledge and skills in an authentic context.

Cocreatie gebeurt door onderwijsprofessionals, studenten, onderzoekers, actoren uit werkveld en/of maatschappij.

is gericht op de oplossing van een complex probleem dat de individuele actoren niet alleen opgelost krijgen (geen cocreatie om de cocreatie). Alle actoren hebben invloed op het proces en het resultaat ervan, dragen bij en versterken elkaar vanuit eigen expertise, ervaring, talenten (gelijkwaardigheid, wederkerigheid).

Cocreatie staat in functie van een gezamenlijke ambitie en een gezamenlijk resultaat én in functie van win-win.

Er is veel aandacht voor een kwaliteitsvol proces en kwaliteitsvolle relaties. Dit is immers een noodzakelijke voorwaarde om diverse invalshoeken en expertises te combineren tot collectieve intelligentie i.f.v. een nieuwe, waardevolle oplossing. Het resultaat van de cocreatie is niet alleen dat er iets nieuws ontwikkeld is (product, dienst, beleid, …), maar ook dat de deelnemers geleerd hebben (nieuwe kennis/vaardigheden).

Cocreatie is geen vanzelfsprekend proces. Verschillende succesfactoren bepalen of cocreatie slaagt of niet. Een belangrijke factor is dat cocreatie vertrekt van een duidelijke urgentie die alle partners voelen. Verder zijn o.a. gedeelde doelen, vertrouwen en durf en daadkracht van belang (Ehlen, van der Klink, & Boshuizen, Co-Creatie-Wiel: instrument voor succesvolle innovatieprojecten, 2015).

Elke student en toekomstige professional heeft een Theoretische kennisbasis nodig. Maar die is zowel in de breedte als in de diepte beperkt, want niemand kan alles weten over zijn vakgebied of alle vernieuwingen volgen. Belangrijk is dat studenten al tijdens hun opleiding leren omgaan met die beperkingen. Ze moeten ontbrekende informatie kunnen vinden en interdisciplinair samenwerken met mensen die hen aanvullen.

Een professional in de 21ste eeuw is die titel maar waardig als hij in staat is de juiste Technologie toe te passen in zijn beroepspraktijk. Zo wordt die praktijk kwalitatief beter en efficiënter.

Hogescholen zijn Praktijkgeoriënteerd, zowel in hun onderwijs en permanente vorming als in hun onderzoek. Maar die praktijk is voortdurend in verandering. Ook hier moeten studenten dus een evenwicht vinden tussen zich verdiepen in één bepaald segment en aanvoelen wat in andere praktijken gebeurt.

Dat alles kan alleen in nauwe samenwerking met Partners die hun knowhow willen vertalen naar state-of-the-artpraktijk. Die partners zijn overtuigd van de noodzaak en meerwaarde van cocreatie waarbij elke deelnemer bijdraagt vanuit eigen expertise, ervaring en talent.

Studenten moeten leren omgaan met verschillende Contexten. Want theorie, technologie en praktijk vloeien niet vanzelf samen. Ze moeten daarom proactief relaties aangaan, open communiceren met respect voor ieders eigenheid en ruimte krijgen om fouten te maken.

Creatie betekent: bijdragen tot iets nieuws, dat uitdagend en relevant is voor zowel de werkveldpartner als de student, lectoren en onderzoekers van de opleiding. Dat gaat verder dan kennis en vaardigheden toepassen in de stagepraktijk.

De hogeschool wil congruent opleiden, het goede voorbeeld geven en de keuzes die ze maakt vanuit die visie verduidelijken voor studenten en partners en ze staven met bronnen.

Reflectie ten slotte, zowel individueel als in groep, maakt het mogelijk om te leren over specifieke theorieën, technologieën, praktijken, partners, contexten en creaties heen. Alleen zo kunnen studenten duurzame, flexibele, onderzoekende en ondernemende professionals worden.

Een groeipad naar cocreatie betekent logischerwijs dat de waardes van elk van de factoren in het proces gedurig veranderen. Zo is er wellicht tijdens de eerste opleidingsfase in verhouding meer aandacht voor theorie en minder voor creatie. Maar een student die in de laatste opleidingsfase cocreëert met een werkveldpartner en een onderzoeker uit de opleiding zal wel nog gespecialiseerde kennis opzoeken om er een nieuwe passende toepassing aan te geven. De tweede belangrijke evolutie in het proces is dat naarmate de opleiding vordert meer en meer factoren in de definitie interageren. Zo zal een student reflecteren op reacties van verschillende partners op een creatieve oplossing die hij voorstelt voor een gedeeld probleem op de werkvloer. Studenten leren de samenhang tussen al die factoren zien en er proactief mee leren omgaan in een complexe realiteit, vergt ongetwijfeld ook een analoog groeiproces voor docenten en veel vertrouwen in elkaar.

PXL University College has opted for an educational concept revolving around authenticity, innovation, and co-creation. To support the design process, it has developed its own PXL model in which several elements play a distinct role: authentic context, authentic learning tasks, professional processes, reflection, and articulation of the thought process. This means that every component of the programme must feature a certain degree of authenticity, taking account of the above elements.

The model comprises five core elements:

1. The continuous coordination of conceptualisation and contextualisation (horizontal axis);
2. On the one hand, the university college as a place of learning and on the other, the professional field as a place of learning and working (dark grey range vs green range);
3. Critical reflection throughout all the authentic teaching and learning activities (blue line);
4. Five clusters of authentic teaching and learning activities (clusters A, B, C, D, and E):
   • Developing discipline-based building blocks;
   • Exploring the professional field;
   • Project-based working;
   • Participating in actual practice;
   • Practice-oriented research;
5. Clusters C, D, and E account for at least one-third of the activities.

The community-driven educational model within the Information Technology cluster of programmes is a pre-eminent example of how the PXL Authentic Teaching Model is being substantiated. This model focuses on integrating the daily practices of the business community and the research centres. The collective creation of education for and by the community of junior co-workers (students), co-workers, companies, and researchers is the linchpin within the operation of the cluster of programmes.

The Applied Computer Science professional bachelor’s programme and the System and Network Management first degree programme of the Information Technology cluster have used the model to authenticate their curricula. Figure 2 provides insight into the division of authentic learning activities across the various components. The model affords the programmes the opportunity to render authentic teaching quantifiable, comparable, and open to discussion.

Within the Applied Computer Science professional bachelor’s programme, the model is implemented via programme components (clusters A and B) and via authentic projects (clusters C, D, and E). Cluster A equips the students with specific building blocks (knowledge elements and basic skills) of the Information Technology discipline. Theory is given meaning by establishing links with reality through, e.g., Pluralsight courses, guest lecturers, and authentic assignments that tie in with the students’ social environment (developing MasterMind games, setting up a databank for a cinema et cetera). In cluster B, the students explore the professional field. In seminars, workshops, and innovation routes they observe IT professionals and/or workplace processes. They sample new/modern technologies (chatbots, clean code, test automation, social engineering et cetera) that are subsequently explored, analysed, and ultimately linked to theoretical concepts. Furthermore, with effect from the 2020-2021 academic year, the programme has embarked on designing and teaching a full programme component in collaboration with the professional field. Taking the attainment targets as their point of departure, business professionals develop authentic curriculum content of the eBusiness programme component in collaboration with lecturers and equip students with the essential building blocks in a co-teaching process. In the lessons, they continuously establish links with the actual professional practice.

The third-year IT Project programme component is situated within the clusters C, D, and E; it is a pre-eminent example of authentic teaching. Within the IT Project, junior co-workers collaborate in multi-disciplinary teams (cluster C) on a project basis, working on an authentic assignment for a client/principal in a realistic professional context (cluster D). The result is a final product/prototype providing an innovative solution to a complex, actual practical problem (cluster E). For example, students have developed an omni channel shop prototype, in co-creation with the Elision company, aimed at helping customers find the product they are looking for in a shop while reducing the boundary between their physical and digital experience:

PXL iSpace is creating a realistic professional context at Corda Campus, the IT site of the Dutch province of Limburg, the Euregio Dutch-German collaborative network, and the Belgian community of Flanders. iSpace spans more than 1000 m² and features such facilities as an open project hall, a classroom, and innovation labs. It offers students a place to experiment and collaborate in an authentic framework, 7/7 and 24/24. Furthermore, iSpace is being enhanced with additional project halls embedded within companies based at Corda Campus.

Within the System and Network Management first degree programme, the Authentic Teaching Model is being implemented via flanking programme components (clusters A and B) and work-based learning (clusters B, C, D, and E). It goes without saying that the programme has also embraced community-driven education. The learning process in work-based learning features a four-phase structure, as reflected in Figure 3.

In the Work-based Learning 1 phase, students are offered learning activities that enable them to get to know themselves and become acquainted with the professional field (cluster B, exploring the professional field). The emphasis is on becoming acquainted with the profession of system and network manager and on exploring technological evolutions within the domain. During guest lectures and company visits, hands-on experts explain their jobs and introduce students to present-day technologies. In addition, several workshops are organised to have students gain insight into their personal and professional identity and talents. In the Work-based Learning 2 phase, work-based learning is simulated via an authentic project (cluster C, project-based working). The project brief is formulated in consultation with the professional field. The professional field partners regularly provide interim feedback and assess the final product in collaboration with the learning coaches. The realistic professional context is once more created by iSpace at Corda Campus. The simulation projects ensure that students are sufficiently prepared before transferring to actual work situations in the Work-based Learning 3 and 4 phases (cluster D, participation in actual practice).

Students

Throughout the curriculum:

• Students are learning at and across the boundaries of school context and workplace. This expands their learning potential;
• Students are encouraged to adopt a project-based approach to finding solutions to practical problems;
• Students are practicing integrated professional skills, professional expertise, and professional mindsets in a realistic professional context;
• Students are learning to devise, field-test, and implement new methodologies and products that will result in the desired innovations;

Teaching staff

• Preserve a strong link with the professional practice;

The programme

• An up-to-date curriculum that ties in with the evolutions in the professional practice;

The professional field

• Influence on the study programme and the formation of excellent professionals;
• Graduates ready to start work immediately upon graduation;
• Opportunity to present themselves more distinctly to students (war for talent).
  

• Continued investment in the collective interests of co-creation;
• Coordinating and continuing to focus on the collective goal;
• Transparency in the collaboration in terms of expectations and responsibilities;
• Continued commitment to attracting good partners;
• Expanding collaboration with organisations/companies that are not active in the IT domain.

The educational concept, whose key words are authenticity, innovation, and co-creation, ensures that students can develop the X factor and thus grow into excellent professionals. For their entire educational career, our students will be faced with real-life challenges, in order to acquire lifelong learning skills that enable them to function in tomorrow’s complex reality.

Definition of co-creation

Co-creation is a social modus operandi that demonstrates a strong affinity to the participatory working processes that are popular among businesses in Scandinavia. Involving shop floor staff in change processes enhances their commitment and thus their support for the change. Co-creation is a very interesting method that involves learning from one’s peers. Co-creation in its many variants has been booming. Many citizen initiatives and community art projects are adopting approaches based on co-creation principles. The term was coined in marketing-related contexts in which consumers are actively involved in a product’s development process.

Co-creation is especially relevant with a view to the innovative work of the future. To an increasing extent, our generation of students will be working in situations in which innovation ensues from collaboration. Furthermore, businesses/organisations are increasingly collaborating with other businesses, with professionals from other disciplines, and with end users. This is referred to as co-innovation: innovation that ensues from collaboration (Nigten, 2015).

This concept, translated into the educational context, entails that programme teams are actively involving students in educational design; that lecturers and students collaborate on projects; and, finally, that external parties are actively involved in authentic projects aimed at finding innovative solutions to practical challenges in co-creation with students and lecturers.

PXL Model for authentic education

Education at PXL University of Applied Sciences and Arts must always be authentic. This means that each and every programme component must feature a certain degree of authenticity, factoring in the above elements. However, what does this entail for the design of a curriculum and of teaching-learning activities, and where does the emphasis lie?

To support the design process, we have opted for developing our own PXL model, in which the elements of authentic context, authentic learning tasks, professional processes, reflection, and articulation of the thought process are explicit elements. The other elements of an authentic learning environment have not been explicitly accommodated in the model. However, the elements of “multiple roles and perspectives, collaboration, coaching, and authentic evaluation” are essential in the substantiation of the curriculum and the teaching-learning activities.

The model comprises four core elements:

1. Continuous coordination between conceptualising and contextualising (horizontal axis)

This stems from the requirements that our society sets for excellent professionals. On the one hand, they need to be capable of more abstract thinking and of transcending the concrete and the material, thus finding leads for innovation and improvement of the professional practice. On the other hand, professionals are required to command thorough practical know-how and to be able to act in an expert capacity in professional practice. That is why our model distinguishes between the elements of “concept” and “context”.

Concept is the notion that we use for the theoretical models and the models that we present to students. Context is the notion with which we refer to the actual tasks, situations, and experience from the professional field that we present to students.

Education is best structured as a continuous and reciprocal process of “contextualising”, i.e., applying and specifying theoretical models and notions in concrete tasks, and “conceptualising”, i.e., abstracting specific situations and experiences, and translating them into theoretical notions and models (Bakker & Akkerman, 2014).

2. The university of applied sciences as a learning environment on the one hand and the professional field as a (work-based) learning environment on the other hand (dark grey content vs. green content)

Recent studies into learning in different contexts have shown that differences in the learning environment can be conducive to study success (Vermunt & Verloop, 1999; Colley, James, Tedder, & Diment, 2003; De Bruijn, 2012; Ehlers, 2014). Within the scope of authentic learning, we need to dissolve and cross the thresholds between education and the labour market. Boundary crossing involves processes that take place at the boundaries (of practice) and that are aimed at safeguarding or restoring continuity and interaction or action. A key recommendation to programme teams is to approach students (and lecturers and external parties) as active “boundary crossers”, who continue to sound out and cross the boundaries of the university, the workplace, the discipline, practices, and so on. After all, learning at and across the boundaries of the school context and the workplace generates learning potential.

3. Critical reflection throughout all the authentic teaching-learning activities (blue line)

Becoming an excellent professional also involves reflecting on the values and norms of the professional group, developing one’s own emphases, and looking at oneself and one’s development. In many programmes, this is referred to as the “personal and professional identity”. Students can reflect on several aspects: for example, on their own actions and views, on the organisation (organisational culture) in which they are working, on all the subject matter that the programme is providing, on the manner in which they (prefer to) learn, and so on.

Critical reflection can be accommodated within any authentic teaching-learning activity. Thus, rather than working solely on autopilot, students will have room to experiment and to learn from their mistakes, they will have the opportunity to share their opinions and ask critical questions, they can request feedback on their ideas and their work, and they can become aware of their learning careers.

4. Five clusters of authentic teaching-learning activities (clusters A, B, C, D, and E)

All the teaching-learning activities in a curriculum are authentic to some extent. To differentiate between the various teaching-learning activities, the model is divided into clusters A, B, C, D, and E. Some teaching-learning activities are “coloured” with authentic elements (such as clusters A and B); other teaching-learning activities focus on project-based working, on exploring a practical problem, or on participating in actual practice (such as clusters C, D, and E). The teaching-learning activities in clusters C, D, and E constitute the essence of the PXL model for authentic education. The following types of teaching-learning activities are distinguished:

Cluster A: Developing discipline-related building blocks

This cluster comprises teaching-learning activities in which students are taught the building blocks (knowledge elements or basic skills) of the discipline in an interactive manner. Once taught, the building block matter is not intended to remain “dormant”. Theory is given meaning through links to reality. During these activities, students enhance their skills by applying the knowledge via exercises, by presenting substantiated arguments during peer-to-peer discussions, by conducting analyses, by interrelating components, and by critically reviewing the knowledge elements.

Cluster B: Exploring the professional field

These teaching-learning activities enable students to sample the actual professional field. During the activities, students observe professionals and/or actual professional processes as they occur in the workplace, whereupon they subsequently study the matter in depth, analyse it, and link it to theoretical concepts.

Cluster C: Project-based working

This cluster comprises all the teaching-learning activities in which (groups of) students carry out project-based assignments pertaining to an actual practical issue, whether or not in collaboration with the professional field (business community, government authorities, knowledge institutes) or with a university expertise or research unit. Final responsibility for the supervision and monitoring of the students is vested with a member of the university staff (teaching staff or researcher). In many cases, these types of teaching-learning activities are of a service-providing nature, albeit without an obligation to produce results. Their main goal is to encourage students, in a project-based manner, to find solutions to a practical issue.

Cluster D: Participating in actual practice

These teaching-learning activities afford students room for practicing, in an integrated manner, professional skills, professional expertise, and professional attitudes in a realistic professional context. In the learning situations, students assist in the day-to-day activities of their future profession. The main goal is to have students learn from experience: hands-on learning, and learning from what goes well and what goes wrong (trial and error).

Cluster E: Practice-oriented research

In this type of teaching-learning activities, students have the opportunity to innovate within an existing professional practice based on new frameworks of conceptual thought. On the basis of complex, actual practical issues, the students are encouraged to find leads to innovate and improve practical know-how and professional conduct. The activities enable them to devise, field-test, and implement new methods/procedures/products that will lead to the intended innovations.

Co-creation at three levels

1. Curriculum level

• Co-creation is incorporated in the educational concept of the programme.
• The programme comprises well-considered teaching-learning activities in which co-creation plays a part.
• The first stage of the educational track comprises at least one programme component in which co-creation plays a part.
• Transparent guidelines/procedures/forms are available to organise the co-creation process (work placement, bachelor’s thesis, work-based learning, supervision of projects…).
• The programme curriculum is set up in a manner that facilitates multi-disciplinary projects in collaboration with the professional field.
• The programme designs authentic teaching-learning activities in consultation / in concert with the professional field (and other stakeholders).
• The lecturers collectively look for and use working formats and evaluation formats that familiarise students with the professional field.
• The programme builds a network of relevant businesses/organisations/institutions and enables its staff to become acquainted with or collaborate with these partners.
• Professional development of lecturers with respect to co-creation is covered in the programme’s staff development policy.
• The stakeholders are aware of the role that co-creation plays in the programme and are familiar with the underlying goals.
• The programme involves its students in the design of co-creation processes and in gauging the quality of co-creation.

2. Curriculum component level

• In at least one of the programme components, students are given the opportunity to work on co-creation in accordance with the principles of project management.
• Lecturers involve external evaluators from the professional field.
• Students are aware of the evaluation criteria for co-creation teaching-learning activities.
• Lecturers provide tailored coaching during co-creation projects.
• Students are made aware of how the competencies acquired relate to their future profession.
• On the basis of a personal development plan, students can reflect on the professional competencies they have developed and on their personal development, either within or across programme components.

3. Extracurricular activities

• The programme encourages students to participate in networks/activities that are relevant to the programme in which they are enrolled and to their future professional field.
• Lecturers participate in the professional field or take part in networking events, conferences or workshops that enable them to keep in touch with the professional field.
• The programme organises workshops, study days, seminars, and in-service training about topics related to the professional field.