Education: Transformative Research Modules
Welcome to the Transformative Research Modules: Introduction to Methods, a collaborative effort between DIT, Impact at the Core, and Convergence (themes Healthy Start and Resilient Delta). These modules are designed for researchers at various stages of their careers, from Master’s students to seasoned Professors, with a particular focus on Master’s and PhD students and Early Career Researchers in our current phase.
Our modular approach allows participants to tailor their learning experience according to their needs and interests. Whether you’re delving into the fundamentals of Systems Thinking, exploring Futures Literacy, practicing Reflexivity, or grappling with Ethics in Transformative Research, our comprehensive modules cover a range of crucial topics. Two scholars expertly coordinate each module, ensuring a diverse and interdisciplinary perspective.
Mission
At the heart of our training mission is the empowerment and capacitation of the next generation of researchers. We aim to equip participants with a holistic understanding of various perspectives, concepts, methods, and ethical considerations essential for transformative academic research. Through case studies and practical exercises, participants will learn to engage creatively, purposefully, and productively with complex issues that truly matter.
Modules
Reflexivity
This module covers reflexive practice in transformative research. Its purpose is to inspire you to explore and experiment with different reflexive paradigms and practices. In this module, join Ginie Servant Miklos and Pleun Hermsen to explore the importance of reflection at large and in transformative settings specifically.
Futures Literacy
This module covers the foundational aspects of Futures Literacy, designed to equip you with the essential skills to navigate future scenarios effectively. The purpose of this module is to delve into the multifaceted nature of imagining and understanding multiple futures, challenging our anticipatory assumptions, and fostering a deeper awareness of the present.
Systems Thinking
This module is an introduction to systems thinking. The purpose of this module is to invite you to explore how you can use systems thinking in your research, education, or in your daily life. Join Dominique Troost in exploring what systems thinking is and why it is crucial to approach complex problem from a systemic perspective. Dominique and Jotte de Koning then discuss what systems thinking means to us, what it looks like in practice, and how you can develop a systemic worldview yourself. In doing so, we cover several core elements, such as resilience and systems mapping.
Ethics
This module can help you to develop an understanding of ethics in research, specifically more collaborative forms of research. The aims of this module include understanding what research ethics is and different ways to reflect on ethical dilemmas in research.
The Team
Our coordination team brings together expertise from diverse backgrounds to ensure a rich and dynamic learning experience. Led by Julia Wittmayer and Rachel Williams from DIT, Sake Zijlstra from Resilient Delta, and Joe Binetti from Impact at the Core, our team is committed to guiding participants through an enlightening and transformative journey.
Giuseppe Binetti, known as Joe, is a passionate postdoctoral researcher at Erasmus University Rotterdam, where he focuses on the transformative potential of impact driven education. With a PhD in Education from University of Glasgow and an MSc in Education from the University of Edinburgh, Joe combines academic rigour with a flair for creative teaching strategies.
His work includes (co-) developing educational programs, facilitating faculty workshops, and conducting research on the effectiveness of new teaching methods. Joe’s expertise extends to projects like ‘Creativity in Higher Education’, which equips educators with tools to foster creativity in learning environments.
A former lower school teacher, Joe has held diverse educational roles, including supervising dissertations, teaching research methods, fostering creativity in education, and developing impact-driven teaching methodologies.
Nowadays, Joe is committed to exploring and implementing educational practices that inspire learning and drive meaningful change.
Sake Zijlstra is a full-time lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture in Delft and the former Educational Lead for the Resilient Delta Initiative. In the Convergence Alliance, the aim of education focuses on inter-university collaboration to address complex societal issues and achieve impact. This calls for redefining the methodologies used in projects, focusing on knowledge integration and inter- and transdisciplinary ways of working. Sake focuses on education within RDi and Convergence. He (co-)develops educational approaches to train inter- and transdisciplinary skills in knowledge integration. The learning objectives are derived from the Convergence and Resilient Delta experiences and developed for education at several mastery levels: BSc, MSc, and PhD.
