Can you introduce yourself and tell us what research you are conducting?
I am a researcher at the University of Twente with a background in Educational Psychology. This field focuses on how people learn and how instructional materials can be designed so that learners can quickly and effectively understand and apply new information. I completed my PhD on how design features in computer simulations influence learning outcomes in mathematics education at the upper secondary school level (HAVO and VWO). I continue to conduct research on technology‑enhanced learning, but nowadays my work focuses more on technologies such as Virtual Reality, learning analytics and the use of GoPro action cameras in organizations and vocational training.
What do you see as the latest trends in training and education?
Distance learning
We’re seeing a major shift toward distance learning. Online courses are increasingly offered in the form of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Small Private Online Courses (SPOCs). SPOCs are essentially the small‑scale counterparts of MOOCs, similar in structure, but developed specifically for a single company or organization. These usually consist of structured courses with videos, assignments and supporting materials delivered over a set period.
Personalization
I see growing importance placed on personalization. Training is tailored to the individual learner, meaning that everyone follows their own unique learning path. This requires accurately identifying a person’s learning needs and objectives.
Collaboration and communication
More opportunities are being created inside and outside online lessons to share knowledge, discuss topics and learn from one another. One new development that is still in its early stages is multiplayer Virtual Reality. For example, participants can step aside with a few avatars into a separate virtual corner, where background noise automatically decreases so they can discuss the material.
To facilitate collaboration, especially in larger organizations, groups of participants are often scheduled to follow the same course around the same time. Still, there are several challenges in supporting effective collaboration and communication.
What improvements are needed?
A common issue is that learners communicate outside the learning environment—for example via WhatsApp. As a result, part of the communication and knowledge sharing happens out of sight of the instructor. It is therefore important that communication tools are integrated into the learning platform itself, through options such as discussion forums or group assignments.
This gives the instructor or moderator a diagnostic instrument: insight into what learners find unclear or where knowledge gaps exist, allowing them to adjust their instruction accordingly.
Areas that still need clearer guidance include:
Who moderates the discussions?
What skills does a moderator need?
How do you steer a discussion back to the core topic?
How do you pose questions that stimulate thinking and deeper learning?
How does your research connect to these issues?
One of our research directions involves developing algorithms capable of “understanding” communication. The idea is that in the future, the system itself might be able to ask questions or make suggestions. It can also give learners more insight into their own learning process or that of their team.
Learning analytics aims to provide insight into how people learn online. Enormous amounts of data are generated, but it’s still unclear how to interpret and use that data effectively. This presents many challenges. I see a real need for professionals with strong educational expertise. Right now, much of the work ends up with managers or programmers who create visualizations and attach meaning to them often without a solid understanding of what the data truly represents.
“I believe there is an important role for educational experts to apply learning analytics in a meaningful way.”
We should first consider which processes and patterns we expect based on theory and prior research—and then build technology to measure and visualize those aspects. The reverse approach often leads to problems. You can always find patterns in data, but that does not make them meaningful. Too often, people dive into large datasets at random and draw conclusions that are not well‑founded.
Can you give an example?
Many assume that high levels of communication indicate successful learning. But as an educational psychologist, you must look at what is communicated. More communication does not automatically mean better learning. Sometimes there is very little communication, yet the learning is highly effective. It is dangerous to conclude too quickly that low activity equals poor learning.
For now, we are mainly studying how to identify patterns—interventions may come later, for example by providing learners with feedback or recommendations.
What patterns have you discovered so far?
A key problem in many MOOCs is drop‑out. Learners take only the first lesson, a few lessons, or never start at all. We wanted to know whether there are indicators that predict when someone might drop out. If instructors know this, they can reach out and keep participants engaged. In large online courses, it is extremely difficult for instructors to follow every learner individually, so it would be helpful if the system could give a signal when someone is at high risk of disengaging.
We looked at the moments when learners stopped participating in discussions and whether we could predict that moment. We analyzed the emotions they expressed in their messages. Unsurprisingly, negative emotions were associated with higher drop‑out risk. But what surprised us was that people who were very positive also tended to drop out quickly.
The learners who remained active were those who were sometimes positive and sometimes negative. People who immediately proclaimed that everything was “fantastic” had a significantly higher chance of dropping out early.
We would like to thank Bas sincerely for this interview!
Warm regards, Maaike Otten
m.otten@eluxis.com
Linkedin: Maaike Otten
