Adaptive Performance: Conceptualisation and Mechanisms in Engineering Education

Yvette Baggen is an associate professor at Wageningen University & Research, specialising in entrepreneurial learning, adaptive expertise, and transdisciplinary learning in higher education and organisations. With her work she aims to empower students and professionals as change agents, equipping them to tackle real-world sustainability challnges. Via the 4TU.CEE and the EWUU Alliance (TU/e, WUR, UU, UMC Utrecht) she contributes to different research projects in developing, implementing and evaluating innovative learning trajectories for students and professionals. 

Belinda Ommering is a senior researcher focusing on developing epistemic agency among teachers in higher professional education, both in their own teaching and in fostering students' epistemic agency. After obtaining a bachelor's degree in Pedagogical Sciences and a master's in Education and Child Studies, Belinda completed her PhD at Leiden University Medical Center. Her doctoral research focused on how medical students can be intrinsically motivated for research and how both intra- and extracurricular research experiences contribute to intrinsic motivation.

Since 2021, she has been working as a researcher at the Research Group Epistemic Agency. She is involved in various research projects on teaching roles, the development of teachers' epistemic agency and the role of professional identity. Additionally, she is part of the Teaching and Learning Network within the 'Researcher Professionalisation' team, where she has contributed to developing a growth roadmap for practice-based researchers.

Gabi Kaffka studied sociology at the University of Amsterdam and received her PhD in entrepreneurship studies from the University of Twente, the Netherlands. Currently, she holds a position as assistant professor at the Tilburg School of Economics & Management, Tilburg University in the Netherlands.

Her work focuses on social cognitive aspects of innovative and entrepreneurial professional teams and individuals. In the past, dr. Kaffka carried out postdoctoral research for the Strategic Alliance EWUU in the Netherlands. In 2020, her research won the prize for Best Empirical Paper at the Annual Academy of Management Conference (Entrepreneurship Division). 

She has also been affiliated to the HEInnovate project (European Commission and OECD) where she reported on best practices in entrepreneurial teaching and learning in higher education in Ireland and the Netherlands; and she has led an EU consortium on the design of the EPIC toolkit (https://heinnovate.eu/en/other-initiatives) which facilitates assessment of entrepreneurial and innovative competences of individuals. 

Jan Onne Backhaus studied civil engineering before moving into the Hamburg aircraft construction industry, where he les R&D projects as a structural engineer. His last role in the sector was Director Offshore. Driven by academic interests, he pursued an Executive MBA at the School of Economics and Management (FOM), completing the programme in 2017. During this time, he also began his doctoral research at the Technical University of Hamburg and started consulting companies on intercultural communication and project management.

Today, Dr. Backhaus is with the consulting and project management firm Drees & Sommer, where he supports companies in the construction industry with lean construction management and process optimization. He leads a geographically distributed team operating across Hamburg, Berlin, and Hannover. He is the author of two books and several publications on digitalisation and lean methodologies in the construction sector. He regularly speaks at conferences on lean and agile topics and serves as one of the editors of the Lean Construction Blog.

Maria Louise Gamborg is a clinical psychologist with training in geriatric psychiatry. She holds a PhD from Aarhus University in Denmark, where she explored how young doctors make decisions regarding geriatric patients in the workplace. Specifically, her research focuses on workplace-based learning and how novices use adaptive practices when dealing with unfamiliar or challenging tasks. Since 2023, she has been working as an assistant professor at Aarhus University, where her research is focused on applying the findings from her PhD to workplace-based learning and how we can develope expert adaptive skills through educational designs such as supervising practices and simulation-based training. 

Rune Dall Jensen holds a PhD from Center for Medical Education, Aarhus University in Denmark. His master is in kinesiology and learning sciences, where his master thesis explored elite performance among olympic athletes together with Team Denmark. Alongside his research in health sciences education he has worked with skills development in elite soccer. 

Since 2022, he has been working as an associate professor at Aarhus University & MidtSim, Central Denmark Region, investigating surgical education and simulation in healthcare.

Lisette holds a master's degree in educational sciences and has extensive experience with educational design in various contexts. Over 15 years, she has been involved in faculty development initiatives at UMC Utrecht, providing teacher training courses and coordinating the university teacher certification process.

She helped establish an Educator Community and worked as a staff member of the Center for Research and Development of Education. She is currently working on a PhD on the development of Adaptive Expertise in Education for HPE. 

Heleen Pennings is professor of Applied Sciences in Learning with ict at HAN University of Applied Sciences and scientific coordinator of a co-implementation pilot at the Nationaal Onderwijslab AI at Radbout University: both in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

She studied a variety of topics relating to training and education of professionals (health professionals, safety personnel and teachers), focusing on innovative research and educational methods inspired by complex dynamic systems thinking: e.g., technology enhanced learning, adaptive (immersive) learning, adaptive expertise, negative transfer of training in simulation, and interpersonal communication.

Despoina Georgiou is an assistant professor in the Department of Pedagogical and Educational Sciences at Utrecht University. She holds a master's degree in Research on Teaching and Learning from the Technical University of Munich, and a Doctor of Philosophy from the International Doctoral School REASON at the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich. Her doctoral research focused on exploring the "Research-practice gap in teacher education: Beliefs, evidence, and practice of university-based teacher educators".

Despoina's research interests encompass the professional development and learning of university educators, with a strong emphasis on the integration of innovative instructional practices, including technology. Since August 2023, Despoina has been appointed to coordinate the Special Interest Group 4 on Higher Education at EARLI.

Karel van den Bosch is a senior research scientist at TNO Human Factors. He manages and conducts fundamental and applied research on the training of complex cognitive tasks (e.g., command & control, decision making, crisis management). His research interests include issues of scenario generation (the nature and sequencing of scenarios to achieve successful learning), instruction and feedback (how to effectively train decision-makers for dealing with unfamiliar and uncertain situations), and cognitive agents (developing and using intelligent software agents playing the role of teammate, adversary, or instructor). 

Esther Oprins obtained her PhD at Maastricht University on the topic of selection and training of air traffic controllers. Her current position is Principal Consultant at TNO where she has worked for 15 years now. Her research focuses on personnel selection, training, assessment, and human behaviors in high-risk professions.

Most of her research has been done in the military domain and aviation. One of her research topics includes adaptability of military required in unpredictable crisis situations.

Frank van Rijnsoever is a professor of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Higher Education for Sustainability and Principal Fellow at the Centre for Academic Teaching and Learning at Utrecht University. His research focuses on entrepreneurship, change agency, and the ways in which these processes can be effectively facilitated. He is particularly interested in applying novel methods, such as artificial intelligence, in both research and teaching practice. Frank has published in leading journals including The International Journal of Management Education, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, and Research Policy.

Luc de Jongh obtained a master's degree in Innovation Sciences from Utrecht University. His master thesis research focused on adaptive expertise and he developed an innovative method to assess this capability with the help of AI-generated scenarios which are presented in this book. The resulting assessment instrument provides educational institutions and organisations with new opportunities to assess and strengthen adaptive capacity among (becoming) professionals.

Driven by innovation and future-oriented leadership, Luc enjoys the process of identifying opportunities, optimizing processes, and realizing sustainable growth in dynamic environments.

Lisette Munneke is leading professor of the Research Group Epistemic Agency. Her research focuses on the role of epistemic agency in everyday professional practices and how related research competences can be stimulated in (future) professionals.

Lisette obtained her PhD (2008) in Educational Sciences at Utrecht University. Her doctoral research focused on how computer-supported collaborative learning can support 'learning to argue' in secondary education. Afterwards she worked as a teacher trainer for ten years, specialising in the quality of practice-based research, the research-teaching-practice nexus and the pedagogy of fostering epistemic agency in higher professional education.

She published several textbooks for students in higher professional education about this topic. She visits many universities of applied sciences and has developed considerable expertise on different views surrounding the role of research and related epistemic agency in higher professional education.

Wietske Kuijer-Siebelink graduated as a movement scientist within the pedagogical sciences at the University of Groningen in 2002 and received her PhD in Medical Sciences in 2005. She has been working at HAN University of Applied Sciences since 2005, where she has been involved in several educational innovations in health professions education, linking education, research and professional practice.

In August 2021, she was appointed as professor in responsive vocational education at HAN, with which she broadened her scope to other vocational domains. Since 2020, she also works at the Radboud UMC Health Academy and has been appointed in 2024 as full professor education and learning for collaborative practice.

Her research focus is on cross-boundary education and learning for an emergent world of work. She investigates collaboration practices and processes: in ecosystems, innovative work-based learning arrangements and educational programmes, bridging education and practice and crossing professional boundaries.

Antoine van den Beemt is an associate professor at the Eindhoven School of Education, specialising in STEM teacher professional development. His current work centers on innovation in higher (engineering) education, with a particular focus on Challenge-Based Learning (CBL), transdisciplinary learning, and technology-enhanced learning. Antoine is actively involved in university-wide programmes aimed at the development and implementation of CBL, as well as in national and European networks that promote CBL, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary learning. He also serves on the editorial boards of peer-reviewed scientific journals and the HEErI book series on innovation in engineering education. 

Marieke van der Schaaf is an educational scientist and full professor in Research and Development in Health Professions Education at University Medical Center Utrecht. She directs the Utrecht Center for Research and Development of Education and the Life Sciences Education Research PhD program at Utrecht University. With over 25 years of experience, her research focuses on adaptive expertise, feedback, and faculty development. She has received multiple international grants and supervises numerous (PhD) students and projects in these areas.

Jan van Tartwijk is a professor of education and vice-dean for graduate education at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Utrecht University. Jan has worked in various sectors within higher education, such as health professions education and teacher training programmes. 

In his teaching and research, Jan focuses in particular on teachers and the development of their expertise. Together with colleagues, he has been conducting research for many years into how teachers develop expertise in building positive interpersonal relationships with pupils. He and his colleagues are also studying the adaptability of teachers to changing or new circumstances and challenges. In Utrecht, Jan is one of the leaders of the university's Higher Education Research focus area, and together with colleagues from the universities of Helsinki and Oxford, he is currently editing a handbook on the results of research into higher education, which will be published by Routledge in 2026. 

Marleen Groenier is an assistant professor at the University of Twente's Technical Medicine department and head of the Lab for Life Long Professional Learning. She has a background in human factors psychology. Her research focuses on using sensor- and simulation technology to enhance learning and performance in healthcare education. She has also co-authored research on skill acquisition, adaptive performance and interdisciplinary expertise in medical practice, addressing challenges in complex problem-solving.

Irene Visscher-Voerman is professor of Applied Sciences  Innovative and Effective Education', at Saxion UAS. Her research focus is on the design and development of learning environments with authentic projects or societal challenges, and what this applies for the roles of different stakeholders (professionals, students, teachers). 

She received a Comenius Leadership Grant for the development of educational design principles for student-driven, authentic learning environments. She is the project leader of a national research consortium on transdisciplinary education.

Jannet Doppenberg is professor 'Learning in Learning Communities' at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences. The research group focuses on learning processes within various types of learning communities as well as on (teacher) professional development and educational innovation. Jannet obtained her PhD in 2012 for research into collaborative teacher learning. Following this, she has conducted various studies into collaborative teacher teams, curriculum development and educational innovations. With her research, she hopes to contribute to the quality of education. In addition to her work as a researcher, Jannet has also worked as a teacher trainer for many years.

Mechteld van Kuijk is a senior researcher at the Research Group 'Learning in Learning Communities' and an educational advisor for the department Education & Research at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences. The research group focuses on learning processes within various types of learning communities and on (teacher) professional development and educational innovation. After obtaining a bachelor's and master's degree (cum laude) in Educational Sciences and a research master's degree 'Human behavior in social contexts' at the University of Groningen, she completed her doctoral research and a postdoctoral position (funded by the National Education Research Organisation (NRO)).

Both her doctoral dissertation and her postdoctoral project at GION (Groningen Institute for Educational Research, University of Groningen) targeted language development, collaborative learning, and teacher professional development. At the Hanze, Mechteld has worked on (research) projects in the field of learning communities, collaboration, and educational innovation.

Lia Fluit is emeritus professor in innovative and person-centered learning and working in healthcare. Her area of expertise includes workplace learning, inter- and intraprofessional learning, the learning of complex skills, psychological safety and (upward) feedback. She was leader of the Radboudumc Health Academy Learning research group.

Together with Loek Nieuwenhuis, she started the Adapt at Work and was a member of the management team during this practice-based research project. She was trained as a medical doctor (1983), and studied Pedagogical Sciences (2001). Her thesis (2013) was focusing on upward feedback in the clinical workplace.

Loek Nieuwenhuis is emeritus professor and educational scientist in the field of vocational and professional education and life-long learning. His research focus is the learning potential of the workplace in educational and economic contexts. He investigated innovative learning processes throughout professional careers in a broad range of vocational domains, from engineering and healthcare to policing and social work. He initiated Adapt at Work, a practice-based research project on the development of adaptive expertise in work-based settings in higher education. With Lia Fluit and Wietske Kuijer-Siebelink he formed the management team of this research adventure.

Prof.dr. den Brok is chair of the Education and Learning Sciences group. His research interests lie in the field of educational innovation in higher education, learning environments, professional learning and development of teachers and teacher education. he was chair of the 4TU Centre for Engineering Education between 2018 and 2023, was leader of both the Eindhoven (2014-2018) and Wageningen (2023-2024) sections of the centre, and one of the founding fathers of the centre.

Yvette Baggen is an associate professor at Wageningen University & Research, specialising in entrepreneurial learning, adaptive expertise, and transdisciplinary learning in higher education and organisations. With her work she aims to empower students and professionals as change agents, equipping them to tackle real-world sustainability challnges. Via the 4TU.CEE and the EWUU Alliance (TU/e, WUR, UU, UMC Utrecht) she contributes to different research projects in developing, implementing and evaluating innovative learning trajectories for students and professionals. 

Antoine van den Beemt is an associate professor at the Eindhoven School of Education, specialising in STEM teacher professional development. His current work centers on innovation in higher (engineering) education, with a particular focus on Challenge-Based Learning (CBL), transdisciplinary learning, and technology-enhanced learning. Antoine is actively involved in university-wide programmes aimed at the development and implementation of CBL, as well as in national and European networks that promote CBL, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary learning. He also serves on the editorial boards of peer-reviewed scientific journals and the HEErI book series on innovation in engineering education. 

Marieke van der Schaaf is an educational scientist and full professor in Research and Development in Health Professions Education at University Medical Center Utrecht. She directs the Utrecht Center for Research and Development of Education and the Life Sciences Education Research PhD program at Utrecht University. With over 25 years of experience, her research focuses on adaptive expertise, feedback, and faculty development. She has received multiple international grants and supervises numerous (PhD) students and projects in these areas.

Jan van Tartwijk is a professor of education and vice-dean for graduate education at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Utrecht University. Jan has worked in various sectors within higher education, such as health professions education and teacher training programmes. 

In his teaching and research, Jan focuses in particular on teachers and the development of their expertise. Together with colleagues, he has been conducting research for many years into how teachers develop expertise in building positive interpersonal relationships with pupils. He and his colleagues are also studying the adaptability of teachers to changing or new circumstances and challenges. In Utrecht, Jan is one of the leaders of the university's Higher Education Research focus area, and together with colleagues from the universities of Helsinki and Oxford, he is currently editing a handbook on the results of research into higher education, which will be published by Routledge in 2026.