How Cerego helps foster better discussions and more meaningful seminars at Radboud University, Netherlands
As an Assistant Professor of European Literature at Radboud University, Netherlands, Frederik Van Dam was searching for a way to give his students strong background knowledge across a host of concepts, so that lectures and discussions would be more productive.
The problem: Students from all academic experiences need a strong background in concepts in order to tackle analytical questions
"I was particularly intrigued by the potential of Cerego for my class on Text Analysis," Van Dam explains. "This is a very intensive course, in which students are confronted with a host of concepts and theories.
"Because of this onslaught, students often find it difficult to also apply these concepts and theories during the seminars. Cerego gives me (and students) a tool that allows them to kickstart this process. By training concepts before and after the lecture, they are able to activate their knowledge more intuitively when we arrive at the moment of application."
Having had success in his own course, Van Dam soon suggested that others adopt the same approach as a means to driving more critical and analytical thinking.
"I introduced Cerego to colleagues who teach similarly theoretical classes (such as Cultural Theory) or courses that are about building up repertoire (such as History of the Arts). As such, Cerego allows one to build up a vocabulary of core ideas, that students can use as a scaffold throughout their studies."
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"I appreciate the fact that Cerego can function as a form of formative assessment: one can replace a traditional exam that focuses on the reproduction of knowledge with a printout of students' achievements in Cerego. As a result, students don't have to cram for an exam, but learn at a more natural pace."
- Frederik Van Dam, Professor of European Literature at Radboud University, Netherlands
A solution that scales, adapts to hybrid learning environments, and facilitates critical thinking
This in-depth preparation and course structure proved particularly advantageous during the Covid-19 lockdowns fo 2020—but those same benefits continue as students reenter the classroom. While many instructors worldwide struggled with the transition to online learning and remote teaching, Van Dam's use of Cerego drove meaningful knowledge gains and fostered a more engaging learning environment in online lectures.
"Cerego provides a useful alternative or complement to online lectures. During the lockdown, I heavily revised my Cerego units, inserting a fair amount of text and illustrations, so that the Cerego environment could stand in for my normal lectures. With regard to the achievement of learning goals, this experiment was successful: in general, students had the necessary knowledge at their fingertips when we arrived at the seminar."
Not only that, but student engagement in Cerego meant increased insight into student development and performance—something otherwise not possible outside of a classroom environment, and even then only in limited ways (quizzes and tests). Since Cerego tracks the strength of individual memories for students, instructors can identify areas for development without using traditional assessment methods.
"This also creates room for more creativity and application in the final, summative assessment. As a lecturer, Cerego also gives you an insight into students' development: if through the analytics it becomes clear that students are struggling with particular units, this can be addressed."
Also, when it comes to assessments, Cerego allows for a more natural (and less stressful) learning environment, which adapts to the needs of each specific learner.
"I think the gamification that comes with the environment is an important feature. I appreciate the fact that Cerego can function as a form of formative assessment: one can replace a traditional exam that focuses on the reproduction of knowledge with a printout of students' achievements in Cerego. As a result, students don't have to cram for an exam, but learn at a more natural pace."
"In many ways, this kind of systems allows lecturers to do away with the more superficial aspects of teaching (i.e., mere transferral of knowledge), and to focus their energies during classes on application, creativity, and critique."
- Frederik Van Dam, Professor of European Literature at Radboud University, Netherlands
That adaptive quality addresses the direction of modern instruction—one that is much more focused on analysis and critical thinking—while simultaneously serving to quickly and effectively ensure that all students enter the classroom with the appropriate level of background knowledge to be prepared and productive.
"In many ways, this kind of systems allows lecturers to do away with the more superficial aspects of teaching (i.e mere transferral of knowledge), and to focus their energies during classes on application, creativity, and critique."
He continues: "In a world where standard programs are slowly being replaced with more custom-tailored programs, moreover, this tool allows one to quickly get students with a different background to the same level."
Thanks very much to Professor Van Dam for the interview! Read more about his work via his website. You can learn more about Radboud University via their official website. Photos courtesy of Radboud University and Professor Frederik Van Dam.
