In order for effective learning to take place, students need accurate information about gaps in their knowledge and how these gaps can be remedied. Self-assessment can play an important role in this regard, but effective use of self-assessments can be challenging.

Maastricht University’s English language Bachelor of Medicine (BA-MED) curriculum structures student learning around competencies and the attainment over several authentic professional tasks (APTs) in a self-regulated manner. Students collect performance information in a programmatic way and compile this into a portfolio, to aggregate and triangulate performance information from various sources to close the feedback loop and self-regulate their learning.

In order to inform students about their progress in acquisition of knowledge for competence development and to support their learning, they are offered a practice database from which they can take personalized self-assessments based on topics they want answer questions on. Students can do this as often as they choose, and selfassessment results can be uploaded in their portfolio to triangulate with other sources of information.

For this PhD project, we are interested in how we can best support students in optimally using these self-assessments to inform their learning.
Together with a team of experienced supervisors from the School of Health Professions Education and the Task Forces within the Department of Educational Development and Research, you will be able to explore this topic, leading to four international peer reviewed publications. The research project will take a design-based research (DBR) approach, in which research is used to improve education and educational interventions in an iterative manner and educational theory informs the design of interventions using three phases: analysis and exploration, design and construction, and evaluation and reflection.

We are looking for a candidate with a (research) master of science (MSc) in education, psychology, health professions education or any related domain, with an interest in practice-oriented educational research, and a team-player with strong communication skills. Being creative, flexible, and independent and having any experience with quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods research, as well as the ability to speak and write Dutch are an advantage.

Temporary employment of 1.0 FTE for 4 years. The first year will be a probation period, after a positive assessment the position will be extended for another 3 years.

Your salary will be € 2,541 gross per month in the first year up to € 3,247 gross per month in the fourth year according to the PhD-candidate salary scale. An 8% holiday and an 8.3% year-end allowance is also provided.

In addition to good primary employment conditions, UM also offers an attractive package of secondary employment conditions.

Each year an evaluation will take place.

The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO). Furthermore, local UM provisions also apply. For more information look at the website www.maastrichtuniversity.nl > About UM > Working at UM.

Maastricht University

Maastricht University is renowned for its unique, innovative, problem-based learning system, which is characterized by a small-scale and student-oriented approach. Research at UM is characterized by a multidisciplinary and thematic approach, and is concentrated in research institutes and schools. Maastricht University has around 22,000 students and about 5,000 employees. Reflecting the university's strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and staff are from abroad. The university hosts 6 faculties: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Faculty of Law, School of Business and Economics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience. 
For more information, visit www.maastrichtuniversity.nl.