DBE Monitoring

Introduction

DBE Monitoring examined how Design-Based Education (DBE) was implemented and experienced at NHL Stenden. Six years after its introduction across the university, the project explored how DBE was intended, interpreted, experienced and put into practice across programmes. The findings provide evidence to help educational leaders and programme teams strengthen DBE and continue developing it in a sustainable way within their own educational context.

What is the reason for the project?

NHL Stenden introduced Design-Based Education (DBE) across the university in 2018. This required programmes to redesign their curricula, reconsider their educational vision and strengthen collaboration with the professional field.

Six years later, the Executive Board commissioned the DBE professorship to investigate how effectively DBE had been implemented across programmes. Sustainable educational development requires more than commitment. It also requires evidence of what works, where interpretations differ and which conditions support a coherent approach.

DBE Monitoring provides an evidence-informed basis for educational leaders, lecturers, advisers, managers and education policymakers to guide the further development of DBE.

Which problem does the project address?

The project addressed the lack of an evidence-informed understanding of how DBE was intended, interpreted, experienced and put into practice across programmes. Without this insight, further development risks relying on assumptions rather than evidence.

DBE Monitoring examined how educational leaders intended DBE, how lecturers interpreted DBE and whether they agreed or differed. Moreover it was researched how students experienced DBE, which learning outcomes they reported and how these perspectives related to one another. The findings led to recommendations for strengthening coherence, developing a shared educational language, aligning curricula and identifying directions for further research.

How does the project team approach this?

DBE Monitoring consisted of three complementary studies.

The first combined structured questionnaires with interpretation sessions. It compared educational leaders’ intended approach to DBE with lecturers’ interpretation of DBE strategy, curriculum direction, educational design and professional development.

The second study developed and validated a questionnaire to measure realised DBE learning outcomes.

The third used this instrument with more than 1,150 students to investigate their experiences of DBE and the learning outcomes they reported. The analysis included factor analysis, latent profile analysis, path analysis and exploratory multilevel analysis.

The research was conducted by researchers from NHL Stenden’s Professorship of Design-Based Education, led by Migchiel van Diggelen. It involved educational leaders, lecturers, students and programme representatives from nine full-time bachelor’s programmes. In total, 22 educational leaders, 143 lecturers, 39 lecturers participating in interpretation sessions and more than 1,150 students contributed. The project was commissioned by the Executive Board and supported by a scientific advisory committee.

What are the main results?

DBE Monitoring found that educational leaders and lecturers broadly regard DBE as a valuable educational concept. However, educational leaders consistently viewed its implementation more positively than lecturers did. This difference was particularly clear in aspects of educational leadership, professional development, curriculum coherence, learning environments, assessment and personal leadership.

Student data revealed a validated framework of eight DBE learning outcomes: professionalism, personal leadership, feedback literacy, empathy, application skills, social responsibility, creativity and design resilience. Students who experienced more DBE-oriented education also reported stronger DBE learning outcomes.

The project recommends strengthening implementation within individual programmes, developing a shared educational language, aligning learning outcomes more closely with DBE and continuing evidence-informed monitoring.

Project partners

• Executive Board of NHL Stenden
• Participating bachelor’s programmes