Minor Learning Sciences
People learn all day long. Whether at school, at work or at home, learning is an important part of our lives. Understanding what learning is and how learning works has enormous social relevance. This applies to education, but also in a broader sense to companies and governments that increasingly focus on 'lifelong learning'. This results in an emerging demand for knowledge on this subject, especially when it comes to (digital) innovations.
But how does learning work? You can approach this question from different perspectives. In the minor Learning Sciences (30EC), students approach this question from multiple perspectives and develop a broad view of learning.
The five minor courses
The minor consists of the following bachelor courses:
- 21st Century Perspectives on Education
- Language Learning and Socialization (2nd semester)
- Introduction to Cognitive Science
- Philosophy of Education
- Sociology of Education
The courses are accessible for bachelor students. No additional requirements apply.
Content of the courses
The core subject of this minor is 21st Century Perspectives on Education, which addresses three overarching themes around learning and education:
- Learning and digitalization
- Learning and cognition
- Learning and culture
When it comes to learning and digitalization, we look at the effectiveness of innovations such as blended learning. Based on the theme of learning and cognition, we think about the place of '21st century skills' in education, such as creativity and reasoning. The relationship between culture and education is further discussed in lectures on the organization of education in different cultural contexts. These three themes (digitalization, cognition and culture) play a central role in all courses of the minor.
Language Learning and Socialization, includes an in-depth exploration of socialization and language learning. What role does culture and (online) environment play in language acquisition, and what does this mean for complex social issues about integration and language education?
The course Introduction to Cognitive Science provides an in-depth overview of human cognition. We explore the workings of the human mind and address themes such as memory, intelligence and language – important components of the human capacity for learning. Associations are made with digitalization, for example in issues surrounding artificial intelligence (AI).
The course Philosophy of Education approaches education from a philosophical perspective. Students are reminded of perennial philosophical questions concerning education, relating influential philosophical ideas to these questions.
The course Sociology of Education offers sociological reflections on education and provides an overview of key issues in the sociology of education. The focus is on Dutch schools but the course offers a global, comparative perspective. At the end of this course, students will be able to analyze and reflect on contemporary challenges and developments in education from a sociological perspective. By studying current issues in sociology of education, students learn to independently analyze new and complex issues and form a reasoned judgement on educational challenges. Placing education within the social context of society, students will be able to gauge the relevance and implication of policy measures and add value to their work in an educational context. In addition we pay attention to methodological issues related to the sociological study of education.
After the minor
After taking this minor, students have acquired a broad knowledge of learning and (digital) innovations that try to optimize learning. This knowledge can be used for learning in organizations and companies, but it is also a useful stepping stone to a teaching career.