L E V E L :H i g h e r e d u c a t i o n

I N I T I A T I V E : P r i o r i t i s i n g s t u d e n t e m p o w e r m e n t a n d s e l f - d i r e c t e d l e a r n i n g

F O N T Y S I C TPowering a New Approach to Educat ion at Fontys ICT

H I G H E R E D U C A T I O N C A S E S T U D Y

T H E C H A L L E N G E

Fontys ICT (Fontys University of Applied Sciences, School of

ICT) is one of the largest Dutch universities, with campuses

located primarily in the south of Holland. Despite large

student numbers, education at Fontys ICT is organised on a

small scale, with personalised and individualised learning at

its heart.

Fontys ICT is committed to innovative teaching methods. For

the university sta�, a traditional linear model of education

simply doesn’t work. Eric Slaats, Course Director at Fontys

ICT, tells us: “Starting a degree course where you’re told,

‘Here’s what you’ll know in four years time,’ just doesn’t work

anymore, because, simply, we don’t know how the world is

going to look in four years.”

Fontys ICT recognises that traditional university teaching

doesn’t always reflect the principles of empowerment and

freedom that it seeks to o�er. So instead, Fontys ICT set out

to build an entirely new educational model, founded on the

principles of openness and collaboration.

Canvas he lps empower s tudents to deve lop independent learn ing sk i l l s

C a n v a s h e l p s F o n t y s I C T p r i o r i t i s e a p p l i e d k n o w l e d g e t o d e l i v e r r e a l - w o r l d l e a r n i n g

K E Y F I N D I N G S :

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F O N T Y S I C T A N D C A N V A S

— E R I C S L A A T S

Course Director at Fontys ICT

T H E D E C I S I O N

Applied knowledge is a crucial tenet of Fontys ICT’s new

pedagogy. An undergraduate student at the university

told us: “At Fontys ICT we use everything we learn, and

that’s fundamentally a better way to do things.”

Many modules incorporate what Eric calls “a real life

element,” where outside participation is employed to

ground the project in reality. “If students are working for

someone from industry—maybe even a potential

employer—then they're more motivated to learn, to

engage with the course and to deliver,” Eric continues.

At Fontys ICT students are able to define their own goals

and build their own competence profile, finding content

that fits these needs. Importantly, Fontys ICT students are

empowered to be owners of their own content, the pace

of their learning, their own style and performance and

progression data.

To meet these needs, the physical space at Fontys ICT is

di�erent from many universities. ”Classrooms are on the

way out,” says Eric. Instead, open space allows

collaboration, makes teachers more accessible and gives

students freedom to perform at their best. But it's not just

physical space which powers this change—a more

empowered and free curriculum relies on open and

flexible technology.

So the adoption of Canvas was a crucial factor in meeting

Fontys ICT’s ambitions. Canvas is designed from the ground

up to meet the requirements of modern students, teachers

and institutions. “It’s easy to use and really powerful,” says

Eric, “and delivers on our need to let students control and

direct their own learning journeys.”

T H E R E S U L T S

Canvas has helped Fontys ICT redefine its teachers’ roles.

Real time data, which provides actionable insights into student

performance, has given teachers the power to act as guides

for their students, helping direct them through their studies.

This provides a balance between openness and control,

harnessing the power of good teaching and applying it to the

need for student empowerment and freedom.

Canvas has helped Fontys ICT deliver on its promise to

ground learning in the real world, powering collaboration

between students, teachers and the outside world. This is

crucial, says Fontys ICT, to delivering education which helps

students prepare for their lives after studies—in employment

and beyond.

Eric finishes, “I love working with students, and giving them

the chance to get a head start in the world is great. These are

students who are going to change things, and we need to

deliver education which helps every one of them succeed on

their own terms. Doing this is a massive plus for society, and

Canvas is helping us meet these goals.”

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“ I L O V E W O R K I N G W I T H S T U D E N T S , A N D G I V I N G T H E M T H E C H A N C E T O G E T A H E A D S T A R T I N T H E W O R L D I S G R E A T . T H E S E A R E S T U D E N T S W H O A R E

G O I N G T O C H A N G E T H I N G S , A N D W E N E E D T O D E L I V E R E D U C A T I O N W H I C H H E L P S E V E R Y O N E O F

T H E M S U C C E E D O N T H E I R O W N T E R M S . D O I N G T H I S I S A M A S S I V E P L U S F O R S O C I E T Y , A N D

C A N V A S I S H E L P I N G U S M E E T T H E S E G O A L S . ”