Ruud Klarus
Professor of Vocational Education and Competence Development in the Workplace
Ruud Klarus is professor of Vocational Education and Competence Development in the Workplace. He has worked for CINOP and STOAS Research and holds executive positions in various vocational educational institutions.
The workplace as a place of learning
Klarus and his research group explore the notion of the workplace as a place of learning. Is it possible to learn in the workplace and, if so, which conditions foster this? Klarus focuses on teacher training colleges and the development of professional practice in vocational education.
Work placement learning
Klarus aims to contribute to good vocational education by improving the quality of teacher training programmes. He also conducts research and development work for and with practitioners across education levels, from pre-vocational secondary education to university level. Work placement learning, training and workplace learning – an indispensable pillar of vocational education – is a further important area of attention.
Relevant projects
Klarus is closely involved in a number of projects:
- Better Learning in Practice (BLIP): developing and testing a method to promote self-management in preparation for work placement learning (WISH)
- Transition from vocational education (MBO) to the labour market and to higher education: developing an architecture to guide students during this transition and researching the effects of a ‘course selection check’
- Improvement of work placement learning at institutions of higher education: work placement assignments, individual coaching in the workplace and quality measurements in institutions of higher education
- Book series: ‘What is good education?’ Five parts with contributions from different academic disciplines (BOOM Publishers)
Background
Ruud Klarus studied at the College of Education for Primary School Teachers and the Academy for Education and Labour. He also studied adult educational theory and educational science at Utrecht University, and completed his PhD on competence assessment at Radboud University. He has been involved in innovation and research in vocational and liberal education, and worked for CINOP and STOAS Research.
Projects
- Better Learning in Practice (BLIP)
- Transition from vocational education (MBO) to the labour market and higher educatio
- Improvement of workplace learning in institutions of higher education
- Book series ‘What is good education?’
Expertise areas
- research and development at universities of applied sciences
- alignment between education and work field
- work placements
- theories of learning for the workplace
Publications
- Klarus, R., Schuur, K., & K. van Hoeij (2007) VPL in Europe: there is more that unites than divides. A cross-case synthesis of 128 VPL-project in 11 different European countries. In: Duvekot, R. Scanlon, G., Charraud, A-M., Schuur, K., Coughlan, D., Nilsen Mohn, T. Paulusse, J., Klarus, R., (2007) Managing European diversity in lifelong learning. The many perspectives of the Valuation of prior Learning in the European workplace. Nijmegen, Vught, Amsterdam: HAN,EC-VPL, HvA
- Timmermans, M., Poel, R., Klarus. R., Nieuwenhuis, L. (2008) Workplace learning in Professional development Schools: characteristics for quality (paper ECER 2008)
Partners in research
- ROCs
- MBO-raad
- SLO (Nationaal Expertiscentrum Leerplanontwikkeling)
- ECBO (Expertisecentrum Beroepsonderwijs)